How to Address Elected Officials

You've decided to write a letter to your senator or governor, or you're due before a judge for the first time in your life. What happens if you're about to meet the President of the United States in a receiving line? How do you address these elected officials? You don't want to sound like a rube but there are so many titles and so few occasions to address these officers that most of us don't think about it until we come face to face with having to introduce, address or otherwise communicate with them.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Recognize that there are a number of sources for information on forms of address and that they may disagree. The "AP Style," the "Chicago Manual of Style" and "The Elements of Style" by Strunk and White are style books that differ in some respects. If you use forms of address that are found in at least one of these sources, however, no one's going to chuckle at you.

2. That said, forms of address may differ from state to state. Most state governors are introduced (or letters are addressed) as "The Honorable" and are spoken to as "Governor" or "Sir/Madam." In New Hampshire, Massachusetts and South Carolina, governors are introduced (or letters are addressed) using the older form "His/Her Excellency." Check your state government website for forms of address.

3. The President and Vice President are always addressed as Mr. (or Madam) President and Mr. (or Madam) Vice President. George Washington insisted that he be given no honorific title and the precedent has stood for over two hundred years. He also insisted that the executive mansion that was planned be called the President's "house." That's why it's called the White House today. Mayors are generally addressed as "The Honorable" or "Mayor" and spoken to as "your Honor."

4. Elected and appointed members of the judiciary are introduced (or letters are addressed) as "The Honorable." They are addressed directly as "your Honor," "Judge" or "Justice." Supreme court justices are often addressed as "Mr. Justice" or "Madam Justice." Attorneys may be introduced as (or letters addressed to) the attorney's name, followed by "esquire."

5. Members of the U.S. Congress and Senate are introduced (or letters are addressed) as "The Honorable" and are addressed directly as "Congressperson" or "Senator." State legislators are introduced (or letters are addressed) as "The Honorable" or "Senator," Representative," "Assemblyperson" and are addressed as "Senator," Representative," or "Assemblyperson." Also, "Mister," "Miss" or "Madam" are also acceptable forms of address. Again, check your state government's website. It will usually have the correct form of address for all state officers.

6. Other elected officers are introduced (or letters are addressed) using their office, as in "Secretary of State," "State Treasurer," "District Attorney" and are addressed directly as "Mr./Ms." or "Mr./Madam Secretary/Treasurer/District Attorney."

Tips & Warnings

• Appointed officials are introduced (or letters are addressed) using their title (Secretary of State, FCC Commissioner) and are addressed directly using their title but not department (Secretary, Commissioner, Administrator). Cabinet officers are often called "Madam/Mr. Secretary."
• Spouses of officials are addressed with their own title (Mr./Ms./Dr./Rev. and so on), not that of their spouse.
• Retired officials may be addressed using those titles as a sign of respect or as Mr./Ms. They should be introduced as "former", not "ex-" unless they were thrown out of office.
• Formal address is used to sort situations out and identify people's positions. Some forms of address are "leftovers" from our colonial past and some have been established by precedent (one person, like George Washington, made a decision that everyone else has followed ever since). Like our language in general, there are really no rules without exception.
• If you don't know how to address someone, stick with their basic office name (like secretary, representative, senator) or Mr./Ms.
• Never make something up on the spur of the moment. Some improvisations, like "hey, prez!" or "your worship" will make you look really foolish.

Resources

• sources for information
• sources for information

[richardepfeifer]

on 5/11/2009 HI REYNOLDS!