Qualifications to Be Able to Run for Congress in Missouri
The qualifications to run for Congress in Missouri can be found in both the U.S. Constitution and in the state constitution of Missouri. Any citizen, male or female, regardless of race, religion or sexual orientation, is free to run for Congress in Missouri if that individual meets the basic qualifications. This concept is an essential part of the American philosophy of government, in which the average person has the opportunity to participate in government. While admittedly that is not always achieved, as evidenced by career politicians far removed from the experiences of the average citizen, that concept is the ideological foundation of local, state and federal governments.
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Resident
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Congress is divided into two parts, the House of Representatives and the Senate. In Missouri, to be a candidate for a seat in either house, you must be a resident of the state. That is, Missouri must be your primary place of residence for the majority of the year. Living elsewhere and having a second home in Missouri, where you live only a few months of the year, does not meet residency requirements.
Age
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There is an age requirement to run for Congress in Missouri. The philosophy behind that is to ensure the maturity of the candidates, via life experience or education. To run for the U.S. Senate in Missouri, a candidate must be at least 30 years old. To represent the state in the U.S. House of Representatives, a person must be at least 25 years of age to run for office.
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U.S. Citizen
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A person can serve as a member of Congress without being born in the United States. To represent the state of Missouri in Congress, a House of Representatives candidate must have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years. To run for office as a senator representing Missouri in Congress, a person must have been a citizen for at least nine years. This requirement is meant to ensure a thorough understanding of what it is to be an American and of the American system of government.
Purpose of Minimal Requirements
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The goal of having such minimal requirements is to make it possible for any Missouri resident to represent her state in Congress -- not just the wealthy, but also the average person. In a democracy, having few requirements to run for office ensures that people of all socioeconomic backgrounds have the opportunity to participate in government.
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