Federal

Shadow U.S. Senator

Vote for: 1
Term: 6 years
Candidates: 2
Election: Nov 3, 2026

What this office does: An unpaid District office, elected to press Congress for D.C. statehood. It isn't a seat in the U.S. Senate, where the District has no senators; the ballot calls it "United States Senator."

Candidates Compare by issue

Robert Simmons

Republican

Professor; small-business owner

The gist

Supports D.C. statehood and full representation in Congress.
Supports law enforcement and strong public-safety policies.
Supports tax relief and less regulation for businesses.
Pledges efficient, transparent spending of taxpayer dollars.
Supports school choice programs.

More about Robert

View sources (1)

Supports D.C. statehood and full representation in Congress.
Robert 4 Senate
Campaign website · Friends and family for Rob Simmons · robert4senate.com
“I will fight for D.C. statehood and the right for residents to have full representation in Congress.”
Supports law enforcement and strong public-safety policies.
Robert 4 Senate
Campaign website · Friends and family for Rob Simmons · robert4senate.com
“I stand with our law enforcement officers and believe in strong policies that protect our neighborhoods.”
Supports tax relief and less regulation for businesses.
Robert 4 Senate
Campaign website · Friends and family for Rob Simmons · robert4senate.com
“D.C. needs policies that foster entrepreneurship, reduce overregulation, and provide tax relief to encourage business growth.”
Pledges efficient, transparent spending of taxpayer dollars.
Robert 4 Senate
Campaign website · Friends and family for Rob Simmons · robert4senate.com
“I will work to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, and our local government operates more efficiently and transparently.”
Supports school choice programs.
Robert 4 Senate
Campaign website · Friends and family for Rob Simmons · robert4senate.com
“I will advocate for school choice programs, improve local education funding, and work to make D.C.'s schools more competitive.”

Paul Strauss

DemocraticIncumbent

Attorney; D.C. shadow U.S. Senator

The gist

Supports D.C. statehood and full political equality.
Opposes the Trump administration's actions toward D.C.
Led the '51 Stars' celebrity campaign for D.C. statehood.
Supports pressing D.C.'s voting-rights case under international law.

More about Paul

View sources (3)

Supports D.C. statehood and full political equality.
About Senator Paul Strauss
Campaign website · Paul Strauss Committee 2026 · paulstrauss.org
“DC needs full political equality, self-determination and DC Statehood”
Opposes the Trump administration's actions toward D.C.
About Senator Paul Strauss
Campaign website · Paul Strauss Committee 2026 · paulstrauss.org
“Fighting back against Trump's attacks on DC!”
Led the '51 Stars' celebrity campaign for D.C. statehood.
Re-Elect Paul Strauss
Campaign website · Paul Strauss Committee 2026 · paulstrauss.org
“He's known for creative projects like the "51 Stars" campaign, where big names from sports, music, and entertainment speak up for D.C. statehood”
Supports pressing D.C.'s voting-rights case under international law.
Paul Strauss: Denial of democratic equality for DC violates international law
Public statement · The DC Line (commentary by Paul Strauss) · Jul 4, 2018 · thedcline.org
“It may be that the only legal mechanism to secure rights for the residents of DC may come from enforcing international agreements.”

Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 5 issues covered in this race.