Do candidates for Congress have to live in their district?
Congress,US Congress,Facts And Fact Checking,2026 Midterm Elections
Candidates for Congress are not required to live within the congressional district they seek to represent.
The U.S. Constitution only requires candidates for congressional office to live in the state where they run for office, although there is no minimum required length of residency.
States cannot enact additional, district-specific residency requirements for congressional candidates, following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in a landmark 1995 election case.
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