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Non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives

Updated: 11/6/2025, 1:00:55 AM Wikipedia source

Non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives (called either delegates or resident commissioner, in the case of Puerto Rico) are representatives of their territory in the House of Representatives, who do not have a right to vote on legislation in the full House but nevertheless have floor privileges and are able to participate in certain other House functions. Non-voting members may introduce legislation and may vote in a House committee of which they are a member. There are currently six non-voting members: a delegate representing the District of Columbia, a resident commissioner representing Puerto Rico, as well as one delegate for each of the other four permanently inhabited U.S. territories: American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A seventh delegate, representing the Cherokee Nation, has been formally proposed but not yet seated, while an eighth, representing the Choctaw Nation, is named in the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek but has neither been proposed nor seated. As with voting members, delegates are elected every two years, except the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico, who is elected every four years.

Tables

Overview of delegates · List of past delegates
Alaska Territory
Alaska Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Alaska Territory
Start → 1818
1906
End → 1819
1959
Duration (years) → 1
53
Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Arizona Territory
Start → 1818
1864
End → 1819
1912
Duration (years) → 1
48
Arkansas Territory
Arkansas Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Arkansas Territory
Start → 1818
1819
End → 1819
1836
Duration (years) → 1
17
Colorado Territory
Colorado Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Colorado Territory
Start → 1818
1861
End → 1819
1876
Duration (years) → 1
15
Dakota Territory
Dakota Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Dakota Territory
Start → 1818
1861
End → 1819
1889
Duration (years) → 1
28
Florida Territory
Florida Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Florida Territory
Start → 1818
1822
End → 1819
1845
Duration (years) → 1
23
Hawaii Territory
Hawaii Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Hawaii Territory
Start → 1818
1900
End → 1819
1959
Duration (years) → 1
59
Idaho Territory
Idaho Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Idaho Territory
Start → 1818
1864
End → 1819
1890
Duration (years) → 1
26
Illinois Territory
Illinois Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Illinois Territory
Start → 1818
1812
End → 1819
1818
Duration (years) → 1
6
Indiana Territory
Indiana Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Indiana Territory
Start → 1818
1805
End → 1819
1816
Duration (years) → 1
11
Iowa Territory
Iowa Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Iowa Territory
Start → 1818
1838
End → 1819
1846
Duration (years) → 1
8
Kansas Territory
Kansas Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Kansas Territory
Start → 1818
1854
End → 1819
1861
Duration (years) → 1
7
Michigan Territory
Michigan Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Michigan Territory
Start → 1818
1819
End → 1819
1836
Duration (years) → 1
17
Minnesota Territory
Minnesota Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Minnesota Territory
Start → 1818
1849
End → 1819
1858
Duration (years) → 1
9
Mississippi Territory
Mississippi Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Mississippi Territory
Start → 1818
1801
End → 1819
1817
Duration (years) → 1
16
Missouri Territory
Missouri Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Missouri Territory
Start → 1818
1812
End → 1819
1821
Duration (years) → 1
9
Montana Territory
Montana Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Montana Territory
Start → 1818
1865
End → 1819
1889
Duration (years) → 1
24
Nebraska Territory
Nebraska Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Nebraska Territory
Start → 1818
1855
End → 1819
1867
Duration (years) → 1
12
Nevada Territory
Nevada Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Nevada Territory
Start → 1818
1861
End → 1819
1864
Duration (years) → 1
3
New Mexico Territory
New Mexico Territory
District → Alabama Territory
New Mexico Territory
Start → 1818
1851
End → 1819
1912
Duration (years) → 1
61
Northwest Territory
Northwest Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Northwest Territory
Start → 1818
1799
End → 1819
1802
Duration (years) → 1
3
Oklahoma Territory
Oklahoma Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Oklahoma Territory
Start → 1818
1890
End → 1819
1907
Duration (years) → 1
17
Oregon Territory
Oregon Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Oregon Territory
Start → 1818
1849
End → 1819
1859
Duration (years) → 1
10
Orleans Territory
Orleans Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Orleans Territory
Start → 1818
1806
End → 1819
1812
Duration (years) → 1
6
Philippines
Philippines
District → Alabama Territory
Philippines
Start → 1818
1907
End → 1819
1946
Duration (years) → 1
39
Southwest Territory
Southwest Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Southwest Territory
Start → 1818
1794
End → 1819
1796
Duration (years) → 1
2
Utah Territory
Utah Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Utah Territory
Start → 1818
1851
End → 1819
1897
Duration (years) → 1
46
Washington Territory
Washington Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Washington Territory
Start → 1818
1854
End → 1819
1889
Duration (years) → 1
35
Wisconsin Territory
Wisconsin Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Wisconsin Territory
Start → 1818
1836
End → 1819
1848
Duration (years) → 1
12
Wyoming Territory
Wyoming Territory
District → Alabama Territory
Wyoming Territory
Start → 1818
1869
End → 1819
1890
Duration (years) → 1
21
District
Start
End
Duration (years)
Alabama Territory
1818
1819
1
Alaska Territory
1906
1959
53
Arizona Territory
1864
1912
48
Arkansas Territory
1819
1836
17
Colorado Territory
1861
1876
15
Dakota Territory
1861
1889
28
Florida Territory
1822
1845
23
Hawaii Territory
1900
1959
59
Idaho Territory
1864
1890
26
Illinois Territory
1812
1818
6
Indiana Territory
1805
1816
11
Iowa Territory
1838
1846
8
Kansas Territory
1854
1861
7
Michigan Territory
1819
1836
17
Minnesota Territory
1849
1858
9
Mississippi Territory
1801
1817
16
Missouri Territory
1812
1821
9
Montana Territory
1865
1889
24
Nebraska Territory
1855
1867
12
Nevada Territory
1861
1864
3
New Mexico Territory
1851
1912
61
Northwest Territory
1799
1802
3
Oklahoma Territory
1890
1907
17
Oregon Territory
1849
1859
10
Orleans Territory
1806
1812
6
Philippines
1907
1946
39
Southwest Territory
1794
1796
2
Utah Territory
1851
1897
46
Washington Territory
1854
1889
35
Wisconsin Territory
1836
1848
12
Wyoming Territory
1869
1890
21
Overview of current non-voting members of the House · Current non-voting members of the U.S. House of Representatives
American Samoa at-large
American Samoa at-large
District
American Samoa at-large
Title
Delegate
Incumbent
Amata Coleman Radewagen
Party
Republican
House CaucusAffiliation
Republican
Firstelected
2014
Constituency map
District of Columbia at-large
District of Columbia at-large
District
District of Columbia at-large
Title
Delegate
Incumbent
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Party
Democratic
House CaucusAffiliation
Democratic
Firstelected
1990
Constituency map
Guam at-large
Guam at-large
District
Guam at-large
Title
Delegate
Incumbent
James Moylan
Party
Republican
House CaucusAffiliation
Republican
Firstelected
2022
Constituency map
Northern Mariana Islands at-large
Northern Mariana Islands at-large
District
Northern Mariana Islands at-large
Title
Delegate
Incumbent
Kimberly King-Hinds
Party
Republican
House CaucusAffiliation
Republican
Firstelected
2024
Constituency map
Puerto Rico at-large
Puerto Rico at-large
District
Puerto Rico at-large
Title
Resident commissioner
Incumbent
Pablo Hernández Rivera
Party
Popular Democratic
House CaucusAffiliation
Democratic
Firstelected
2024
Constituency map
U.S. Virgin Islands at-large
U.S. Virgin Islands at-large
District
U.S. Virgin Islands at-large
Title
Delegate
Incumbent
Stacey Plaskett
Party
Democratic
House CaucusAffiliation
Democratic
Firstelected
2014
Constituency map
District
Title
Incumbent
Party
House CaucusAffiliation
Firstelected
Constituency map
American Samoa at-large
Delegate
Amata Coleman Radewagen
Republican
Republican
2014
District of Columbia at-large
Delegate
Eleanor Holmes Norton
Democratic
Democratic
1990
Guam at-large
Delegate
James Moylan
Republican
Republican
2022
Northern Mariana Islands at-large
Delegate
Kimberly King-Hinds
Republican
Republican
2024
Puerto Rico at-large
Resident commissioner
Pablo Hernández Rivera
Popular Democratic
Democratic
2024
Virgin Islands at-large
Delegate
Stacey Plaskett
Democratic
Democratic
2014

References

  1. "Text searched: FLD003:#1(Rep. Pierluisi Pedro)"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20200304170539/http://www.congress.gov/
  2. "Legislation"
    https://web.archive.org/web/20160316161601/http://pierluisi.house.gov/legislation
  3. The Hill
    https://thehill.com/capital-living/cover-stories/65959-present-the-houses-non-voting-members-find-some-constructive-ways-to-spend-time-when-their-colleagues-run-to-cast-votes
  4. "Delegates and Resident Commissioners"
    http://kids.clerk.house.gov/high-school/lesson.html?intID=36
  5. 48 U.S.C. § 1715
    https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/48/1715
  6. Delegates to the U.S. Congress: History and Current Status
    https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40555.pdf
  7. The Northwest Ordinance stated: "As soon as a legislature shall be formed in the district, the council and house assembl
  8. Gilmore 1887, p. 36, 217–218.
  9. Gilmore 1887, p. 222.
  10. "SEVIER, John"
    http://history.house.gov/People/Listing/S/SEVIER,-John-(S000257)/
  11. "WHITE, James"
    http://history.house.gov/People/Listing/W/WHITE,-James-(W000377)/
  12. Annals of Congress, vol. 4, 3rd Cong., 2nd sess., November 18, 1794, pp. 884–889. cited in Palmer, ibid.
  13. An act further to regulate the territories of the United States, and their electing delegates to congress
    http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage
  14. The Louisiana Purchase and American Expansion: 1803–1898
  15. www.congress.gov
    https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF11792
  16. fn
    https://www.everycrsreport.com/files/20060706_RL32340_eb57f631b56aab0702dadd024d9b0a1f0c5fa89f.pdf
  17. Congressional Quarterly
    https://web.archive.org/web/20081109031849/http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002982727
  18. Sunia, Fofō I. F. (1998). The Story of the Legislature of American Samoa: In Commemoration of the Golden Jubilee 1948–19
  19. Elections A to Z
    https://books.google.com/books?id=x1ai7Vtiiu0C&pg=PA165
  20. NPR
    https://www.npr.org/sections/trump-impeachment-trial-live-updates/2021/02/10/966551148/stacey-plaskett-is-first-non-voting-house-delegate-to-argue-an-impeachment-trial
  21. Saipan Tribune
    https://web.archive.org/web/20120214004706/http://www.saipantribune.com/newsstory.aspx?newsID=85430&cat=1
  22. Broken Landscape: Indians, Indian Tribes, and the Constitution
    https://books.google.com/books?id=DbNdwTo2ENEC&pg=PA333
  23. YES! Magazine
    https://www.yesmagazine.org/people-power/the-cherokee-nation-is-entitled-to-a-delegate-in-congress-but-will-they-finally-send-one-20170104
  24. Muskogee Phoenix
    https://www.muskogeephoenix.com/news/oklahoma_news/country-s-largest-tribal-nation-seeks-congressional-delegate/article_740fe0ea-840b-58cb-b1c5-71b50dc08da7.html
  25. "Peter P. Pitchlynn Collection", Western Histories Collection, University of Oklahoma Libraries
    http://libraries.ou.edu/locations/docs/westhist/Pitchlynn.htm
  26. The Oklahoman
    https://oklahoman.com/article/5640602/teehee-hopes-for-congressional-collaboration-on-seating-her-as-cherokee-nation-delegate
  27. Essays on the Present Crisis in the Condition of the American Indians
    https://books.google.com/books?id=ueuS0f3wG2wC
  28. The Yale Law Journal
    https://www.yalelawjournal.org/forum/promises-of-nonstate-representatives
  29. The Oklahoman
    https://www.oklahoman.com/story/opinion/2022/12/15/delawarecherokee-nation-delegate-to-congress-cannot-represent-all-tribes/69725240007/
  30. "Brief History of Indian Legislative Representatives"
    https://legislature.maine.gov/lawlibrary/history-of-tribal-representation-in-maine/9261
  31. Bangor Daily News
    http://bangordailynews.com/2015/05/26/politics/passamaquoddy-penobscot-tribes-withdraw-from-maine-legislature/
  32. Boston University Public Interest Law Journal
    https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=842647
  33. "Legal and Procedural Issues Related to Seating a Cherokee Nation Delegate in the House of Representatives"
    https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47190
  34. "The Cherokee Nation wants a representative in Congress"
    https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/25/politics/cherokee-nation-congressional-delegate-treaty/index.html
  35. Tulsa World
    https://www.tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/citing-treaties-cherokees-call-on-congress-to-seat-delegate-from/article_9da9a5d4-69a1-52d8-bad6-beea75a2e17e.html
  36. Cherokee Phoenix
    https://www.cherokeephoenix.org/news/cn-leaders-view-dismissive-remarks-as-teaching-moment/article_8eb9b144-b18c-11eb-83d7-e7614d178ff7.html
  37. news.yahoo.com
    https://news.yahoo.com/cherokee-chief-ancestors-were-promised-120109051.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
  38. "The Cherokee Nation is renewing its push for a nonvoting delegate in Congress"
    https://www.npr.org/2022/09/24/1124945834/cherokee-nation-delegate-congress
  39. KANDIT News Group
    https://kanditnews.com/proposal-for-guam-delegate-to-u-s-senate-gains-powerful-allies/
  40. www.congress.gov
    https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6941
  41. guampdn.com
    https://www.guampdn.com/news/local/del-michael-san-nicolas-introduces-bill-to-establish-territory-representatives-in-senate/article_8c3fa9c4-f807-50d4-a906-32bae1e2f32c.html
  42. Section 891, of Title 48 of the U. S. Code
  43. Hudiburg, Jane A. (March 1, 2022). Delegates to the U.S. Congress: History and Current Status (Report). Congressional Research Service.
  44. Hispanic Americans in Congress 1822–2012
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  45. The New York Times
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  46. H.Res. 6, 104th Congress
    https://www.congress.gov/bill/104th-congress/house-resolution/6
  47. H.Res. 78, 110th Congress
    https://www.congress.gov/bill/110th-congress/house-resolution/78
  48. H.Res. 5, 112th Congress
    https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-resolution/5
  49. Roll Call
    http://www.rollcall.com/news/-202127-1.html
  50. Roll Call
    https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/house-adopts-rules-package-democratic-defections-paygo-provision
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