STATE REPRESENTATIVE

A State Representative is a politician who serves in a state-level legislative branch. These politicians represent local cities or counties and help to form state laws that benefit their constituents. A career as a state representative is often a steppingstone to future positions with the U.S. Congress or other political jobs at the state or federal level.

State representatives introduce and vote on bills that represent the interests of their constituents (people who live in their voting district):

• They create new laws, modify or update old laws and serve on research committees within the legislative branch.

• These representatives uphold the state's Constitution, and vote on changes to the Constitution when amendments are needed.

• They may address issues such as education, transportation, commerce, state taxes and any other items that are a concern to local residents.

• Representatives may also assist constituents with personal legal issues such as immigration or justice problems.

To serve as a state representative, an individual must be a legal resident of the area he plans to represent. He must be between the ages of 21 and 67 years, though exact age requirements vary by state. State representatives cannot have been convicted of a felony within the 20 years prior to election and may not hold any other political job while they serve in the legislature. Most states elect representatives for 4-year terms, though term limits and duration may vary.