The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Q&A on the News
Q: Why don’t you ever see anybody from the House of Representatives run for president? You see senators. You see governors. And in this case, an outsider in President-elect Donald Trump. But why doesn’t anyone from the House of Representatives run? —Ron Gonyea, Alpharetta
A: Senators generally are better known nationally than members of the House of Representatives.
There are 100 senators compared to 435 representatives, and a senator who is contemplating running for president “can become relatively high profile. You start introducing legislation, taking stands, the kind of things that get you on the Sunday morning talk shows,” Charles S. Bullock, a political science professor at the University of Georgia, told Q&A on the News.
“The House members don’t show up on those things nearly as often or get called into the evening shows on Fox or MSNBC. They’ll go for a senator every time over a House member.”
Only three men — President Barack Obama, John F. Kennedy and Warren G. Harding — have gone straight from the Senate to the White House, according to Senate.gov.
“That’s not an easy task, either,” Bullock said.
Rutherford B. Hayes, in 1880, is the only member of the House of Representatives to go directly to the White House.
Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are among those who have gone directly from governor to the presidency.
“As a governor, you are an executive,” Bullock said. “You are responsible for a whole range of policies in your state. You’re used to administrating a fairly extensive organization.”