The prestige of being a U.S. senator means a lot of drama in elections. After the American Civil War (1861-65), the term “carpetbagger” emerged as an insult to Northerners who came to the defeated South to allegedly hold political office and/or gain economic advantage. As many former Confederates were banned from holding political office during Reconstruction (1865-76), there were open seats for Northerners to run for. Despite harsh criticism from many southerners, these “carpetbaggers” did not seize power, but were elected fairly, often with the help of African Americans who were finally granted the right to vote under the Fifteenth Amendment (1870).
The desire to move to a state to obtain political office is still common today. It is not uncommon for candidates to be accused of being “parachute candidates” or suddenly arriving in a state with an open U.S. Senate seat. They say that these candidates actually live in another state. This has led to a heated debate over residency requirements for political office, especially because many US Senate candidates are wealthy enough to own multiple homes in different states. Recent prominent U.S. Senate candidates accused of being “parachute candidates” include Hillary Clinton, Mitt Romney, Herschel Walker, and Mehmet Oz.
Senators often receive considerable media attention, especially compared to U.S. representatives, because they can reach the highest office, the presidency. In the modern era, members of the House are not considered competitive during presidential campaigns. In fact, the last incumbent US representative to become president was James Garfield in the 1880 election! Today, only US senators and state governors are considered presidential candidates because of the very expensive campaigns that span the entire country. Thus, when political analysts look at who might run for president, they tend to focus only on high-ranking US senators in Congress, which could potentially influence their actions as legislators.
This may affect senators’ behavior, as they may be more inclined to seek the spotlight as individuals rather than engage in teamwork. Critics may decry this as a political facet, where senators seek attention by making bold statements and threats instead of doing their best to develop meaningful legislation. Given the upcoming presidential campaign, a senator may decide to stand up instead of compromise, delighting supporters but irritating everyone else. Modern-era senators such as Ted Cruz (R-TX), Rand Paul (R-KY), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) are possible examples; they ran for president in the recent election and were accused of taking a showboating stance.