PDF download Download Article PDF download Download Article

As an active member of the U.S. electorate, you may want to contact your senator to express your opinion on pending legislation or share your viewpoint on a recent event. To address a senator, use official titles and a respectful tone. Follow similar protocol when talking to a senator in person, unless the senator tells you to address them differently.[1]

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Addressing a Senator in Writing

PDF download Download Article
  1. "The Honorable" is a title typically given to elected officials. When writing to a senator, start with the title and then type the senator's first and last name. Proper form also typically includes the senator's middle initial.[2]
    • For example, if you were writing to Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch, you would address the letter to "The Honorable Orrin G. Hatch."
    • Directly under the senator's name, type "United States Senate."
  2. If the senator you're writing is the president of the senate, or the chairman of a committee, type the full title under the senator's name in the address block. Check the senator's web page if you're unsure about any titles you need to include.
    • The committee title should be directly under the senator's name, above the "United States Senate" line.
    • You can leave out the title of a committee chair if you're writing for a reason unrelated to that committee's work. However, always include the title if you're writing the president of the senate.
    Advertisement
  3. If you're sending a formal business letter, the address block at the top of the letter will be the same as the address block on the envelope. You'll open the letter by writing "Dear Senator" followed by the senator's last name.[3]
    • For example, if you're sending a letter to Senator Orrin Hatch, your salutation would read "Dear Senator Hatch." Follow the salutation with a colon and double-space before starting your letter.
  4. Even if a senator retires or is defeated by another candidate, they retain the title of "Senator" and the honorific "The Honorable." It isn't proper to add "Former" in front of "Senator."[4]
    • If a senator resigned or was removed from office (not simply voted out), you should still address them as "Senator," but you would no longer use "The Honorable."
    • In writing, the same form of address and honorifics are also used for state senators.[5]
  5. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Addressing a Senator in Person

PDF download Download Article
  1. In a face-to-face meeting with a senator, address them as "Senator" followed by their surname the first time you speak. After that, you can simply call them "Senator" without their surname, or use "sir" or "ma'am."[6]
    • Although you'll typically be fine addressing a senator this way, exceptions exist. For example, if you're testifying before a committee, you typically would address the committee chair as "Chairman." If you're not sure how to address a senator in context, pay attention to what other people say.
  2. You may be called upon to introduce a senator, typically in front of a large group of people or at an event. A formal introduction uses "The Honorable Senator" with the senator's surname, followed by the senator's elected position.[7]
    • For example, if you were introducing Senator Orrin Hatch, you would say "The Honorable Senator Hatch, Senator from Utah."
  3. senators. When you're at a gathering where both state and U.S. senators are present, refer to state senators as "State Senator" followed by their surname when you first greet them.[8]
    • If you address them again, use "Mr./Mrs." or "sir/ma'am," rather than the title "Senator" with state senators.
  4. While you'll never get in trouble for being too polite, some senators aren't comfortable with a formal address. If a senator asks you to call them a different title, or to call them by their first name, follow their preference.[9]
    • For example, Senator Bill Frist, also a medical doctor, preferred people to call him "Dr. Frist" rather than "Senator Frist."
  5. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    How can I attend a constituent breakfast with my senator?
    Benjamin M.
    Benjamin M.
    Top Answerer
    Visit your senator's website and see if they are providing an online attendance form. Otherwise you can email or phone their office to ask about any upcoming opportunities.
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

About This Article

Tami Claytor
Co-authored by:
Etiquette Coach
This article was co-authored by Tami Claytor and by wikiHow staff writer, Jennifer Mueller, JD. Tami Claytor is an Etiquette Coach, Image Consultant, and the Owner of Always Appropriate Image and Etiquette Consulting in New York, New York. With over 20 years of experience, Tami specializes in teaching etiquette classes to individuals, students, companies, and community organizations. Tami has spent decades studying cultures through her extensive travels across five continents and has created cultural diversity workshops to promote social justice and cross-cultural awareness. She holds a BA in Economics with a concentration in International Relations from Clark University. Tami studied at the Ophelia DeVore School of Charm and the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned her Image Consultant Certification. This article has been viewed 133,280 times.
9 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 7
Updated: October 15, 2024
Views: 133,280
Categories: Government
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 133,280 times.

Reader Success Stories

  • Colleen Morrison-Hunt

    Colleen Morrison-Hunt

    Aug 24, 2018

    "I was unsure how to address a letter to a U.S. Senator respectfully and Googled the question. In a clear,..." more
Share your story

Did this article help you?

Advertisement