Is it possible to become a congressman without being a lawyer?

There is no requirement that you be a lawyer to run for Congress. There is no rule about your level of education either, today it would be difficult to win without a college degree, but it is possible. Harry Truman served in the Senate and went on to be President and never went to college.

A partial list issued by the Congressional Research Service of former occupations of 112th Congress as....

81 educators

2 Medical doctors

2 psychologists 5 ordained ministers

1 cabinet secretary

1 secretary of the navy

1 ambassador

7 accountants

4 pilots

1 comedian (Senator Al Franken)

17 farmers

7 social workers

Most are lawyers but many are not.

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RE:

Is it possible to become a congressman without being a lawyer?

I am currently attending college as a Physics and Mathematics major, and I plan to continue on to get my PhD in Physics after college. However, I do have an interest in politics, and I have been considering what it would be like to be a representative in the House. Could it be done? What are the...

You can have any career and become a congressman. Lawyers are the majority of Congress, about every three out of five people are congressmen. You can be a farmer and become a congressman. It all depends on how much people like you. A cat won an election once, so it doesn't matter.

NC-REP Heath Shuler is an ex-football player as was NJ REP Jon Runyan. Former Indiana congressman Brad Ellsworth was a police officer. Ron Paul was/is a doctor. Sen Frank Lautenburg has a degree in economics. So yes, it's possible to become a member of Congress without ever having attended law school.

Being a Congressman or Senator is about representing those in your community and if you are able to convince people you are their best representative any education is good.

I am certain there are many non-lawyers in the House of Representatives *(Congressmen) or the Senate.

I have heard or read many stories about students who 1st become mayors then governors.

I am not an American,being merely English,but I would have taken a "Congress man or woman as similar to our British MP (Member of Parliament ) ? and a Senator being the upper house would be equivalent to our "Lords" in the House of Lords. ? The MPs are simply elected by their constituents

I would have thought your Congressperson would be much the same. You would not get many if they had to be lawyers ?

Senator

- 30 years old

- US resident for 9 years

- US citizen

- Resident of the State in which the election occurred

Representative

- 25 years old

- US resident for 7 years

- US citizen

- Resident of the State in which the election occured

It is possible, and done all the time........however, those who are elected to congress without being a lawyer must take on- the- job corruption training.

Yes. Ron Paul for instances is a medical doctor.

A PhD in any major is far more than enough.