WASHINGTON (AP) — Polarizing. Challenging. A lot of wasted time.
That’s how six lawmakers described what it is like being in the U.S. House — a particularly tumultuous period in American history that has brought governing to a standstill , placed their lives in danger and raised fundamental questions about what it means to be a representative in a divided democracy.
And yet, they keep at it, running for reelection . The Associated Press sat down separately with lawmakers, three Republicans and three Democrats, to hear what it’s like on Capitol Hill and what they — and Americans — can do to make it better. All hail from safe districts and are expected to easily win another term .
Here’s who they are, why they first ran for office and why they keep coming back. Dusty Johnson is the rare lawmaker whose sprawling district makes up an entire state, South Dakota. He ran for office in 2018 because he thought there were “too many jerks” in Congress and he would be better.
Nicole Malliotakis said that as the daughter of a Cuban mother and Greek father, her background made her born for politics. She ran in 2020 to provide a “counter view” as a Republican from New York City, representing Brooklyn and Staten Island. Mark Amodei from northern Nevada, or “original Nevada,” as he calls it, has been in office since 2011.
He said it’s his responsibility to do public service and give back to the state where his family has lived for generations. Chrissy Houlahan, an .
