How to Run for Congress

You don't need to be a lawyer, a millionaire, or a career politician. Running for Congress is something ordinary people actually do — teachers, nurses, business owners, community organizers. This page walks you through what it takes to go from "regular person" to "name on the ballot."

Who Can Run?

The Constitution sets surprisingly few requirements. If you meet these, you're legally eligible:

Where Do Candidates Come From?

There's no single path into politics. Candidates come from all kinds of backgrounds:

Step 1: File with the FEC

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the agency that tracks money in federal elections. To officially become a candidate, you file a Statement of Candidacy (FEC Form 2) within 15 days of raising or spending more than $5,000 for your campaign.

Once you file, you're officially a federal candidate. Your name appears in public FEC records, your fundraising is tracked, and you must file regular financial reports. You can look up any federal candidate's filings at FEC.gov.

You can also file before hitting $5,000 — some candidates file early to signal they're serious.

Step 2: Get on the Ballot

Filing with the FEC makes you a candidate in the federal government's eyes, but getting your name on the actual ballot is controlled by your state. Each state has its own rules, and they vary quite a bit.

Most states require some combination of:

1. Filing paperwork with the Secretary of State (or equivalent office)
2. Paying a filing fee — varies from a few hundred to several thousand dollars depending on the state and office
3. Collecting petition signatures from registered voters — can be hundreds or thousands depending on the state
4. Meeting the state's deadline — these are firm. Miss it and you're not on the ballot.

Step 3: Win Your Primary

When multiple candidates from the same party want the same seat, voters decide which one advances to the general election. This is the primary election — and it's where a lot of the real competition happens, especially in states where one party dominates.

Not all primaries work the same way. The rules depend on your state:

Your state's primary date is on our election calendar. Primary dates vary widely — some states vote as early as March, others as late as September.

Step 4: Fund Your Campaign

Running for Congress costs money — often a lot of it. A competitive House race can cost $2–10 million. A competitive Senate race can cost $20–100+ million. Where does that money come from?

Campaign money comes from several sources:

• Individual contributions — regular people donating, subject to the ~$3,300 limit per election. Primary and general are separate elections, so effectively ~$6,600 total per candidate.
• PACs — organizations that pool contributions from their members. Limited to $5,000 per candidate per election.
• Super PACs — can spend unlimited money but cannot coordinate directly with the candidate's campaign. They run their own ads.
• Self-funding — candidates can spend unlimited personal money on their own campaign.
• Small-dollar donations — platforms like ActBlue and WinRed have made it possible to raise millions from small $5–$50 contributions.

Fundraising takes up an enormous amount of a candidate's time. Members of Congress have described spending 4–6 hours per day making fundraising calls. This is one of the most commonly cited frustrations with American politics — and one reason some people push for campaign finance reform.

Every dollar raised is public record thanks to FEC filings. You can look up any candidate's fundraising at FEC.gov.

Step 5: Campaign and Win

Once you've filed, gotten on the ballot, and survived the primary, it's general election time. This is what most people think of as "the election" — the one on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

What campaigning looks like:

• Knocking on doors (canvassing)
• Town halls and debates
• TV, radio, and digital advertising
• Building a ground game (volunteers, phone banks, text banking)
• Earning endorsements from other politicians, organizations, and newspapers
• Getting out the vote (GOTV) in the final weeks

In 2026, Election Day is November 3. But early voting starts weeks earlier in many states. Check our election calendar for your state's key dates.

The Full Pipeline

Here's the whole process at a glance: