How many state senators are there in the Washington District of Columbia?

How many state senators are there in the Washington District of Columbia?

• A. 75 state senators
• B. 100 state senators
• C. 50 state senators
• D. 90 state senators

Answer: (B)

The key idea is that Washington, DC is not a state, so it doesn't have a state legislature or a state senate. The national Senate is made up of two senators from each state, so there are 100 senators in total, but District of Columbia has no state senators because it isn’t a state. DC has its own local government with a Council (not a senate) and a nonvoting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. So there are zero state senators for the District of Columbia, and the numbers in the options refer to states, not DC.

The key idea is that Washington, DC is not a state, so it doesn't have a state legislature or a state senate. The national Senate is made up of two senators from each state, so there are 100 senators in total, but District of Columbia has no state senators because it isn’t a state. DC has its own local government with a Council (not a senate) and a nonvoting delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. So there are zero state senators for the District of Columbia, and the numbers in the options refer to states, not DC.