In politics, as in life, a lot comes down to luck. In fact, every two years in November, it’s pure luck that decides whether dozens of congressional freshmen will get a coveted Capitol Hill office … or one that’s really far from the elevators.
On Thursday, House members-elect gathered in a cramped meeting room under the Capitol to participate in the office lottery. The quirky biennial event is how the newcomers to the House find out what corner of the Hill they’ll call home for the next two years (literally, in the case of members who sleep in their offices).
One by one in a randomly generated order, each member (or a designated staffer) is called up to pick numbers that will determine the office selection order. No. 1 means you’ve got first dibs on picking a vacant office.
