Two DC Council members have entered the race for Congress.
WASHINGTON — The race for D.C.’s non-voting delegate seat in the U.S. House of Representatives is officially underway, with two high-profile D.C. Councilmembers launching campaigns to challenge longtime incumbent Eleanor Holmes Norton.
At-large Councilmember Robert White formally launched his campaign Wednesday, telling supporters the moment is critical for the District.
“Everyday people are feeling heaviness,” White said. “But I want to make sure people feel hope and feel like they are able to elect someone who has a plan to defend the District.”
White, who previously worked in Holmes Norton’s office, said his experience gives him an edge in understanding how to navigate congress for the benefit of the District.
“Because I worked in that office for so many years at a high level, I know how to do that — how to make agencies move, how to get funding to D.C. projects,” White said.
Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto joined the race Monday, highlighting her ongoing work on behalf of D.C. residents.
“This is really a continuation of everything that I have focused on my whole career, which has all been about fighting for and serving District residents,” Pinto said.
Both candidates praised Holmes Norton’s legacy. Pinto specifically noted the congresswoman’s long-standing advocacy for D.C. statehood and autonomy.
“There’s an incredible legacy that Eleanor Holmes Norton has built, and the efforts she has engaged in to fight for D.C. statehood,” Pinto said. “I want to build on that.”
Holmes Norton, 88, has represented the District as its delegate since 1991 and is the longest-serving delegate in the country. Despite calls for change, she has confirmed she plans to seek re-election.
Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, says Holmes Norton entered congress at a pivotal time.
“She was well known, she was respected, and she had been a civil rights heroine,” Sabato said. “It took a great battle to even get one delegate representing the District of Columbia.”
Though the D.C. delegate cannot vote on the House floor, the position holds influence in committee work and legislative advocacy.
“That delegate has no vote on the floor,” Sabato added. “Now the delegate does vote in committee. That is something, at least.”
Both White and Pinto say the city faces a turning point, especially with the possibility of a second Trump administration and the future of congressional control at stake.
“I have a plan to protect D.C. from the rest of the Trump presidency — to make sure we work to flip congress and we work to protect D.C.,” White said.
Pinto echoed the urgency: “As I think about the pivotal moment that we are in as a city, I know that the best way I can fight for District residents most effectively is by being our delegate.”
The seat, first established in 1871, has no voting power on the House floor, but holds symbolic and strategic importance in the fight for full representation and D.C. statehood. As the campaign season heats up, more candidates are expected to join the race ahead of the 2026 primary.