Robert White won the Democratic primary Tuesday for Washington’s nonvoting congressional seat, according to election results, putting him on track to become the district’s first new member of Congress since Eleanor Holmes Norton took office in 1991.
The seat opened after Norton, 88, announced she would not seek another term following 18 terms in Congress, her office said. Norton’s retirement ends a roughly 35-year tenure defined by fights over statehood, home rule and full congressional representation for the capital.
Under House rules, the nonvoting delegate can introduce legislation, serve on committees and advocate for the District of Columbia on Capitol Hill, but cannot cast a final vote on the House floor, congressional sources say.
White, who has served as an at-large member of the D.C. Council since 2016, previously worked in Norton’s congressional office as legislative counsel, his campaign said. He entered the race after deciding not to pursue a mayoral bid and argued the district needed a more aggressive advocate in Congress as federal pressure on D.C. intensified, his campaign added.
White will advance to the November general election in overwhelmingly Democratic Washington, where the Democratic nominee has historically been favored, according to past voting patterns. Republican Denise Rosado ran unopposed for the GOP nomination, and third-party candidate Kymone Freeman has also filed to run, according to election filings.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
