D.C. voters face a new political era without Eleanor Holmes Norton, after her 18 terms in Congress

By — Gary Fields, Associated Press Gary Fields, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/d-c-voters-face-a-new-political-era-without-eleanor-holmes-norton-after-her-18-terms-in-congress Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter D.C. voters face a new political era without Eleanor Holmes Norton, after her 18 terms in Congress Politics Jun 17, 2026 12:38 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — For the first time in a generation, Washingtonians woke up to a general election lineup that doesn't include Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton. Norton, who served 18 terms as the District of Columbia's nonvoting representative in Congress, chose not to run for reelection after mounting concerns that, at 89 years old, she was no longer capable of forcefully combating a Republican-led Congress and presidential administration constantly overriding the heavily Democratic city's leadership. Voters choose their local leaders, but Congress has final say on the laws the city passes and its budget. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Council member Robert White Jr. won the Democratic primary to replace Norton and is expected to win the general election in November. He will face Republican Denise Rosado, an immigration attorney who ran unopposed. A D.C. native and lifelong resident, White is a lawyer and worked as Norton's legislative counsel for five years, as well as serving at the attorney general's office for the District of Columbia before winning the special election in 2016 for an at-large seat on the D.C. Council. "Our turn will never come unless we demand it. Eleanor Holmes Norton understood that. The generations before us understood that. And before this night is over, I hope every Washingtonian understands it, too: We will not yield," White told a cheering crowd of supporters after polls closed Tuesday. A new era for DC politics The D.C. delegate position is a nonvoting one, but it grants the nearly 700,000 people of the district, who have no other representation in Congress, a voice through speechmaking on the House floor and bill introduction. In Congress, Norton championed education, including securing a grant program that provided up to $10,000 annually to D.C. high school graduates to assist with out-of-state tuition. She also pushed for federal legislation that helped save the city from financial ruin. Calls for her to step aside grew in the aftermath of a surge of federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops into the city last year by President Donald Trump. Critics, including her former chief of staff, argued that she was diminished and no longer capable of providing the energy and presence the moment called for against Trump. READ MORE: Live Results: District of Columbia midterm primaries The pressure on Norton to drop out came as questions of generational change gripped the Democratic Par