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Eleanor Norton

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

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

PBS News · June 17, 2026

Gary Fields, Associated Press Gary Fields, Associated Press

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.

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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 l…