jonetta rose barras: What does a nonvoting DC congressional delegate do?

A line of political aspirants is forming for the DC delegate job currently held by Eleanor Holmes Norton, a onetime firebrand whose heat seems to be cooling and whose age many believe makes it increasingly difficult for her to engage in the big fights in which the District finds itself. The Federal Election Commission’s website lists 12 individuals — Greg Maye, Kelly Mikel Williams, Kinney Zalesne, Deirdre Brown, Anthony Rios, Gordon Chaffin, Jacque Patterson, Brian Ready, Jerry McClairn Jr., Robert Matthews, Ward 2 DC Councilmember Brooke Pinto and at-large Councilmember Robert White — who have filed thus far as Democratic challengers to Norton for the position in next year’s election.

“I am a huge fan of Eleanor. She is a living civil rights icon,” said Chuck Thies, a political consultant who has been involved in DC affairs for decades.

“She has been [in Congress] forever. She built strong relationships that helped the city. But she has outlasted her usefulness: In 80% of the relationships she built, the people have either retired or they’re dead,” continued Thies during an extended phone interview earlier this week.

Energizing a new cadre of leaders is a good thing. Norton, 88, is being subjected to the same scrutiny that led to President Joe Biden being pushed out of politics. I saw former at-large Councilmember Hilda Mason tangle with similar forces in the 1990s. It didn’t help that she called herself the grandmother of the world. Norton, in office since 1991, has self-identified as the city’s warrior on the Hill. 

“Eleanor is a relic,” said Thies. “When a relic can no longer be the force of nature they once were, they are just a relic.” 

Did I hear the choir say amen?

Don’t expect me to handicap the contest this soon in the political calendar. However, there are some early observations offered by insiders I spoke with during the past week — who placed both Pinto and White in the top tier, given their platforms as current elected officials in the DC Democratic Party. 

There is a caveat: “It’s viewed as a civil rights seat. It is going to be very difficult for a white woman to get elected,” said one political operative who, like others, requested anonymity.

“Robert has the upper hand because he’s Black. A lot of white voters [in DC] who are 50 and up believe the delegate and the mayor are Black jobs,” said Thies.

Another political operative countered that the key is not that White is African American but instead that he is a “DC native who has connected with the people. That is important. He is someone they feel they can trust.”

Truth be told, as Pinto sought to grapple with DC’s crime issues, she made friends and allies in a number of predominantly Black neighborhoods. On the other hand, some African Americans in the District aren’t happy with White’s handling of affordable housing challenges, including the reorganization of the Board of Commissioners for the DC Housing Authority that was pushed by Mayor Muriel Bowser.

Will White and Pinto cancel out each other’s weaknesses? 

“Robert is an attractive candidate,” said yet another political insider. “He has the whole package, and he appeals to white people.

“With the help of her dad, Brooke will raise a lot of money. By election day, everyone will know who she is. Plus, she’s smart; she’s an idealist; and she works hard,” added the insider. 

This much we know: Within Ward 2, Pinto is popular enough to have run unopposed for a second full term last year (receiving 7,679 primary votes). However, she has never run a citywide race.   

White has run citywide multiple times, including last year. Seeking reelection as an incumbent at-large councilmember, he won the Democratic primary with 73,979 (82.2%) of the votes cast, against his opponent Rodney “Red” Grant, who received 15,102 votes (16.9%).

I should mention that in that same 2024 primary, Norton, who often has pulled way ahead of most citywide candidates, received 72,979 votes (79.6%) in her race; that was less than White won in his primary contest.

Norton’s only opponent in that race, Kelly Mikel Williams, took in 17,540 votes, which was far better than he had done in 2022; that year, he received a mere 7,681 in a three-candidate race in which Norton prevailed with 107,289 votes (86.7%).

As for next year’s Democratic primary, a second tier of contenders could be Patterson, president of the DC State Board of Education, and Brown, one-time council candidate and chair of the Ward 3 Democrats; both know their way around local political circles and issues. For his part, Patterson has won a citywide race and has strong ties in African American communities, especially those east of the Anacostia River. He told me during a brief telephone call that he has raised $50,000 thus far, which has not been reported by the FEC because of the government shutdown. “I feel good about my chances,” said Patterson.

Outside of those first and second tiers, Williams and the other candidates are generally seen as hangers-on without serious portfolios. Maybe they’re waiting for Merlin’s arrival — although if money is any indicator, Kinney Zalesne may already be using her magic. 

Zalesne’s website indicates she rolled into DC in 1995 to work in the Clinton administration but stayed in the city, quietly involving herself in local affairs, mostly around education and issues related to low-income residents. It’s likely that her recent posts as deputy national finance chair of the Democratic National Committee and national co-chair of Women for Harris have helped her raise $435,882.47; many of the big donors seem to come from outside the city. According to FEC data, she still has $357,077.30 on hand.

This race could become a huge money contest. Pinto’s network is well-resourced. Published reports indicate that Pinto has already raised $300,000. There is no data yet on the FEC website. Pinto did not respond to my email.

Already Norton is being swamped by competitors. As of Sept. 30, her reelection committee had only $6,477.50 on hand, according to the FEC website. Between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, she appears to have loaned her campaign $90,000.

Is she winding down? Is she gearing up? Who really knows?

Each time she has been asked by a reporter about her political plans, she has said she’s running for reelection. On most occasions, one of her staffers has clawed back that assertion.

Maybe Norton isn’t ready to slap a lame-duck sticker on her back. But, really, what does it matter? Like other U.S. territories’ congressional representatives, DC’s delegate does not have a vote on the floor of the House.

“The good news is that you can’t fail. It’s largely a powerless position,” said Thies, who relegates the officeholder to being either “a cheerleader or a bomb thrower.”

The Rev. Wendy Hamilton, who ran against Norton in 2022, is among those who don’t share that view. She said she was first attracted to the job because of her desire to promote DC statehood. After speaking with people during the course of the campaign, her view of the position shifted.

“I wanted to make the role more about empowerment. Also, I didn’t think residents have the advantage of representation like people from other states have,” continued Hamilton. “What could active representation look like?”

It certainly could be more than what I saw when I examined Norton’s introduction of legislation over the past several months as presented on her website. In many cases, the proposals were made without any co-sponsors.

For example, she introduced a bill that would allow DC to grant clemency for offenses committed in the city. No co-sponsors were listed. She introduced legislation that would provide interim appropriations for the courts when no federal fiscal year budget had been passed. No co-sponsors for that proposal. 

On Sept. 19, she introduced the Universal Pre-kindergarten and Early Childhood Education Act of 2025. No co-sponsors were listed with the bill, either.

Could she not have obtained support from any of the more than 200 House Democrats? With a little more work, Norton might also have been able to find a Republican or two willing to sign onto the bill.

Her communications director did not respond to my email request for a comment or an interview with Norton. 

The message telegraphed by the absence of co-sponsors is that perhaps at this stage, Norton either is tired or does, in fact, see herself as powerless amid GOP control of the House. However, not having a vote doesn’t prevent DC’s delegate from working the halls and persuading more members of Congress to be supportive of DC and its desire for full self-governance, even if they are unwilling to approve statehood. 

That very same message was on display throughout the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform’s meeting last month in which Republicans marked up a dozen or so bills that encroach on DC’s home rule under the guise of addressing an “out of control” crime problem — nevermind that the crime rate in the city has been dropping all year. As each bill was discussed, Norton seemingly read the same prepared statement, with a tweak or two, objecting to their actions. The final point she consistently made was that statehood is the solution. Given the current political climate, that just underscored for me that she no longer is nimble or versatile as a political leader.

Even if this were another time, and the state of affairs weren’t as abysmal as it is during this regime of President Donald Trump — the man who aspires to be king or the country’s first dictator — DC deserves a delegate who spends more time traveling through the city. Residents need an elected official who meets with them to understand what they require from their federal government and then develops a strategy, working across the aisles, to get the desired results for their constituents.

“There’s so much more they do for their district,” Hamilton said of other members of Congress.

Maybe. 

This much is clear: The job of DC delegate needs a refresh, a transformation. With or without statehood, DC residents should be represented in Congress by someone who understands there are 700,000 constituents who need a strong, capable leader willing to ensure their issues are addressed and willing to mobilize them, when necessary, to protect the city’s political independence. 

Said Hamilton: “The job has so much more potential.”

Did I hear the choir say amen?

jonetta rose barras is an author and DC-based freelance journalist, covering national and local issues. She can be reached at thebarrasreport@gmail.com.