WASHINGTON (AP) — Troops are patrolling the capital’s stations and streets. Masked federal law enforcement officers detain a District of Columbia resident. Parliament passed A bill that further puts pressure on city autonomy. And there were few people who could act as Washington’s spokesperson on Capitol Hill.
Even longtime allies say Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton, the district’s unopposed House delegate, has not risen to the challenge of pushing back against opposition. Trump administration intervention to her town. They cite her age (88) and declining demeanor.
That has raised questions about the 18-term lawmaker’s future and led to calls for her to step down and make way for a new generation of leaders. The race to replace her has begun in earnest, with two members of the D.C. Council, including a former Norton aide, announcing their campaigns for the 2026 contest.
“D.C. is under attack like never before in recent history, and we need a new champion to protect us,” Donna Brazile, Norton’s former chief of staff, wrote in an opinion essay for the Washington Post.
Brazil acknowledged Norton’s legendary accomplishments and why she wants to continue. “As I have told her directly, retiring from Congress is the right next chapter for her and for the district,” Brazile said.
Norton has so far resisted that call. Her office declined to be interviewed, and her campaign office did not respond to requests for comment. Norton, the oldest member of Congress, took office in 1991 and has indicated he intends to run again next year.
Federal intervention created new demand
Washington is given limited autonomy. household rules agreement Passed by Congress in 1973, residents now have the ability to elect their mayor and city council. However, federal political leaders retain ultimate authority over local affairs, including approving budgets and laws passed by councils.
After Republican President Donald Trump, that freedom became even more restricted. issued an emergency order In August. His idea was to federalize the city’s police department and bring in federal agents to fight crime. national guard troops Into the city. Trump’s emergency order has expired But in September, military and federal employees remain.
Although the D.C. Delegate position is non-voting, it gives people in districts with no other representation in Congress a voice through speeches on the House floor and the introduction of bills.
Even without a vote in Congress, “there’s a lot that delegates can do from that standpoint, even if it’s just to use the bully pulpit,” said Cliff Albright, co-founder of the voting rights group Black Voters Matter. “Even if it’s just to give people some encouragement or show a game that a lot of people want to see.”
Mr. Norton has appeared unsteady in public, including a recent committee hearing focused on stripping Washington of some of its independence in prosecuting crimes, appearing to struggle to read prepared memos.
During President Trump’s month-long national security emergency and since then, Norton has been less visible in public than other city officials who have participated in protests or held media events denouncing the intervention.
George Derek Musgrove, an associate professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, said the role of delegates became more important because Congressional leaders did not seek party unity around Washington’s interests.
“Delegates are really going to have to be the whip on their own to hold the caucus against this Republican onslaught,” Musgrove said.
City leaders intervene.
It’s unclear what more energetic delegates could have done, given President Trump’s executive powers and the broader view of Republican control of Congress. Nevertheless, some critics of her performance suggest that this may have helped the city avoid recent federal budget proposals such as: Created a $1.1 billion budget hole At the beginning of this year. Months later, Congress has yet to approve the shortfall fix, despite President Trump’s support for it.
Norton’s silence has been filled by other leaders in Democratic-run cities since President Trump declared a state of emergency.
Mayor Muriel Bowser has stepped in as the main liaison between the borough council, the administration and the council, and the council has joined in, but her efforts have been fragmented. DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued the administration Takes the most belligerent stance toward federal government actions.
As she left a recent House hearing on the district, she answered a firm “no” when asked by reporters if she was retiring.
Two of Norton’s former aides, Robert White Jr. and Brooke Pinto, are among those seeking to challenge her in next year’s Democratic primary. Many people outside of the city are also showing interest. Mr. Bowser and his allies, including House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, have declined to publicly endorse Mr. Norton’s bid to run again.
Rookie push
Norton’s life is a journey through American history.
In 1963, she split her time between Yale Law School and Mississippi State, where she volunteered with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. One day freedom summercivil rights activist Medgar Evers came to pick her up at the airport. He was assassinated that night. Norton also helped organize the and participated in the 1963 tournament. March on Washington.
Norton went on to become the first woman to chair the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which helps enforce anti-discrimination laws in the workplace. She ran when her predecessor retired to run for mayor in Washington.
Tom Davis, a former Republican congressman from Virginia and staunch Norton ally who worked with her on numerous bills, said voters still need to know who she is and what she can do.
“She saved the city,” he said, citing accomplishments such as the 1997 law that saved the city from bankruptcy and improving access to universities. “She was a great partner.”
Davis said both major parties are in desperate need of new faces.
“She’s still very well-respected. She has a lot of seniority,” he said. “I think she has earned the right to step down on her own terms. But that will be up to the voters.”
