Robert White is projected to win the Democratic primary for Washington, D.C.'s nonvoting delegate to Congress, according to Decision Desk HQ. The position allows participation in debates but not voting on the House floor.
Robert White's projected victory in the Democratic primary for D.C.'s nonvoting delegate signals a shift in representation for the district, potentially leading to clashes with federal policy on issues like crime and the National Guard.
Democrat Robert White is projected to win the party’s primary for Washington, D.C.’s, nonvoting delegate to Congress, according to Decision Desk HQ. The decision by incumbent Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) to retire after 18 terms set up a competitive race for the position, which grants D.C. representation in the House. Delegates can participate in debates but are barred from voting on the House floor.
White, an at-large member of the D.C. City Council, is on a glidepath to win the seat this fall in a city where approximately three-quarters of voters are registered Democrats, according to Board of Elections data. The crowded Democratic race was the most expensive on record for the office.
White, who previously served as legislative aide and counsel to Holmes Norton, is almost certain to win this fall’s general election. He is set to become the third person to represent D.C. on Capitol Hill. D.C., a federal district without full congressional representation, saw the establishment of the modern delegate office in 1970. Holmes Norton succeeded Democrat Walter Fauntroy, both African American Democrats representing a district where more than half of residents are Black, according to city data. The House delegate is D.C.’s only representation in Congress, with no Senate representation and no votes in the Electoral College.
White ran against primary challenger and fellow Council member Brooke Pinto on a platform focused on increasing affordability and public safety while defending the district’s autonomy. He has cast President Trump’s crime crackdown in the city as "lawlessness" and pledged to reintroduce a bill that would grant command over the D.C. National Guard to the District’s mayor rather than the president.