{"id":2498252,"date":"2025-10-13T07:43:01","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T11:43:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/robert-white-wants-to-bring-fire-to-dc-house-seat-losing-its-spark-under-norton\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T07:45:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T11:45:14","slug":"robert-white-wants-to-bring-fire-to-dc-house-seat-losing-its-spark-under-norton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/robert-white-wants-to-bring-fire-to-dc-house-seat-losing-its-spark-under-norton\/","title":{"rendered":"Robert White wants to bring fire to DC House seat losing its spark under Norton"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frobert-white-wants-to-bring-fire-to-dc-house-seat-losing-its-spark-under-norton%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2498252&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Robert White, a Washington, D.C. Councilmember, is launching a competitive Democratic primary challenge for the D.C. House delegate seat held by longtime incumbent Eleanor Holmes Norton. White argues that Norton, who has served for decades, no longer fights effectively for the district&#8217;s interests, especially following <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/california-rejects-bills-to-ban-trans-athletes-from-girls-sports\/\" title=\"California rejects bills to ban trans athletes from girls&#039; sports\">recent federal actions<\/a> such as the Trump management&#8217;s takeover of D.C. and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/leavitt-calls-out-npr-ceo-for-claiming-risk-to-public-safety\/\" title=\"Leavitt ... out NPR CEO for claiming &#039;risk to public safety&#039;\">notable funding cuts<\/a>. White emphasizes the need for a strong, present advocate for local residents and aims to bring renewed energy to the role without disrespecting Norton&#8217;s legacy. The race marks Norton&#8217;s most serious challenge in <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >35 years amid growing calls<\/a> within D.C. and among Democrats for newer, younger leadership. White&#8217;s campaign also highlights the broader push for D.C. statehood and the importance of resisting federal interference in the district&#8217;s self-governance.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Robert White looks to bring fire to DC House seat as Norton &lsquo;can&rsquo;t fight the way she did&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2369599\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/washington-dc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Washington, D.C.<\/a>, is set to have one of its most competitive <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Democratic<\/a> primaries in over three decades in 2026, as D.C. Councilmember Robert White seeks to bring the fire to a House seat he thinks has lost its spark under incumbent Del. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/eleanor-holmes-norton\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Eleanor Holmes Norton<\/a> (D-DC).<\/p>\n<p>In the aftermath of a federal takeover of the district by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/trump-administration\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Trump administration<\/a> and a spending deal that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate-news\/3348697\/senate-passes-dc-funding-fix-prevent-billion-funding-cut\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cut $1 billion<\/a> in funding for D.C., White told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that D.C. is getting its &ldquo;butt kicked&rdquo; and the district residents deserve a present and competent fighter.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/3846563\/maine-governor-janet-mills-announces-run-for-senate-but-took-down-campaign-post\/\">Maine Governor Janet Mills announces run for Senate, but took down campaign post<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3844631\/bernie-sanders-publicly-discourages-janet-mills-maine-senate-campaign-2026\/\">Sanders publicly discourages Janet Mills run for Maine Senate seat<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/3842935\/ossoff-trump-resistance-shutdown-pressure\/\">Ossoff sticks with Trump resistance despite shutdown pressure<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;The congresswoman, who has been our warrior on the Hill for many decades, is not able to fight the way she did,&rdquo; White said.<\/p>\n<p>This is a personal race for White, who served as an aide to Norton for years before heading to serve three terms on the D.C. Council. But an early takeaway from White&rsquo;s campaign is he is trying to maintain respect for Norton&rsquo;s long career, refusing to resort to mudslinging often present in competitive races.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I don&rsquo;t need to take away from her or anything she&rsquo;s done in order to make that point [that her fire&rsquo;s gone], because it&rsquo;s a point that residents understand right now,&rdquo; White said.<\/p>\n<p>He added that he spoke to the delegate before announcing his campaign and characterized the conversation as &ldquo;respectful,&rdquo; but did not want to go into details.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">DC Councilmember Robert White, center, joins elected officials in a call to end the presence of National Guard&#8203; troops in the District of Columbia at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025. (AP Photo\/J. Scott Applewhite)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>White&rsquo;s primary challenge to Norton, 88, is going to be the incumbent&rsquo;s most competitive race in 35 years. The delegate has faced scrutiny for months over her ability to serve in Congress due to her absence from the public eye during the federal takeover, and her consistently relying on a staffer to help her move about the Capitol. Last month, during a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=1_MKmmED5XQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">press conference<\/a>, she appeared to struggle as she headed to the podium to deliver brief remarks on the federal takeover.<\/p>\n<p>Norton has said numerous times she plans to run for reelection to a 19th term, despite calls from council members and D.C. politicos <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/opinions\/2025\/09\/15\/donna-brazile-eleanor-holmes-norton-reelection\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">for her to retire<\/a> and pass the torch. However, Norton&rsquo;s spokeswoman, Sharon Nichols, has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3455783\/eleanor-holmes-norton-reelection-plans-disconnect-staff\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">continuously walked back<\/a> her remarks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;She wants to run but is still discussing it with the people closest to her,&rdquo; Nichols said in June.<\/p>\n<p>A handful of House Democrats have told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> it&rsquo;s time for Norton to go, and it&rsquo;s &ldquo;disrespectful&rdquo; to hold onto the position and refuse to allow a new generation to legislate. The discourse surrounding Norton&rsquo;s reelection plans is part of a larger movement of younger Democrats crying for fresh blood in the lawmaker ranks after the 2024 election. Many elder, establishment Democrats will <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3842359\/steve-cohen-primary-challenge-young-progressive-democrat-justin-pearson\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/don-jr-issues-warning-to-gop-reps-unsupportive-of-president-trump\/\" title=\"Don Jr. issues warning to GOP reps. unsupportive of President Trump\">face primary challenges<\/a> from progressive, grassroots candidates<\/a> in next year&rsquo;s midterm elections.<\/p>\n<p>White had originally been looking to run for mayor in 2026, a race still taking shape as Mayor Muriel Bowser has not announced her plans for the position. But the federal takeover changed those plans.<\/p>\n<p>The federal takeover of Washington, D.C. began in August and came at the request of President Donald Trump to crack down on crime in the district and &ldquo;beautify&rdquo; the area. The decision received rebuke from the D.C. Council, Democrats, and district residents, who decried it as an act of authoritarianism.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Bowser surprised many when she cooperated early on with the Trump administration, at times praising Trump for bringing in the National Guard and stating the increased presence of troops with federal resources was an asset to the district.<\/p>\n<p>The takeover of the district ultimately spurred politicians to make a change in their political careers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>White told the <em>Washington Post <\/em>that GOP declarations to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3497627\/trump-takeover-washington-police-renews-dc-statehood-calls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">do away with D.C. home rule<\/a> and continue a more permanent takeover of the district pushed him to change course and run for the council instead.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This pivot was not something I expected, but it has become very clear that this is our biggest vulnerability,&rdquo; White told the outlet. &ldquo;If we want to continue to have an elected mayor and council, we&rsquo;re going to have to turn back the tide that&rsquo;s happening.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>White is facing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/asian-city-councilwoman-allegedly-harassed-by-social-justice-warrior-despite-increase-in-anti-asian-violence\/\" title=\"Asian City ...woman Allegedly Harassed By Social Justice Warrior Despite Increase In Anti-Asian Violence\">fellow council member<\/a>, Brooke Pinto, in the primary. Pinto launched her bid on Oct. 6 and is the chairwoman of the D.C. Council on the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety. She <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/2791174\/dc-council-crime-package-brooke-pinto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">spearheaded<\/a> the Secure D.C. omnibus legislation to install harsher punishments for a range of crimes.<\/p>\n<p>The role of a delegate, of which there are six in total in the House, is active but also serves an honorary purpose. As a delegate, Norton cannot vote on final passage of legislation on the House floor. They can vote in &ldquo;committee of the whole,&rdquo; a procedure used on the floor to expedite consideration for legislation, and vote for bills in committees.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Norton was unable to vote on final passage for the continuing resolution to fund the government on Sept. 19, which is currently stalled in the Senate. Tucked into that CR is language to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3810642\/johnson-battle-against-clock-send-funding-patch-senate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reinstate the $1 billion in funding<\/a> for the district cut out in March.<\/p>\n<p>The delegate used to advocate for D.C. with a heavy hand but now no longer lobbies lawmakers on D.C. priorities the way she used to, White told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>, echoing reports and visual signs of the congresswoman&rsquo;s decline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>He said serving as a delegate shouldn&rsquo;t and doesn&rsquo;t &ldquo;limit our ability to sway policy through the committees, through interacting with other members.&rdquo; If he is elected, he said plans to build coalitions within the Democratic caucus so he can influence policy best fitting D.C.<\/p>\n<p>But, he said, &ldquo;we have to do a better job of mentoring and passing the torch. When we don&rsquo;t, we set back the movements that we&rsquo;re fighting for.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>One of those movements is advocating for D.C. to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/house\/3497627\/trump-takeover-washington-police-renews-dc-statehood-calls\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">become the 51st state<\/a>, a campaign Norton has championed for most of her legislative career. The debate over statehood renewed during the federal takeover, prompting numerous statements from Norton.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Federal interference is the problem, not the solution,&rdquo; Norton said a few days after the beginning of the takeover. &ldquo;The only permanent remedy that will protect D.C.&rsquo;s ability to govern itself is enactment of my D.C. statehood bill into law.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>White said he knows from the years working with Norton as her legislative counsel, &ldquo;it is, historically, really hard to get people outside of D.C. to focus on statehood very seriously.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3845515\/what-is-closed-open-closing-during-government-shutdown\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WHAT IS OPEN, CLOSED, OR CLOSING AS GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN CONTINUES<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What I recognize is that Democrats nationally and others have given lip service to D.C. statehood in the past, and that&rsquo;s because the reality is, D.C. is not anybody&rsquo;s priority other than D.C.,&rdquo; White said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;But right now, the chess board is different, and we have to strike while the iron is hot,&rdquo; White continued.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Robert White aims to energize DC House seat as Norton weakens<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2648,"featured_media":2498253,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP25247709372163.jpg?w=650","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[65111,3655,13396,63679],"class_list":["post-2498252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-dc-house-seat","tag-fire","tag-norton","tag-robert-white"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP25247709372163.jpg?w=650","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2498252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2648"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2498252"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2498252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2498256,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2498252\/revisions\/2498256"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2498253"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2498252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2498252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2498252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}