People vote in Washington DC’s 2026 primary elections at the Prince Hall Masonic Temple on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Robert White, an at-large member of the D.C. Council, was poised to win the Democratic nomination for D.C.’s nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House as the district held its primary on Tuesday.
The race was part of D.C.’s first election using ranked-choice voting, but it appeared unnecessary as White had cleared the 50% threshold.
According to unofficial district results, more than 63% of Democratic primary voters cast ballots for White to represent the Democratic Party in November’s election for the district’s sole House delegate seat. Five candidates were on the ballot.
White will face Republican Denise Rosado and Kymone Freeman of the D.C. Statehood Green Party in November.
It will be the first time someone other than Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton has represented D.C. in the U.S. House in more than 35 years. Norton announced she would retire not seek re-election in January.
White celebrated Norton in his victory speech on Tuesday night, calling her “D.C.’s warrior on the Hill” while promising to carry her legacy forward.
“I too will not yield on behalf of the people of Washington, D.C.,” he said. “Because our turn will never come unless we demand it. Eleanor Holmes Norton understood that.”
The race is for D.C.’s nonvoting delegate to the House of Representatives. Along with D.C., there are five other jurisdictions, including Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, that send nonvoting representatives to the lower chamber of Congress.
In the mayoral race, Janeese Lewis George was leading the Democratic primary with 52.79% of the vote, followed by Kenyan R. McDuffie, who had 36.57%.
