WASHINGTON (7News) — The race to replace longtime Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton is emerging as a broader debate over how the District should navigate its relationship with Congress and the White House, as leading candidates begin laying out competing priorities on home rule and public safety.
As Norton prepares for an eventual departure from office, two prominent candidates — Robert White and Brooke Pinto — are signaling different approaches to representing the District in Washington at a time of heightened political tension between local and federal officials.
Competing approaches to Washington
White has positioned his campaign around a more confrontational stance toward the federal government, while also calling for aggressive pursuit of D.C. statehood and expanded local autonomy.
Pinto, meanwhile, has emphasized public safety and crime reduction as central priorities, while also pointing to opportunities for policy coordination with federal leaders on specific issues. Both candidates have said they oppose what they describe as federal overreach into District affairs, but differ in tone and strategy when it comes to how the next delegate should engage Congress and the White House.
Candidates make their case
White sharply criticized federal actions impacting the District, saying, “They stole a billion dollars, one billion from D.C. taxpayers and didn’t even blink. We’ve watched our national government invade our neighborhoods, snatch people from their communities, spent millions on military shows of force while families right here are fighting just to afford rent, childcare and a little peace of mind.”…