Longtime DC delegate faces challenge from former staffer for seat in Congress

By Aleena Fayaz, CNN

(CNN) — A top staffer for longtime DC Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton announced Wednesday he plans to run for her non-voting seat in Congress.

Former senior legislative counsel Trent Holbrook’s plan to challenge Norton comes as the 88-year-old Democrat has faced growing concerns about her age and fitness for office.

“I don’t see myself as running against Congresswoman Norton,” Holbrook told CNN in an interview Wednesday. “I just don’t think that that she is going to run again, at least not an effective way.”

Holbrook, who left Norton’s office after more than eight years on Monday, said he is best positioned to take on the role in part because of his work in Norton’s office.

“As the District of Columbia is looking to a new era in the fight for D.C. statehood and protecting home rule, I feel that I am best positioned to take on this incredibly important role. I have already been the leader in Congress at the staff-level for eight years on these important issues, and I have a strong, historic record of success to run on,” Holbrook said in a news release earlier Wednesday.

CNN is reaching out to Norton’s office for comment. Holbrook filed official paperwork with the Federal Election Commission launching a fundraising committee on Monday.

The Washington Post first reported on his bid for office Tuesday.

Holbrook’s and Norton’s paths converged during his time at Georgetown Law School, when the former top aide took a yearlong class taught by Norton. After joining her office in 2017, Holbrook rose in the ranks from legislative assistant to senior legislative counsel.

“Congresswoman Norton is one of the greatest lawmakers in American history. She has trained me for this position unlike anybody else. I am grateful for the opportunities she afforded me. Because of them, I am ready to lead,” Holbrook said in the release.

Holbrook told CNN he had a good conversation with Norton about his plans to run shortly before the holiday, and he expressed excitement about his campaign and goals if elected, including key policy ideas on DC statehood, federal employee protections and DC home rule.

Norton, a born Washingtonian, has placed civil rights work at the center of her career. Prior to her 18 terms in Congress, Norton was appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1977 to serve as the first woman to chair the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. While Norton cannot vote in Congress as a delegate, her commitment to DC statehood and equal rights can be traced throughout her nearly three decades on Capitol Hill.

In recent months, Norton’s older age and infrequent public appearances have prompted questions about her current suitability for office. Norton, the oldest sitting House member, is part of a growing group of politicians whose ages have sparked debates over term limits in Congress.

Last September, former Democratic National Committee chair and the delegate’s former chief of staff, Donna Brazile, published an op-ed in the Washington Post in which she discouraged her close friend from seeking reelection, stating that Norton is “no longer the dynamo she once was.”

“It’s in her best interest, and the interest of D.C., for her to serve her current term but then end her extraordinary service in Congress and not seek reelection next year,” Brazille wrote.

Holbrook told CNN his decision to run was not about age.

“It’s not really about age, but I think a lot of people in DC are looking at that and I, instead of focusing on that, I focus on my record. I’ve worked for her for so long,” Holbrook said.

The DC delegate seat in Congress comes with challenges, unique to the city it represents. As President Donald Trump’s vision for DC has manifested in changes to public institutions and a surge in federal law enforcement, questions about the balance between DC’s autonomy and federal oversight in the capital persist. Despite lacking the ability to vote, the singular DC delegate’s voice gets amplified through floor debates and congressional committees.

The race for DC’s congressional seat has widened, with more than a dozen candidates, including prominent district lawmakers, looking to take the office held by Norton since 1991. Among those vying for the seat are DC State Board of Education President Jacque Patterson, Democratic National Committee official Kinney Zalesne and DC Councilmembers Brooke Pinto and Robert C. White Jr.

This story has been updated.

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