Robert White, a Democrat and at-large D.C. Council member, is running for U.S. House of Representatives delegate from the District of Columbia in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election. White won the Democratic primary in June 2026, according to AP News. He would succeed Eleanor Holmes Norton, who held the seat for 18 terms.

The office

The House Clerk’s explanation of the delegate role says delegates can speak, introduce bills and offer amendments. They can serve on House committees but cannot vote on final passage of legislation in the full House.

White faces two opponents. Denise Rosado, a Republican, and Kymone Freeman of the Statehood Green Party are also on the ballot, according to BallotReady election data.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Hometown: Washington, D.C. (born and raised)
  • High school: Archbishop Carroll High School
  • Education: Bachelor's degree in political science, St. Mary's College of Maryland (2004); juris doctor, American University (2007)
  • Family note: White has described himself as the first college graduate in his family

Experience and public service

White has served as an at-large D.C. Council member since 2016, according to BallotReady. He entered the 2022 mayoral race and ran unsuccessfully for an at-large council seat in 2014, according to DCist.

Before joining the council, White worked as counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2008 to 2013, served as director of community outreach at the D.C. Attorney General's Office in 2015 and worked as a law clerk at Montgomery County Court, according to BallotReady and DCist. BallotReady profile data also lists work as an adjunct law professor at Georgetown University.

On the issues

D.C. statehood and home rule: White said he has centered his campaign on D.C. statehood and local autonomy, according to AP News. He said he launched a "Defend DC" mobilization effort to recruit, train and transport D.C. residents to canvass in nearby congressional districts for candidates who support the District's independence.

Home Rule Charter reform: White said he supports rewriting the Home Rule Act and expanding the size of the D.C. Council. He has called the current structure "wildly inefficient and ineffective," arguing that 13 people cannot serve as a state legislature, city council and county council at the same time, according to The DC Line.

Commuter tax: White said he supports a commuter tax for D.C., describing it as important to the District's economy. He said it would be achieved through relationships and negotiation, according to The DC Line.

Endorsements

White has received endorsements from the following individuals and organizations, according to The DC Line and BallotReady:

  • Janeese Lewis George
  • DC for Democracy
  • Free DC
  • AFL-CIO
  • AFSCME

Policy positions attributed to White reflect the candidate's own statements. Sources include AP News, DCist, The DC Line and BallotReady. He had not submitted a Surround Sound News questionnaire response when this profile was prepared.