Taxation w/o Representation: DC Rep Eleanor Holmes Norton (88 Yr) Running for Re-election Despite Being Physically Compromised and Unable to Stop Trump’s Involuntary Rule, Opposed by 80% Residents

The oldest member of the House of Representatives believes she is capable of serving for at least another three years despite widespread concerns about her health and calls for her to retire. 

Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the Democratic non-voting member from Washington, D.C., currently in her eighteenth consecutive term, intends to run for re-election in 2026.

She is 88 years old and has served in Congress since the early 1990s. A D.C. native and civil rights champion who grew up in a segregated capital, Norton has pushed legislation to help district residents, including passing tax credits for college and first-time home purchases.

Her stature looms large on Capitol Hill, where she is a familiar face. But she increasingly looks frail, feeble and unable to navigate herself without assistance.

The delegate doubling down on running for office next year comes just days after she was seen struggling to walk at a public speaking engagement at the Capitol.

‘Are you OK on your own?’ an aide for the D.C. delegate asked the aging member in a hot-mic moment while walking the octogenarian to the speaking podium.

‘I’ll be right here,’ the aide reassured Norton before letting go of her arm and shuffling to the background of the news conference.

Despite these physical challenges, she’s not ready to hang up the trappings of elected office. [MORE]