Eleanor Holmes Norton, a Democrat delegate who represents Washington, D.C., in the House of Representatives, insists she's running for reelection, but her staff keeps telling reporters that's not true, Mediaite reported.
Norton, 88, has served 18 terms. She's faced fresh scrutiny about her role as her presence has diminished.
A senior House Democrat told Axios in mid-June that "she's missing stuff."
Another House Democrat told Axios that while Norton shows up for committee meetings, she simply "reads what her staff puts in front of her. She can't say anything she's not reading. That's a staff-driven office now, just like you saw in the Senate with [Dianne] Feinstein."
Norton told Politico last month that she would run again in 2026. Later, her staff said she "wants to run again but she's in conversations with her family, friends, and closest advisers to decide what's best."
In early June, Norton told NBC News she intended to run again.
"I don't even know why anybody would even ask me," she said.
Hours later, her office published a statement clarifying that she was "in conversations with her family, friends, and closest advisers to decide what's best."
Norton, who has served as a nonvoting delegate in Congress since 1991, has been overwhelmingly reelected by D.C. voters. She is the oldest member of the House.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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