# District of Columbia's at-large congressional district

The District of Columbia's at-large congressional district is a congressional district encompassing all of Washington, D.C., the capital city of the United States. Article One of the United States Constitution instructs that only "States" may be represented in the United States Congress. Because the District of Columbia does not meet that criterion, the member elected from the at-large district is not permitted to participate in votes on the floor of the House. Instead, constituents of the seat elect a non-voting delegate to the chamber. Though the delegate lacks full voting privileges, they are permitted to sit on, cast votes in, and chair congressional committees and subcommittees. The delegate may also join party caucuses, introduce legislation, and hire staff to assist with constituent services.
The modern office of delegate from the District of Columbia was established in 1971. Since then, it has been represented by just two individuals, both of them African American Democrats. Its current delegate is Eleanor Holmes Norton, an advocate for D.C. statehood who assumed office in 1991. Accordingly, she has held the seat for more than 60% of its existence.

## History of the office

The office of delegate from the District of Columbia was initially established by Radical Republicans during the Reconstruction era. From 1871 to 1875, it was held by Norton P. Chipman, a Republican who had been appointed the first secretary of the District of Columbia by President Ulysses S. Grant. The position was abolished in 1875 and remained nonexistent for 96 years.
During the mid-20th century, there was a renewed push to extend greater voting rights to residents of Washington, D.C. By 1961, the necessary 37 states had successfully ratified the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, which extended the District of Columbia the right to vote in presidential elections. Still, there remained bipartisan agreement that the District of Columbia – which in 1970 had more residents than 10 individual states — deserved at least some representation in the U.S. Congress.
Federal legislation to recreate a congressional delegate position for D.C. was first seriously debated by Congress in 1970. President Richard Nixon had repeatedly expressed his support for full voting representation for the District of Columbia. An initial proposal by Rep. Earle Cabell (D–TX) suggested creating two non-voting delegate positions for D.C.: one for the House and one for the Senate. Concerns that the Senate would stall such a proposal spurred the consideration of a compromise bill introduced by Rep. Ancher Nelsen (R–MN), who at the time served as ranking member of the House Committee on the District of Columbia. Nelsen's proposal guaranteed non-voting representation only in the House.
In a written message to House Minority Leader Gerald Ford on August 6, 1970, Nixon reaffirmed that "voting representation for the District of Columbia is my goal" and strongly urged Ford to press for the bill's passage. Ford and House Majority Leader Carl Albert both crafted messages to their respective caucuses in response, encouraging their members to support the measure. During closing arguments on the House floor, two representatives made particularly passionate pleas on the capital city's behalf. The first came from Rep. John Conyers (D–MI), who decried the "rank hypocrisy" of denying "a voice in our Government to the people who live closest to it." The second came from Rep. Michael J. Harrington (D–MA), who noted the lack of attention shown by the Congress to Washington:
   "I have visited those parts of the city which the tourist never sees, and I am shaken. Many areas damaged in the riot of 1968 have never been repaired. Many buildings are still blackened and boarded up. Housing is inadequate, schools are inadequate, transportation is inadequate, and no one has real authority to act effectively for the black majority of this city. The Congress simply does not have the time or the interest to run a large city. It is time we recognized this fact, and permitted the city to govern itself. The complexities of city government, the day-to-day decisions should not be placed in the hands of 535 different people — all of whom have to pass on matters about which they have little concern and about which they lack the time to be informed."
Opposition to the legislation was largely spearheaded by Rep. John L. McMillan (D–SC), the segregationist chairman of the House Committee on the District of Columbia. As chairman, McMillan repeatedly opposed home rule and greater rights for residents of D.C., largely because of its sizable Black population. The bill ultimately passed the House with 302 votes in favor and 57 votes against. The "nay" votes came predominately from Southerners. On September 9, 1970, the legislation passed the Senate. President Nixon, who called the District's lack of voting rights "one of the truly unacceptable facts of American life," signed the District of Columbia Delegate Act 13 days later.
The first election for the seat was held on March 23, 1971. Democrat Walter Fauntroy won the race and went on to serve in the Congress for nearly 20 years. A week after being sworn in, Fauntroy became one of the 13 founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus.
A further effort to grant the District of Columbia full voting rights in Congress via a constitutional amendment came in 1978. The District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment passed both chambers of Congress, but it failed to receive the necessary number of state ratifications by its 1985 deadline. Reflecting increased political polarization, efforts to secure D.C. further voting rights since have largely failed along party lines.
Since 1993, when the House of Representatives has been under Democratic control, delegates, including the District of Columbia's delegate, have been allowed to cast non-binding floor votes when the House of Representatives was operating in the Committee of the Whole.
The district has been represented by Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton since 1991.

## List of delegates representing the district

| Delegate | Party | Term | Cong ress | Electoral history |
| District established March 4, 1871 |||||
| Vacant | Vacant | March 4, 1871 – April 21, 1871 | 42nd | |
| Norton P. Chipman | Republican | April 21, 1871 – March 3, 1875 | 42nd 43rd | Elected to finish the vacant term. Re-elected in 1872. Seat eliminated. |
| District dissolved March 4, 1875 |||||
| District re-established September 22, 1970 |||||
| Vacant | Vacant | September 22, 1970 – March 23, 1971 | 91st 92nd | |
| Walter Fauntroy | Democratic | March 23, 1971 – January 3, 1991 | 92nd 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st | Elected to finish the vacant term. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Retired to run for Mayor of the District of Columbia |
| Eleanor Holmes Norton | Democratic | January 3, 1991 – present | 102nd 103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th 114th 115th 116th 117th 118th 119th | Elected in 1990. Re-elected in 1992. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Re-elected in 2022. Re-elected in 2024. |

## Election results
### 1870s

D.C. At Large Congressional District Special Election (April 21, 1871) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Norton P. Chipman | 15,196 | 57.78 |
| | Democratic | Richard T. Merrick | 11,104 | 42.22 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 26,300 | 100.00 |
| | Republican win (new seat) | Republican win (new seat) | Republican win (new seat) | Republican win (new seat) |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1873) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Norton P. Chipman (Incumbent) | 12,443 | 63.86 |
| | Democratic | L.G. Hine | 7,042 | 36.14 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 19,485 | 100.00 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 1970s

D.C. At Large Congressional District Special Election (March 23, 1971) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Walter E. Fauntroy | 68,166 | 58.44 |
| | Republican | John Nevius | 29,249 | 25.08 |
| | DC Statehood | Julius Hobson | 15,427 | 13.23 |
| | Independent | Frank Kameny | 1,888 | 1.62 |
| | Independent | Douglas Moore | 1,301 | 1.12 |
| | Socialist Workers | James E. Harris | 431 | 0.37 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 173 | 0.15 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 116,635 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic win (new seat) | Democratic win (new seat) | Democratic win (new seat) | Democratic win (new seat) |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1972) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Walter E. Fauntroy (Incumbent) | 95,300 | 60.64 |
| | Republican | William Chin-Lee | 39,487 | 25.12 |
| | DC Statehood | Charles I. Cassell | 18,730 | 11.92 |
| | Independent | David H. Dabney | 2,514 | 1.60 |
| | Socialist Workers | Herman Fagg | 1,133 | 0.72 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 157,164 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1974) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Walter E. Fauntroy (Incumbent) | 66,337 | 63.78 |
| | Independent | James G. Banks | 21,874 | 21.03 |
| | Republican | William R. Phillips | 9,166 | 8.81 |
| | DC Statehood | Anton V. Wood | 3,039 | 2.92 |
| | U.S. Labor | Susan Pennington | 1,813 | 1.74 |
| | Independent | David H. Dabney | 1,539 | 1.48 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 246 | 0.24 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 104,014 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1976) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Walter E. Fauntroy (Incumbent) | 12,149 | 77.18 |
| | Republican | Daniel L. Hall | 1,566 | 9.95 |
| | DC Statehood | Louis S. Aronica | 1,076 | 6.84 |
| | Socialist Workers | Charlotte J. Reavis | 499 | 3.17 |
| | U.S. Labor | Susan Pennington | 377 | 2.39 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 75 | 0.48 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 15,742 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1978) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Walter E. Fauntroy (Incumbent) | 76,557 | 79.59 |
| | Republican | Jackson R. Champion | 11,677 | 12.02 |
| | DC Statehood | Gregory Rowe | 3,886 | 4.04 |
| | Socialist Workers | Charlotte J. Reavis | 1,649 | 1.71 |
| | U.S. Labor | Cloid John Green | 1,064 | 1.10 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,473 | 1.53 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 96,306 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 1980s

D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1980) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Walter E. Fauntroy (Incumbent) | 111,631 | 74.44 |
| | Republican | Robert J. Roehr | 21,021 | 14.02 |
| | DC Statehood | Josephine D. Butler | 14,325 | 9.55 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 2,979 | 1.99 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 149,956 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1982) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Walter E. Fauntroy (Incumbent) | 93,422 | 83.01 |
| | Republican | John West | 17,242 | 15.32 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,879 | 1.67 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 112,543 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1984) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Walter E. Fauntroy (Incumbent) | 154,583 | 95.56 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 7,188 | 4.44 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 161,771 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1986) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Walter E. Fauntroy (Incumbent) | 101,604 | 80.09 |
| | Republican | Mary L. H. King | 17,643 | 13.91 |
| | DC Statehood | Julie McCall | 6,122 | 4.83 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,486 | 1.17 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 126,855 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1988) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Walter E. Fauntroy (Incumbent) | 121,817 | 71.27 |
| | Republican | Ron Evans | 22,936 | 13.42 |
| | DC Statehood | Alvin C. Frost | 13,802 | 8.07 |
| | Independent | David H. Dabney | 10,449 | 6.11 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,929 | 1.13 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 170,933 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 1990s

D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1990) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton | 98,442 | 61.67 |
| | Republican | Harry M. Singleton | 41,999 | 26.31 |
| | Independent | George X. Cure | 8,156 | 5.11 |
| | DC Statehood | Leon Frederick Hunt | 4,027 | 2.52 |
| | Independent | David H. Dabney | 3,334 | 2.09 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 3,669 | 2.30 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 159,627 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1992) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 166,808 | 84.78 |
| | Republican | Susan Emerson | 20,108 | 10.22 |
| | DC Statehood | Susan Griffin | 7,253 | 3.69 |
| | Socialist Workers | Sam Manuel | 1,840 | 0.94 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 745 | 0.38 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 196,754 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1994) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 154,988 | 89.25 |
| | Republican | Donald A. Saltz | 13,828 | 7.96 |
| | DC Statehood | Rasco P. Braswell | 2,824 | 1.63 |
| | Socialist Workers | Bradley Downs | 1,476 | 0.85 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 548 | 0.32 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 173,664 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1996) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 134,996 | 90.00 |
| | Republican | Sprague Simonds | 11,306 | 7.54 |
| | Independent | Faith | 2,119 | 1.41 |
| | Socialist Workers | Sam Manuel | 1,146 | 0.76 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 431 | 0.29 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 149,998 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (1998) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 122,228 | 89.64 |
| | Republican | Edward Henry Wolterbeek | 8,610 | 6.31 |
| | DC Statehood | Pat Kidd | 2,323 | 1.70 |
| | Independent | Natale "Lino" Stracuzzi | 1,647 | 1.21 |
| | Socialist Workers | Mary Martin | 1,087 | 0.80 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 464 | 0.34 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 136,359 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2000s

D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (2000) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 158,824 | 90.43 |
| | Republican | Edward Henry Wolterbeek | 10,258 | 5.84 |
| | Libertarian | Robert D. Kampia | 4,594 | 2.62 |
| | Socialist Workers | Sam Manuel | 1,419 | 0.81 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 536 | 0.31 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 175,631 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (2002) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 119,268 | 93.01 |
| | Independent | Pat Kidd | 7,733 | 6.03 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,232 | 0.96 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 128,233 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (2004) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 202,027 | 91.33 |
| | Republican | Michael Andrew Monroe | 18,296 | 8.27 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 890 | 0.40 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 221,213 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (2006) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 111,726 | 97.34 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 3,051 | 2.66 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 114,777 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (2008) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 228,376 | 92.28 |
| | DC Statehood Green | Maude Hills | 16,693 | 6.75 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 2,402 | 0.97 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 247,471 | 100.00 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2010s

D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (2010) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 117,990 | 88.94 |
| | Republican | Missy Reilly Smith | 8,109 | 6.11 |
| | DC Statehood Green | Rick Tingling-Clemmons | 4,413 | 3.33 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 2,144 | 1.61 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 132,656 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 29.99 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (2012) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 246,664 | 88.54 |
| | Libertarian | Bruce Majors | 16,524 | 5.93 |
| | DC Statehood Green | Natale "Lino" Stracuzzi | 13,243 | 4.75 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 2,132 | 0.78 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 278,563 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 60.94 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (2014) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 143,923 | 83.73 |
| | Republican | Nelson F. Rimensnyder | 11,673 | 6.79 |
| | Independent | Timothy J. Krepp | 9,101 | 5.29 |
| | DC Statehood Green | Natale "Lino" Stracuzzi | 6,073 | 3.53 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,123 | 0.65 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 171,893 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.45 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (2016) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 265,178 | 84.84 |
| | Libertarian | Martin Moulton | 18,713 | 5.99 |
| | DC Statehood Green | Natale "Lino" Stracuzzi | 14,336 | 4.59 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 2,679 | 0.86 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 300,906 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 65.30 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (2018) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (Incumbent) | 199,124 | 87.04 |
| | Republican | Nelson F. Rimensnyder | 9,700 | 4.24 |
| | DC Statehood Green | Natale "Lino" Stracuzzi | 8,636 | 3.77 |
| | Independent | John Cheeks | 5,509 | 2.41 |
| | Libertarian | Bruce Majors | 4,034 | 1.76 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,766 | 0.77 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 228,769 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 46.29 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2020s

D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (2020) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (incumbent) | 231,327 | 86.83 |
| | Libertarian | Patrick Hynes | 7,525 | 2.82 |
| | Independent | Barbara Washington Franklin | 5,969 | 2.24 |
| | Socialist Workers | Omari Musa | 5,106 | 1.92 |
| | DC Statehood Green | Natale Lino Stracuzzi | 4,463 | 1.68 |
| | Independent | Amir Lowery | 4,025 | 1.51 |
| | Independent | David Krucoff | 3,817 | 1.43 |
| | Independent | John Cheeks | 2,336 | 0.88 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,836 | 0.69 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 266,404 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 66.90 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |
D.C. At Large Congressional District Election (2022) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Eleanor Holmes Norton (incumbent) | 174,238 | 86.54 |
| | Republican | Nelson Rimensnyder | 11,701 | 5.81 |
| | DC Statehood Green | Natale Stracuzzi | 9,867 | 4.90 |
| | Libertarian | Bruce Major | 4,003 | 1.99 |
| | Write-in | Write-in | 1,521 | 0.76 |
| Total valid votes | Total valid votes | Total valid votes | 201,330 | 97.84 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 4,444 | 2.16 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 205,774 | 100.00 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 40.76 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |