What happened at our D.C. congressional delegate debate

Dozens of residents braved unseasonably low temperatures and gusty winds last week to hear the District’s five congressional delegate candidates debate who should succeed Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, who is retiring after holding the job for over three decades (and facing tough questions about whether that was too long).

Hosted by SpotlightDC, The 51st, and The Washington Informer and held at Congress Heights’ open-air venue Sycamore and Oak, the event saw candidates spar on the Trump administration’s incursion into D.C., public safety, and the city’s tough economic headwinds.

There’s a number of candidates running for the non-voting position as D.C. faces unprecedented threats to home rule, including former nuclear regulator Greg Jaczko, recent Norton staffer Trent Holbrook, Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto, At-Large Councilmember Robert White, and former Democratic fundraiser Kinney Zalesne. (Just tuning into the election and want to learn more about the candidates? We profiled each of them here.)

The presumed frontrunners, White and Pinto, spent much of the debate on a fundamental question: How do you make an impact if you don’t have a vote?

Pinto said she would build relationships with national legislators to prevent another federal takeover — a strategy she said she used after Congress overturned D.C.’s revised criminal code in 2023.

“I will be our full-time quarterback on ensuring that all of those relationships are tightened and strengthened, so that they know who we are in D.C.,” Pinto said, adding that overtaking the city is “not an option.”

White, who used to be Norton’s legislative counsel, said: “D.C. does not have a vote, but we do have a voice." He noted that while his former boss had a "mean inside game," he would approach the seat differently by building a bigger, national profile to get the idea of statehood out there: "People can't support an issue that they don't hear about, that they don't see."

Zalesne, who was a relative unknown before entering the race but has raised over $660,000 (more than White’s $414,000, but less than Pinto’s $1.2 million), said the delegate’s role shouldn’t only be focused on D.C. autonomy, but also its economy. She said D.C. should be less reliant on federal work: “It’s my priority to bring us new jobs, bring us new employers, and support the homegrown ecosystem that’s starting up new jobs here.”

Holbrook and Jaczko pitched the legislative ideas they’d pursue if elected, albeit some that have been tried before.

Jaczko wants to get residents exempted from federal income tax until D.C. becomes a state. “We send over 30 million dollars to the federal government in federal income taxes every year, and we don’t have full representation,” said Jaczko. “We can keep those federal tax dollars here in the District to work on some legacy issues we have with inequality across the District.”

Holbrook said he’d take advantage of Trump’s overreach to introduce legislation that would remove the president’s power to assume emergency control over D.C. police, as well as a bill that would transfer the authority of D.C’s National Guard from the president to the mayor (Norton has put forth legislation on both these ideas several times in the past).

“What he did was illegal,” said Holbrook about President Trump federalizing D.C. police last August. “But every single time you have one of these fights … it’s an opportunity as well.”

Of course, it wouldn’t be a debate without some jabs. Pinto and White, who have been very publicly at odds, sparred a couple times over the course of the night. White accused Pinto of not doing enough on the ongoing investigation into whether D.C. police supervisors manipulated crime data. “Instead of looking into it, she said, ‘You know what? I like the cooked numbers, cause I’m going to run on those,’” said White. “That made us less safe.”

Pinto called White’s statement “mistruths” and that he was using “Donald Trump talking points.”

“There were manipulated crime statistics. And you know why we know all that now? Because of the oversight I conducted with MPD,” Pinto retorted.

They weren’t the only ones who got into it. Holbrook accused White of leaving the office when he didn’t get a promotion. “What did you ever do during your time there to advance D.C. statehood, because I certainly haven’t seen it,” said Holbrook. White quipped back that Holbrook was taking credit for Norton’s work. “You’re not moving anything in that office without her name,” said White, adding that he left the office because he thought he could do more for D.C. communities east of the river on the council.

Zalesne asked Pinto about her lack of national experience. “Except for summer internships, I believe it’s true that you’ve never worked for a national organization or a national institution, but this is a national job,” said Zalesne. “How will you overcome that deficit?”

Pinto pointed back to when Congress proposed cuts to healthcare benefits, adding that she worked with Medicaid beneficiaries and hospital CEOs to speak with members of Congress. “I did that not working for a national coalition — I created one.”

Candidates also tried to show off their D.C. bonafides (and ability to work with Republicans) by sharing where they’d take Speaker of the House Mike Johnson to pitch him ideas (mainly, to leave D.C. alone). Holbrook chose Ben’s Chili Bowl, “the quintessential D.C. place,” to show the city is more than just lobbyists. Zalesne said she would take Johnson to her family’s favorite restaurant: Cactus Cantina. White would bring the speaker to the Go-Go Museum before heading out to Players Lounge for some fish fry. Pinto said she’d take Johnson to visit the 11th Street Bridge Park, and try to win the Louisiana-based lawmaker’s favor with beignets at Dauphine’s. And Jaczko chose Anacostia Park — a way to show both the city’s beauty and potential.

Watch the full debate below!