Dem Rep Calling It QUITS – After 35 Years in Congress!

An 88-year-old congresswoman described in a police report as having “early stages of dementia” just ended a 35-year political career that nobody in her own party wanted to see continue.

Story Snapshot

Eleanor Holmes Norton filed a campaign termination report on January 25, 2026, ending her reelection bid after 18 terms representing DC
Internal police report from October 2025 fraud investigation documented Norton in “early stages of dementia” with aide holding power of attorney
Campaign raised only $7.50 in January 2026 while carrying $90,000 in debt as prominent Democrats publicly urged her retirement
Norton’s absence during Trump administration’s 2025 federal interventions in DC left the district without effective representation at a critical time
Seven challengers now compete for the June 2026 Democratic primary to succeed her as DC’s non-voting House delegate

When Leadership Becomes a Liability

Eleanor Holmes Norton’s staff routinely walked back her public statements to reporters. Her office issued written responses while she avoided interviews and joint appearances. The pattern became so pronounced that even colleagues noticed. When DC needed its House delegate most during federal police takeovers and National Guard deployments in summer 2025, Norton was functionally absent. She issued statements, but statements don’t stop constitutional crises. The woman who spent decades fighting for DC home rule couldn’t defend it when threats materialized. The cruel irony writes itself: a civil rights warrior sidelined while federal authority trampled local autonomy she’d championed since 1990.

Following Police Report Describing “Early Stages of Dementia” 88-Year-Old Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton Signals She Won’t Seek Reelection as DC Delegate

https://t.co/hhpoR3gYXd

— Major Anthony Jones (@majorbrainpain) January 26, 2026

The Police Report Nobody Wanted Public

October 2025 brought the revelation everyone suspected but few acknowledged. Norton fell victim to fraud, triggering a police investigation that documented what insiders already knew. The internal report described her as being in the “early stages of dementia” with a longtime aide serving as caretaker and holding power of attorney. The findings never received official acknowledgment from her office, which continued the charade. In June 2025, Norton stated her intention to run for reelection. Staff immediately denied she’d made a final decision. By September 4, 2025, came the official announcement. By mid-January 2026, she reaffirmed her plans. Three weeks later, the campaign filed termination paperwork with the Federal Election Commission.

When Your Own Party Shows You the Door

Donna Brazile, Norton’s former top aide, publicly called for her retirement. Representative Jamie Raskin suggested DC needed “a new generation” of leadership. These weren’t Republican attacks or media speculation. Democrats were telling one of their own that loyalty has limits. Norton’s campaign dysfunction told the financial story: $7.50 raised in January 2026 against $90,000 in debt. Seven challengers smelled blood, including DC Councilmembers Brooke Pinto and Robert White. The primary field swelled because everyone recognized what Norton’s office wouldn’t admit: she couldn’t do the job anymore, and DC couldn’t afford the pretense during a Republican administration actively dismantling home rule.

The Statehood Champion Who Couldn’t Defend Her City

Norton’s legacy deserves recognition without the revisionist glossing her supporters now apply. She co-sponsored the Equality Act, marched in Pride parades, pushed DC statehood through House votes in 2020 and 2021 that stalled elsewhere. She championed the DC College Act and fought for budget autonomy during the 1990s financial crisis. That Norton earned respect. The 2025 version issued statements while Trump’s National Guard occupied her city and federal officials threatened police takeovers. The position of DC delegate exists precisely for moments like these: when federal overreach threatens local governance. Norton held the title but couldn’t execute the duties. DC residents deserved better than a figurehead managing decline.

The Uncomfortable Questions About Cognitive Decline

Norton’s situation forces a conversation American politics desperately avoids: what happens when elected officials lose cognitive function but refuse to leave? The police report documenting early-stage dementia came from October 2025. Her staff managed her with power of attorney arrangements. Yet the reelection machinery churned forward through January 2026. Who actually made the decision to continue? Who benefits from keeping diminished officials in office? These aren’t abstract questions. DC faced existential threats to its autonomy while its sole congressional representative operated under a caretaker arrangement. The situation wasn’t compassionate; it was exploitation. Norton deserved a dignified exit years ago, not a termination report filed by staff managing someone no longer capable of managing herself.

What Comes Next for DC Representation

The June 2026 Democratic primary will determine Norton’s successor for the November general election, though in DC that’s largely a formality. No Republican presidential candidate has won over 10 percent of DC votes since 1988. The Democratic primary is the election. Seven candidates bring varying experience, from council members to strategists to activists. The winner inherits immediate battles: countering Republican congressional attacks on home rule, defending against Trump administration interventions, and reigniting the stalled statehood movement. Norton’s absence during 2025’s federal incursions proved the delegate position requires vigor, not nostalgia. DC needs an advocate who can actually fight, not just reminisce about past fights while staff handles daily functions.

The Norton saga reveals what happens when political parties prioritize optics over effectiveness. Democrats knew her condition, tolerated the dysfunction, and only applied pressure when media coverage made denial impossible. That’s not honoring a legacy; it’s managing a liability. DC deserved representation during its constitutional crisis, not a figurehead with handlers. The next delegate faces a Republican Congress and Trump administration actively hostile to DC autonomy. That fight requires someone present, capable, and ruthless. Norton’s 35-year tenure earned gratitude, but gratitude doesn’t excuse the disservice of staying too long. Her staff’s termination filing delivered the mercy her party should have provided years earlier.