District of Columbia Councilwoman Brooke Pinto on Monday launched a campaign seeking to unseat Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) and claim her nonvoting spot in the House.
Pinto’s announcement makes her the second to challenge Norton. The incumbent Democratic delegate, 88, has faced growing calls to let a new generation fill her seat due to mounting concerns about the councilwoman’s ability to represent constituents because of her age.
“I’m running for Congress to represent D.C. on Capitol Hill — to fight for our self-governance, for a fair economy, for public safety, and for our families,” Pinto said in a statement announcing her candidacy that thanked Norton for her years of service representing the district.
“Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton has been an unparalleled champion for DC for decades, and I want to build on her incredible legacy for which we are all grateful,” Pinto said.
Pinto represents Ward 2. She will be up against Councilmember Robert White in the election. White announced plans to challenge Norton in late September.
A graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and Georgetown Law School, Pinto previously served in the Office of the Attorney General as a tax attorney.
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Pinto, chair of the council’s Judiciary Committee, has positioned herself as a more moderate Democrat ahead of her campaign launch this week.
Last year, she backed measures designed to overhaul some of the district’s more progressive criminal justice policies, which critics said made the community less safe. Pinto has also emerged as a key advocate for a $3.7 billion stadium deal for the Washington Commanders, which promises to revitalize the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium.