Fifteen candidates are running in the Democratic primary for the U.S. House of Representatives in District of Columbia on June 16, 2026. Voters will elect one non-voting member to serve in the U.S. House from Washington D.C.'s at-large U.S. House district. Three candidates—Brooke Pinto, Robert White, and Kinney Zalesne—lead in polling, fundraising, and media attention.

On January 26, 2026, incumbent Eleanor Holmes Norton (D) announced she would not seek re-election in 2026, saying, "The privilege of public service is inseparable from the responsibility to recognize when it's time to lift up the next generation of leaders. For D.C., that time has come." Norton was first elected in 1991, and will retire after serving 18 terms in Congress.

The Associated Press' Matt Brown wrote, "Her retirement opens up a likely competitive primary to succeed her in an overwhelmingly Democratic city," and NOTUS' Taylor Giorno wrote that the race "is shaping up to be one of the most expensive in the district’s history." While the non-voting delegate cannot cast final votes on bills, they can introduce legislation, serve on and vote in committees, offer amendments, and speak on the U.S. House floor.

Pinto represents Ward 2 on the Washington D.C. city council. Pinto earned her bachelor's degree from Cornell University and her law degree from Georgetown. Before her election to the city council, Pinto was an assistant attorney general in Washington, D.C. Pinto is running on her public service record. Her campaign website says she "has a proven track record of delivering results and will fight on Capitol Hill for our autonomy and self-governance, for our families, for a fair economy for working people, and for public safety in all of our neighborhoods."

White is an at-large member of the Washington D.C. city council. He earned his bachelor's degree from St. Mary's College of Maryland and his law degree from American University. White's experience includes working as legislative council to Norton, director of community outreach for the D.C. attorney general, and adjunct professor at Georgetown University law school. White's campaign website says he "believes every D.C. resident deserves the chance to build a stable future. That means investing in affordable housing, good-paying jobs, and schools that prepare our children for tomorrow."

Zalesne earned her bachelor's degree from Yale University and her law degree from Harvard. Zalesne worked as an attorney, strategist, and manager at Microsoft, president of the non-profit College Summit, and was the deputy national finance chair of the Democratic National Committee. On her campaign website, Zalesne says she is running "because America is in danger, and DC is bearing the brunt of it. We’re the ones projected to lose 40,000 jobs due to Trump’s slashing of the government. We're the ones whose budget got a billion-dollar hole punched in it by the reckless Republican Congress. DC is on the front lines of Trump’s assault, and I want us not only to resist this aggression, but to be at the center of a decisive national turnaround."

The non-voting delegate in the District of Columbia is one of six non-voting members of Congress. The other non-voting members are from American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands.

Deirdre Brown, Gordon Chaffin, Samuel Greenfield, Trent Holbrook, Greg Jaczko, Robert Matthews, Greg Maye, Jerry McClairn Jr., Angel Rios, Michael Smith, Sandi Stevens, and Kelly Mikel Williams are also running.