Washington: Robert White to resign from D.C. Council on Monday, clearing his run for congressional delegate

At-large D.C. Councilmember Robert White has announced he will resign from the Council on Monday to remove any doubt about his eligibility to serve as the District's congressional delegate. In a statement on Thursday evening, White said he made the decision after hearing from many residents who hoped he would represent them in Congress, and that he wanted to remove any doubt before Election Day.

The 1970 law at issue

The dispute turns on the 1970 law that created the delegate's office, which says the delegate may hold no other paid public office on the date of his election, and a Council seat is a paid public office. Attorney General Brian Schwalb reads that date as Election Day on Tuesday, while White argued it should mean the day results are certified, on December 2. Republican nominee Denise Rosado argues White is already disqualified because early voting is underway.

What happens next

White plans to speak outside the Wilson Building at 5 p.m. on Monday, and District voters cast ballots on Tuesday. White won the Democratic primary in June and is heavily favoured to succeed Eleanor Holmes Norton, who has held the delegate's seat since 1991 and is retiring. Council Chair Phil Mendelson will take on White's staff until the end of the calendar year; the D.C. Democratic State Committee will choose an interim at-large member, and a special election must follow within 70 to 174 days of the vacancy. White's housing committee has 24 pending bills, and Mendelson has said only about four are likely to pass before the Council's term ends on December 31.

This report is compiled from verified sources and is not a verbatim translation of the originals.