Robert White quits D.C. Council seat to run for delegate

Robert White officially resigned from the D.C. Council on Monday. He stepped down to secure his eligibility as the Democratic nominee for the D.C. delegate race, with voters heading to the polls on Tuesday.

A law from the 1970s states that the delegate cannot hold another paid public office on election day. White made the decision to remove any potential conflict with that rule. He addressed reporters outside the Wilson building after filing his resignation.

"I want to make sure that there is nothing that stands between, or even appears to stand between, this day and the next mission," White said. He added that progress requires making "a couple of sacrifices here and there."

White has served on the council for 10 years. If he wins the election, he will replace Eleanor Holmes Norton, who has held the delegate seat for many years. White recalled his motivation for entering politics, noting he ran for the council because he grew up in a city where people like his family "too often got ignored."

The D.C. Democratic Party announced last week that it is working to fill the newly created at-large council vacancy. The party said the selection process would begin at an appropriate time.