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Eleanor Holmes Norton raises little money for reelection as retirement questions loom

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Longtime Washington congressional Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton raised just $3,200 for her reelection campaign last quarter, according to a campaign finance report filed Wednesday, as she faces serious primary challengers and questions about her ability to serve in Congress.

Norton, 88, has repeatedly said she will seek reelection next year. But the capital city’s delegate in the House has faced questions about her age amid a broader Democratic reckoning with generational change and doubts from longtime allies as to whether she is fit to serve another term.

She also faces several primary challengers, including two D.C. Council members, Robert White and Brooke Pinto. White previously served as a staffer to Norton. Both campaigns launched recently and have not yet filed reports with the Federal Election Commission, although Pinto’s campaign said she raised more than $300,000 in her first day.

That stands in sharp contrast to Norton. The incumbent’s campaign reported just over $700 raised from individual donors in the third quarter, along with $2,500 from the American Trucking Association. The campaign spent just over $26,000 in the period, primarily on staff salary and fundraising consulting. It also reported $90,000 in debt, all owed to Norton, who previously loaned money to the campaign, and just shy of $6,500 cash on hand.

While Norton has never needed to be a prolific fundraiser, she raised $19,200 from donors over the same period in 2023.

A spokesperson for Norton’s office directed questions about her fundraising to the campaign. A campaign spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions Wednesday afternoon.