JEFFREY DENNY
Jeffrey Denny is a Washington writer, a former elected DC official, and a supporter of DC Delegate candidate Kinney Zalesne
‘No Kings’ protesters: Support DC’s seat in Congress
Fighting Trump’s siege on democracy starts in America’s epicenter of democracy
Jeffrey Denny,
Washington Writer, Former ANC Member
Published in Medium, November 1, 2025
Yes, allies: Washington, DC, is not just the U.S. capital, a global capital, and a symbol of democracy.
We’re a major U.S. city, the hub of a vibrant economic region, and a Congressional district. If not for democracy-rigging Republicans, we’d be the 51st state — we have over 700,000 people, more than two other states — with a voting seat in the House and two in the Senate.
We also have a member of Congress who shoulders a heavier political load than any other lawmaker by dint of representing America’s capital.
DC’s long-serving congresswoman, the legendary civil rights leader Eleanor Holmes Norton, may be retiring at age 88 after 34 years in office. The successor jockeying has begun, mostly by local politicos seeking electoral promotion.
But DC needs a bigger, national voice in Congress. The seat is more critical than ever. The test for Norton’s successor is even tougher because the heart of America’s democracy has never been more endangered.
President Donald Trump has shackled the city under federal and military control. He stripped $1 billion from DC’s budget and steamrolled the mayor. Britain’s War of 1812 and the burning of Washington by the mentally ill King George III or his regent prince (think Donald Trump and Donald Trump, Jr.) can barely hold a candle, if one is given to rhetorical excess.
No other Congressional district in America with 700,000 residents would allow what Trump has done to DC.
Picture the armed MAGA militia uprising if Presidents Obama or Biden had cut their federal funding, overridden local control, and sent the National Guard from LGBTQ+ friendly states like New York, California, or Massachusetts to occupy districts led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, Lauren Boebert, or other MAGA strongholds. Or if masked ICE agents invaded MAGA communities to arrest and detain white residents for traffic violations or for lacking the proper government papers, like an expired driver’s license.
MAGA influencers would declare that the disturbed paranoia they spread was prescient. That masked jack-booted federal agents in bucket helmets and black storm trooper uniforms and tactical gear were invading MAGA communities, rounding up and taking away innocent workers, and denying their Constitutional rights.
Heck, imagine if MAGAs were taxed without full representation in Congress. Imagine if Democrats denied their statehood status and rights because the radical left lunatics don’t want two more Trump fascist white supremacists in the U.S. Senate.
That’s right: Republicans oppose granting statehood to DC residents because it would add two Democrats — possibly Black — to the Senate.
They also spitball that it’ll give DC folks too much power because of their proximity to the federal government. Tell that to the federal employees Trump is kicking to the curb. Republicans also say DC is too small for statehood. Tell that to the citizens — Republican or Democratic — of similarly populated Wyoming, Vermont, or Alaska.
Anyone who turned out for the Oct. 18 No Kings 2.0 rally — especially in Washington, DC — should think about saving America’s heart of democracy, starting with DC’s next member of Congress.
It’s baffling how DC’s embarrassment of richness in educated, enlightened political advocates and activists barely know or think about DC’s voice in Congress. Many scoff that Norton was a mere figurehead for a narrow, politically hot-house, nerdy reason: that DC’s representative lacks a vote on the House floor.
For too long, the DC seat in Congress has been defined by what it isn’t. Norton’s successor needs to redefine what it is — and transform the position by leveraging and expanding on three powers it offers:
Power in Congress
The DC member of Congress has other voting powers.
They can serve on, chair, and vote in committees and subcommittees, where the actual legislative work takes place. They can introduce bills, propose amendments, participate in floor debates, and support coalitions. They receive the same budget and resources as all members of Congress to operate their offices, hire staff, and serve their constituents. In some cases, when Democrats control the House, DC’s rep can also vote for final passage of legislation.
And when a member of Congress calls — from DC or any district — the most powerful people answer.
Power to convene
DC’s member of Congress needs to recognize and harness their clear advantage: Given Washington’s remarkable people and position in America, DC’s lawmaker has a unique opportunity to build powerful regional and national coalitions to get things done.
Aside from attracting tourists, DC is a top destination for knowledge-economy talent, jobs, and careers. It’s the dynamic hub of the vibrant mid-Atlantic DMV region, home to nearly 16 million people across the city, Maryland, and Virginia.
DC is also surrounded by some of America’s top lawmakers in Congress from Maryland and Virginia, including House members Jamie Raskin, Sarah Elfreth, Steny Hoyer, April McClain Delaney, Don Beyer, James Walkingshaw, Suhas Subramanyam, and Glenn Ivey, and Senators Chris Van Hollen, Angela Alsobrooks, Mark Warner, and Tim Kaine.
Contrary to old assumptions, the DC economy today is mainly driven by private enterprise, not by government largesse. Only 15% of federal workers live around here. The other 85% denied paychecks during the Republican government shutdown live in California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the other 50 states. But DC’s economy is so robust that it can resist Trump’s attacks on the federal government.
Power to lead
Like everyone in Congress, DC’s rep must garner its share of federal funding — bringing home the bacon for roads, bridges, investment, and jobs. They also need to protect DC’s self-governance and promote DC to the rest of the nation. They should be an effective national advocate, networker, and coalition builder with deep connections across Congress, the national business scene, the social sector, and policy leadership circles.
The power is not in the role but in the person, someone with decades of national relationships to build DC’s case across the country.
Congresswoman Norton transformed the DC seat in her day. So did her predecessor, Walter Fauntroy, the first elected when none other than President Richard Nixon signed the DC Delegate Act over the objections of segregationists. Nixon declared that DC’s lack of representation was “one of the truly unacceptable facts of American life.” It still is.
DC is the epicenter of America’s democracy that No Kings is fighting for. Washington is the proverbial canary in a coal mine — if democracy dies here, it dies everywhere. Protesters need to turn their activism into action by supporting the DC congressional candidate. And demand one who will transform the seat to fight the man who would be king.
Jeffrey Denny is a Washington writer, a former elected DC official, and a supporter of DC Delegate candidate Kinney Zalesne