'Early stages of dementia': Police report on 88-year-old House Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton

Top Democrats in Washington remain mum on the situation of the sitting D.C. delegate to Congress, the embattled Eleanor Holmes Norton, who is running for reelection and will be 89 at the time of voting next year.

The longtime legislator—in office since the George H. W. Bush administration—was scammed out of thousands of dollars by fake house cleaners earlier this month and was described by police as being in the “early stages of dementia.”

Norton, the oldest member of the House of Representatives, was also indicated to be living with a longtime congressional aide, Jaqueline Pelt, who is believed to be serving as her caretaker and power of attorney.

The incident has received relatively little attention on the hill, where a government shutdown has been in effect since Oct. 1. Asked on Tuesday whether he believes Norton should retire, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries demurred.

“Obviously she's had a legendary career,” he told journalists during a news conference.

“Ultimately, it's going to be her decision and the people of the District of Columbia to make that decision as to who is best positioned to represent their interests moving forward."

A chorus of Democrats outside of Congress have called on Norton to step down from her role next year, when she will be one of the oldest members of Congress. Among such critics are her former campaign manager Donna Brazile and several members of the D.C. Council.

Robert White Jr., a Black Catholic who serves as an at-large councilmember, is among eight candidates who have filed for the Democratic Party primary, which will take place next June—a few days after Norton’s 89th birthday.

Following news of Norton’s victimization by scammers this month, White did not mention the sitting delegate’s apparent signs of dementia, nor did he connect the incident to the ongoing congressional race, which sees Norton seeking her 19th term in office.

“As her former staffer and someone who studied and learned alongside Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton,” he said, “I am deeply upset about her being defrauded by cruel people claiming to be performing work in her home.”

White, 43, formerly served as legislative counsel to Norton early in his law career, and has served on the D.C. Council since 2016. He announced his campaign for the non-voting delegate seat in September and has positioned himself as a youthful voice amid a perceived climate of gerontocracy among Democrats and increasing federal encroachment on the district.

Norton is among several in the party who have clung to power in recent years despite signs of physical and cognitive decline. The congresswoman required assistance to walk during public events earlier this year, has rarely spoken on the House floor in 2025, and anonymous colleagues have said she struggles to recognize people she has known for years.

Concerning the police report explicitly noting signs of dementia, Norton’s office says the officer was unqualified to make a diagnosis.

At a rally this month, White—who has not commented directly on Norton’s health—appeared to make the latest of several thinly veiled references to her current fitness for office.

“Why are we sitting in positions of power if we are not going to use that power to help our people?” he said at an event this month in Washington.

“We need people in office who are going to put their necks on the line, because our necks are on the line.”

Nate Tinner-Williams is co-founder and editor of Black Catholic Messenger.

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