Eleanor Holmes Norton

Overview

Eleanor Holmes Norton serves as the Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from the District of Columbia. As a delegate rather than a full voting member, she holds limited voting rights on the House floor — she can vote in committees and in the Committee of the Whole (a procedural stage of debate), but her vote does not count on final passage of legislation. This unique role is important context for understanding her relatively small number of recorded votes (19 total). Her voting record, though limited in volume, aligns with her progressive ideology score. The available votes span several decades of service and cover procedural motions, appropriations measures, and agriculture-related funding. In the most recent session, her recorded votes are predominantly 'Nay' votes, which is consistent with a member of the minority party opposing majority-led measures. Norton has long been an advocate for DC statehood and expanded representation for District residents. While the voting data provided does not capture the full scope of her legislative work — much of which occurs through committee participation, bill sponsorship, and advocacy — her ideology score and available votes indicate a firmly progressive approach to governance.

Key Positions

• •Her NOMINATE score of -0.491 places her among the more progressive members of the House Democratic caucus, to the left of the party average of -0.38.
• •As DC's non-voting delegate, she can participate in committee votes and votes in the Committee of the Whole but cannot cast votes on final passage of legislation, which accounts for her limited floor voting record.
• •In recent 2026 floor votes, she voted 'Nay' on the majority of measures brought forward, consistent with a minority-party member opposing the majority's legislative agenda.
• •She voted 'Yea' on a 2007 agriculture appropriations procedural vote to sustain the ruling of the chair, supporting orderly legislative process on funding for agriculture and food safety programs.
• •On a 1993 budget motion related to Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations, she voted 'Yea' — one of her earliest recorded floor votes in the dataset.