DC's shadow representative not seeking reelection

Oye Owolewa, the District of Columbia’s shadow representative, will not seek reelection in 2026 after five years in office.

“I’m incredibly proud of our work since assuming this office. Ever since you first elected me in 2020, I took it upon myself to raise the bar. Together, we did just that!” Owolewa, a Democrat, said in a statement.

“And most importantly, we continue to fight back against Donald Trump’s continued oppression on us DC residents. With that said, it’s time to pass the baton to the next generation of leaders,” he continued. 

Owolewa is a shadow representative, meaning he has no voting power, but he is tasked with lobbying for Washington, D.C., statehood. In 2024, he was reelected with 90.7 percent of the votes. Congress does not recognize his role.

Calls for D.C. statehood have surged as President Trump’s federalization of the Metropolitan Police Department and deployment of National Guardsmen to the nation’s capital has sparked backlash from residents.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D), earlier this month, reupped her long-standing call for the District to be recognized as a state.

“It’s times like this when America needs to know why your nation’s capital — a place where 700,000 taxpaying Americans live — should be the 51st state,” Bowser told “The Breakfast Club” on Aug. 12, referring to Trump’s D.C. crime crackdown.

The outgoing representative spoke to The Hill’s “Sunrise on The Hill” on Friday, echoing other Democrats’ concerns about federal law enforcements’ presence in the nation’s capital.

“One of the reasons why we don’t want to see National Guards on the street, especially those that come from out of town, is because they don’t have that cultural competency of our community,” he said.

Owolewa also raised questions about crime spiking after the National Guard leaves if there is no long-term investment in the community.

“If we don’t address root causes and really have wrap-around services for those who need it the most, we won’t have those long-lasting benefits to support D.C.,” he continued.

In his statement announcing his decision to not seek reelection, Owolewa highlighted some of his accomplishments in Congress, such as providing free legal services to Washingtonians, helping local businesses and providing D.C. children easier access to science.