D.C.’s shadow representative, Oye Owolewa, announced Friday he would not seek reelection for the role in 2026.
After five years in the posting, which were mostly spent petitioning Congress to reconsider statehood for the District, Owolewa said in a release it was “one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever had to make.”
“Together, we’ve been featured in dozens of platforms discussing D.C. Statehood worldwide,” he wrote. “And most importantly, we continue to fight back against Donald Trump’s continued oppression on us D.C. residents. With that said, it’s time to pass the baton to the next generation of leaders.”
“Being in office should be an opportunity, not a career. I’m excited for our next chapter because D.C.’s future is bright,” he added.
Shadow representatives and senators, for territories like D.C. and Puerto Rico, are elected officials that lack congressional voting powers and are not part of either chamber of Congress. Owolewa’s position is unpaid and was voted on by D.C. residents.
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Before he served as the city’s shadow representative, Owolewa was a pharmacist and later an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for D.C.’s Ward 8.
The election for the position is set for Nov. 5 of next year.
