Washington, DC: Jamal Holtz Sworn In as Interim At-Large Councilmember

WASHINGTON, DC. Jamal Holtz was sworn in on Monday, November 9, as an interim at-large member of the D.C. Council, taking the seat Robert White gave up and becoming the council's 13th member. The ceremony took place at 1 p.m. in the Council Chamber of the John A. Wilson Building, where Council Chairman Phil Mendelson administered the oath.

A seat that opened fast

White resigned his at-large seat to protect his eligibility as the Democratic nominee for D.C. delegate to Congress. FOX 5 DC reported that White was told a law dating to the 1970s bars the delegate from holding another paid public office on election day. White is set to succeed Eleanor Holmes Norton, who has represented the District in Congress since 1991. The D.C. Democratic State Committee appointed Holtz under its emergency authority and called for his immediate swearing-in, saying the move protected the party's rights under Home Rule. The party noted that the appointment is on a limited basis.

Holtz is a fourth-generation Washingtonian who grew up in Ward 8, went to high school in Ward 7 and now lives in Ward 6, FOX 5 DC reported. He has led the D.C. Young Democrats for four years. At 28, he is the first member of Generation Z to sit on the council. "It wouldn't matter if I served for only one day, but the opportunity to represent the people of the District of Columbia will remain one of the greatest honors of my lifetime," Holtz said.

A short stay, by design

Holtz may not hold the seat for long, and he says that is fine. City Cast DC reported that the Democratic Party is taking applications for a longer-term interim appointment and that Holtz does not plan to apply. The Washington Sun reported that he also does not plan to run in the special election. The Board of Elections voted on Monday to set that special election for April 6, and Holtz will hold the seat until then unless the party's process seats a longer-term interim member first.

The appointment also settled a fight over party balance on the council. At-large Councilmember Christina Henderson had switched her registration back to Democrat after White resigned, a move that ran into the Home Rule Charter limit of three at-large seats for the majority party. After Holtz was seated, Henderson re-registered as an Independent. For residents, the practical point is that the council is back at full strength while the city waits for voters to pick the seat's next holder on April 6.