Election Eligibility: D.C. Council Member White Steps Down Monday

Robert White, the Democratic nominee for the District's congressional seat, will leave his D.C. Council position on Monday. His office announced the timing Thursday, scheduling remarks outside the John A. Wilson Building at 5 p.m. to discuss his tenure on the Council.

The move responds to guidance from the D.C. attorney general issued earlier this week. The office told White he must vacate his Council seat before Election Day to qualify for the ballot, a requirement City Cast DC first reported. The attorney general's opinion cited a 1970 statute governing qualifications for the office, which states a candidate cannot hold another paid public office on the date of election. White said he learned of this qualification requirement around the time he filed to run.

White has publicly disputed the attorney general's reading of the statute. "There's still some open legal questions," White told reporters Wednesday. "If we can get a clear enough read by then and there are options, we'll take those options. If not, I will have to resign. But I don't agree with the reading .. I didn't expect this interpretation from the attorney general. We continue to have a disagreement." He added that he had spoken with lawyers who read the law as he does.

White's departure from the Council precedes Election Day on Tuesday, which falls the day after his scheduled resignation.