Introduction
Michael Joseph "Mike" Panetta (born July 14, 1971) was the District of Columbia shadow representative, from January 2007 through January 2013.
A shadow representative is different from a delegate to Congress, an office currently held by Eleanor Holmes Norton. While the office of delegate is created by the U.S. House of Representatives, the shadow representative position was created by the D.C. government and is not recognized by Congress.
Panetta has run several high-profile campaigns for D.C. representation, including starting the District of Columbia Olympic Committee and leading efforts to rebrand RFK Stadium as "Taxation Without Representation Field". Panetta has pledged to make District of Columbia voting rights a national issue that is embraced by progressive activists across the country.
Panetta was reelected in 2008, facing no opposition in the Democratic primary and defeating D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate Joyce Robinson-Paul in the November election by 86 to 13 percent.
Election history
2010 Shadow Representative, D.C., General Election
| Mike Panetta (D) 82.35% |
| Nelson Rimensnyder (R) 9.03% |
| Joyce Robinson-Paul (Statehood-Green) 7.72% |
| Write-in 0.90% |
2010 Shadow Representative, D.C., Democratic Primary Election
| Mike Panetta (D) 55.80% |
| Nate Bennett-Flemming 41.85% |
| Write-in 2.35% |
2008 Shadow Representative, D.C., General Election
| Mike Panetta (D) 85.87% |
| Joyce Robinson-Paul (Statehood-Green) 13.16% |
| Write-in 0.97% |
2008 Shadow Representative, D.C., Democratic Primary Election
| Mike Panetta (D) 98.05% |
| Write-in 1.95% |
2006 Shadow Representative, D.C., General Election
| Mike Panetta (D) 77% |
| Keith R. Ware (Statehood-Green) 13% |
| Nelson Rimensnyder (R) 9% |
| Write-in 1% |
2006 Shadow Representative, D.C., Democratic Primary Election
| Mike Panetta (D) 47% |
| John J. Forster (D) 33% |
| James S. Bubar (D) 17% |
| Write-in 3% |