A June 26 vote in the House was the first in either chamber of Congress to endorse statehood for the District of Columbia, and the first vote on the issue since 1993. The current effort ends there, as Republican opposition in the Senate assures defeat.
Democrats in 1993 were much less supportive of the idea, with 105 House members voting against it. Now they embrace it as popular with their supporters and as a chance to gain two new seats in the Senate and one in the House, given the partisan leanings of most D.C. residents. In Presidential elections since 2000 the Democrat has averaged 89% of the vote.
That tilt underpins Republican opposition. Joe Biden has said he would sign a bill to make D.C. a state if elected. For that to happen, Democrats would have to hold the House, win control of the Senate and figure out how to deal with an expected filibuster.