That Time Babara “Boots” Gordon Ran for Congress!

Back in 1973 DC decided that being a librarian and a crime fight wasn’t enough for Barbara Gordon. So they decided to have her run for the United States Congress. Why? It seems mostly to get replace her back-up stories in Detective. But in story it is because she is frustrated by criminals getting a revolving door in the current penal system, Babs makes two important decisions. First to tell her father that she is Batgirl and two that she wants to run for the seat in Congress he’d been tapped for:

Jim, the best dad ever, of course supports her and her plan to “boot” the rascals, the current administration out. 

And finally election day arrives! But there is some nasty voter suppression going on in Gotham but Babs team takes care of that!

Will she win? Not before having to save her boyfriend Jason Bard who has been told that Batgirl will die if he doesn’t get to the park to save her. 

But Batgirl and Bard fight off them and get back just in time … to have them attempt to kill Barbara AGAIN!

And that’s it. We never get to see her acceptance speech. We get to see Jason saving her and then Jason and her Dad waving at a plane. And that was the last of the Batgirl back-ups for awhile. And the start of the Jason Bard back-ups. 

For the next two years we see Barbara at work in Washington in a few guest appearances including a team-up with Superman. Finally, in 1975, Barbara again got a regular gig in Batman Family where we often saw her in the halls of Congress. In 1980, Barbara Gordon loses her seat in Congress but regains a back-up feature in Detective.