23 minute read
Capture the Moment
KATHY HENDERSON
Why are you running for the D.C. Council? I am running for the Ward 5 Council seat because I have an actual record of improving the paradigm for my community, making it safer, stronger, more livable and valuable. I advocated for and delivered new sidewalks, streetlights, paved alleys, traffic signals, speed humps and trees. I fought illegal dumping, drug and gun trafficking and was featured in People and Essence magazines and won numerous awards for my work.rs.
Are you in favor of or against term limits for committee chairmanships? Please explain. If in favor of term
limits, how many terms are sufficient? I believe the Council Chairman should respond immediately when there are complaints regarding councilmembers serving as committee chairpersons. There are unresolved complaints regarding the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety chairman and he should be removed. Changing committee chairmanships during the beginning of each Council period is a good idea to improve performance. What bill(s), if any, will you introduce within your first 100 days? I plan to assess every Ward 5 community within my first 100 days in office to address infrastructure issues such as the need for new sidewalks, pothole repair, streetlight repairs, speed humps and similar quality of life improvements. I will convene community meetings to hear from residents regarding their concerns before I introduce any legislation.
What do you consider to be the most important issues confronting your constituents?
The most important issue facing Ward 5 is crime and the need to immediately improve public safety. You cannot credibly address the need for viable economic development throughout the Ward, including school and affordable housing im-
ZACHARY PARKER
Why are you running for the D.C. Council? I’m running to change systems that fail working families like mine. My oldest brother struggled with an unsupportive school system while my middle brother went through a long battle with kidney failure and a health system that treated him like a problem, not a human being. We must emerge from the pandemic without repeating cycles of violence, trauma, displacement, and corruption. My campaign is a movement to build healthy communities where the government meets the needs of our neighbors.
Are you in favor of or against term limits for committee chairmanships? Please explain. If in favor of
term limits, how many terms are sufficient? I am open to term limits, which can promote new energy and leadership in our politics. I would support term limits that would restrict a Councilmember to serving no more than two consecutive 4-year terms and no more than 4 terms total. I believe this system will promote mentorship between older and younger public servants. And I think Committee chairmanships should rotate and be more democratic, so that the Council Chair does not have all the power to appoint and decide these critical roles. What bill(s), if any, will you introduce within your first 100 days? Healthy Communities Act - assess each neighborhood’s access to groceries and restaurants, requiring investments to achieve balance A Safer DC Act - Create a comprehensive public-health crisis team through 911, with mental health, trauma, and addiction support services Reclaim Rent Control Act - Expand rent control to buildings built after 1975, including 4-unit buildings to manage skyrocketing rent costs Black Homeownership Act - Expand HPAP and tax benefits for longtime residents to buy homes What do you consider to be the most important issues confronting your constituents? 1) Stopping cycles provements until you address public safety. Safety is the basic foundation of our aspirations for the Ward and our city. Many residents are working multiple jobs to make ends meet and there is an urgent need to improve employment outcomes. Health disparities, illiteracy and general inequalities continue to undermine the quality of life for many Ward 5 residents. What have you done for your ward/across the District, either as an incumbent or challenger? I have served as a ten-term, effective, award-winning advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 5. I have advocated relentlessly and delivered safety and infrastructure improvements, making my community more valuable and sought after. Again, I am responsible for facilitating the installation of new sidewalks, paved alleys, trees, streetlights, traffic signals and resolving nuisance housing, abandoned autos and dumping issues. I facilitated the court-ordered installation of the dental suite at the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services and served as a member of the DC Historic Preservation Review Board.
How will you close economic gaps in your ward/across the District? I will communicate with all Ward 5 residents regarding available resources that will improve quality of life. I will establish a public/private partnership to improve literacy for our children and adults. Mastering literacy provides residents with an essential tool to gainful employment. I will also provide vigorous Council oversight for District agencies, including the DC Office of Human Rights to ensure my constituents have equal access to resources and opportunities. I will level the playing field for Ward 5 reside
As a council member, how will you improve the quality of education in neighborhood schools based in your
ward? I will regularly visit all Ward 5 schools and monitor performance, including reviewing attendance records and regularly meet with Ward 5 parents to improve engagement. I will ensure that I am present for Council hearings to provide vigorous Council oversight and I will take corrective action when necessary. What steps will you take to ensure more of your constituents can access affordable housing? First, the city has to actually facilitate the production of additional affordable housing. I will review the District Opportunity to Purchase Act (DOPA) to expand affordable housing opportunities, always support full funding for the Housing Production Trust Fund and review inclusionary zoning provisions to expand affordable housing. I will vociferously advocate for Ward 5 residents. WI
of violence and trauma. We all deserve safe and clean communities that meet people’s needs by addressing the root causes of violence through trauma-informed community work and holding those who commit violence accountable. 2) Generations of Washingtonians have been displaced from this city, including members of my family. We must expand homeownership programs as well as permanently affordable housing models (such as land trusts and social housing) to build generational wealth. What have you done for your ward/across the District, either as an incumbent or challenger? As the Ward 5 representative and president of the State Board of Education, I fought to increase funding for Ward 5 schools and secure funding to rehab Spingarn Highschool and the old Crummell School. I distributed care packages to seniors during the pandemic, I organized neighbors to help 3,000 residents get vaccinated, and I helped sign up over 100 seniors for STAY DC to keep them in their homes. I also joined neighbors in successfully blocking Ward 5 from losing land in redistricting. How will you close economic gaps in your ward/across the District? Equitable investments in community and generational wealth. I will work to increase access to good-paying jobs, invest in co-op businesses, and ensure Black and brown homeowners are protected. I will prioritize communities that lack core amenities: grocery stores, good schools, affordable housing, and local businesses. I will also push to reform grant-making for Black-, Native-, and women-owned small businesses and enforce hiring requirements for government contractors.
As a council member, how will you improve the quality of education in neighborhood schools based in
your ward? I’ve delivered for Ward 5 as President of our school board, and as a Councilmember I will make sure Ward 5’s school needs are met. DC’s system of school choice must start with a great neighborhood school. Therefore, I will work to strengthen our neighborhood schools by expanding trade and apprentice programs in middle and high schools, focusing on literacy instruction, expanding school-based mental health, and offering a well-rounded curriculum and low-barrier after-school options. What steps will you take to ensure more of your constituents can access affordable housing? We must expand targeted affordable housing for our seniors, low-income neighbors, and LGBTQ+ youth. We must expand the HPAP program to increase opportunities for home ownership. I would also prioritize expanding investments in housing vouchers, ensuring the DC Housing Authority maintains clean and safe properties. I will also work to expand successful models of community ownership that provide permanently affordable housing, like community land trusts, social housing, and limited equity co-ops. WI
NATE DERENGE
Ward 8 • Chair of Council • Republican Age: 33 • Supply Chain Analyst www.nateforchair.com
Why are you running for the D.C. Council? Taxes are too high for me. The catch-andrelease for violent Dog Nappers and car jackers needs to stop. the Council needs to show more oversight on local agencies to cut the fraud, waste, and abuse.
Are you in favor of or against term limits for committee chairmanships? Please explain. If in favor of term
limits, how many terms are sufficient? Yes. Mix it up. 1 term is sufficient. What bill(s), if any, will you introduce within your first 100 days? Outlawing abortions after the first 31 weeks. Ending the requirement for barbering and other over-regulated professions. Ending the operation of the H St. Trolley Car. What do you consider to be the most important issues confronting your constituents? Public Safety What have you done for your ward/across the District, either as an incumbent or challenger? I own a home and take care of it. I own a condo and provide housing for 3 young professionals. I have a job and pay thousands in taxes. I pick up trash on occasion. I volunteer at my church regularly and at local organizations when asked. How will you close economic gaps in your ward/across the District? Lower taxes and eliminate regulations that present obstacles to job creators.
As a council member, how will you improve the quality of education in neighborhood schools based in
your ward? The responsibility of a child's education is with the parents. The government oversight responsibilities lie with the school board and superintendent. What steps will you take to ensure more of your constituents can access affordable housing? Decrease subsidized housing to free up the supply of market-rate housing to increase the quality and safety of our communities. WI
D.C. ATTORNEY GENERAL CANDIDATES
BRIAN SCHWALB
How will you balance your obligation to the D.C. government and District
residents in times when their interests are not aligned? I will exercise the judgment and discretion developed over nearly 30 years of my diverse and active law practice to advise and defend the city while executing my commitment to protecting the public interest. By providing sound, constructive, practical legal advice to the executive branch, and by being an independent AG that simultaneously holds the executive branch accountable, I will lead OAG to maximize the effectiveness of the District’s agencies in serving the needs of Washingtonians. As attorney general, what priority will you give consumer rights protections? I will aggressively enforce our consumer protection, false claims & anti-discrimination laws. In addition to collaborating with other State AGs to address nationwide unfair and deceptive practices that harm DC residents, OAG will prioritize enforcement against actors that: (i) mislead homeowners (often seniors) into selling their homes below fair market value (ii) engage in predatory/ discriminatory lending and price gouging & (iii) induce residents desperate to own a home into buying “lemons.” What changes will you seek in the realm of tenants' rights and how will you tackle that issue? I will ensure that OAG (i) holds accountable slumlords who engage in illegal constructive eviction (ii) enforces laws that require landlords to provide safe, habitable housing & (iii) pursues landlords/property managers who discriminate against tenants/potential tenants, including those who receive vouchers or other assistance. I will also ensure that (i) developers comply with contractual commitments to provide affordable housing & (ii) avoid displacement of existing tenants.
What’s your position on a woman’s right to choose? I will use every statutory, constitutional, regulatory, common law and political argument available to ensure that a woman’s right to choose remains legal, safe and accessible in our city. Abortion care is a critical part of reproductive healthcare, and attacks on a woman’s bodily autonomy signal a dangerous erosion of other privacy rights. I will fight to ensure that DC remains a place that cares for patients who reside here and travel here in search of safe reproductive healthcare.
What’s your assessment of the penalties given to violent offenders? The DC OAG prosecutes only crimes committed by youth. I believe that (i) rehabilitation of youth makes our city safer because it reduces recidivism & (ii) repeat violent offenders must be held accountable. My OAG will evaluate relevant facts, examine applicable recidivism rates, and if commitment is appropriate, ensure that the DYRS meets each child’s needs. I will direct resources to address root causes/interrupt cycles of violence and deploy appropriate diversion/restorative justice programs. What do you hope to accomplish in your first 100 days and how will you do so? My first priorities will be to: (i) retain/recruit the expert team of lawyers and legal professionals who carry out the vital work of the OAG, & (ii) establish a constructive working relationship with the Mayor/District agencies. Other priorities include protecting workers from wage theft, residents from slumlords, seniors from financial exploitation, the environment from pollution, borrowers from predatory lenders, and consumers from scammers. WI
BRUCE SPIVA
How will you balance your obligation to the D.C. government and Dis-
trict residents in times when their interests are not aligned? The AG is the lawyer for the DC government and the people of DC. By creating an independent elected AG position, the Council and District voters ensured that OAG can protect the public interest first and foremost, even when carrying out its statutory duty to defend District agencies and officials. In those instances when the Administration is failing to comply with the law, the AG must do everything in his power to ensure that the Administration is acting lawfully and in the public interest. As attorney general, what priority will you give consumer rights protections? Consumer rights protections will be one of my top priorities. I founded and managed my own law firm where I represented consumers harmed by unfair, fraudulent, or anticompetitive practices. Being a plaintiffs’ consumer lawyer is part of my DNA. As AG, I will vigorously pursue companies that harm District residents and will go after abusive debt collectors, protect residents from unscrupulous businesses, crack down on elder financial abuse, and enforce our antitrust laws.
What changes will you seek in the realm of tenants' rights and how will you tackle that issue?
As Attorney General, I will be a champion for tenants’ rights. I will go after slumlords who force tenants to live in unsafe, unhealthy conditions and bad actors who cheat tenants out of their rights under DC law. I will enforce developers’ promises to build affordable housing units and newly-enacted rights for tenants in the eviction and application process. Finally, I will partner with tenants and community-based organizations to find and pursue remedies against bad actors. What’s your position on a woman’s right to choose? I strongly support a woman's constitutional right to choose. If the leaked decision becomes finalized, the DC Attorney General may well have a leadership role in protecting the reproductive rights of DC residents. I will not hesitate to use all the powers of my office, as well as the nationwide bully pulpit the office affords, both to protect the rights of DC residents, as well as those who come here to obtain a safe, legal abortion. What’s your assessment of the penalties given to violent offenders? I believe that violent offenders should be held accountable, that violent offenders should be off the streets. I also believe we need to go after ghost guns and gun manufacturers to the fullest extent allowed by law. That said, with respect to juvenile justice, we must never forget that these are our children. In discussions of crime, commentators too often suggest a choice between reforming the system and public safety. It’s simply not true. Reforming the system will increase public safety. What do you hope to accomplish in your first 100 days and how will you do so? I will focus on listening to, supporting and recruiting the professionals who staff the OAG. My experience over three decades is that you are only as good as your team. In order to accomplish my policy priorities, we must recruit and retain as many qualified, diverse, and motivated public interest professionals as possible. My biggest substantive priorities are housing justice, public safety and criminal justice reform, workers’ rights and consumer protection, and child support. WI
RYAN JONES
How will you balance your obligation to the D.C. government and District
residents in times when their interests are not aligned? If we must advise (and even find funding for) residents to obtain outside counsel during preliminary disputes or the District Government based on considerations of conflicts of interest and cost benefit analysis, then the parties can enter into negotiations or other conflict resolutions. As attorney general, what priority will you give consumer rights protections? I believe consumer rights is an essential part of the job and office, and I will continue to prioritize it, along with the agenda items I have identified.
What changes will you seek in the realm of tenants' rights and how will you tackle that issue?
This is an access to justice issue. Tenants need lawyers. We must fund resources for Tenants to have access to counsel when their rights are on the line. Moreover, we must pass legislation that meet the needs of many DC tenants. What’s your position on a woman’s right to choose? It must be a woman's right to choose. And Attorneys General and legislators must use the courts and legislative bodies to reach that end. What’s your assessment of the penalties given to violent offenders? I believe punishment must be commensurate with the crime and harm done. We must specifically deter and generally deter residents from engaging in such conduct in the future by being exacting and appropriate with the punishment to balance relief for the offender and the harm caused to the victim.
What do you hope to accomplish in your first 100 days and how will you do so? I would like to establish: 1) A taskforce to revise the DC Code 2) An Expungement Clinic 3) An Estate Planning Clinic 4) Have a Cybersecurity Department 5) Build out a team with a vision to execute the goals of government and public advocacy to have the District become the blueprint for using the law to keep residents safe and empowered. WI
D.C. HOUSE DELEGATE CANDIDATES
Total number of Candidates: 4
Rev. Wendy Hamilton [info@revwendyforcongress.com] Kelly Mikel Williams [ikellymikelfordc@gmail.com] Nelson Rimensnyder [i lmnicker@gmail.com] Eleanor Norton [icitizenstoelectnorton@gmail.com]
REV. WENDY HAMILTON
Why do you want to represent District residents in Congress? I’m running for Congress/ DC Delegate to represent the broad voices and diverse interests of residents across all 8 wards of our great city. I want to bring tangible solutions for our residents that will help us move beyond the status quo in our city to a new chapter that includes DC Statehood, UBI and so much more. It’s time for a representative who has the future of DC in mind and the policy platform to get us there. What do you hope to accomplish in the first 100 days of the next Congress? What can be done in the next Congress during the first 100 days will depend on the balance of power at that time. If the Democrats pick up Senate seats that would change the entire dynamic on the Hill. With an increased Democratic majority we might finally be able to get DC Statehood passed , voting rights legislation and other significant bills. I would begin working on Day 1 in the House to move DC Statehood (H.R. 51) through the chamber and secure the support needed to get it passed What will you do to ensure the funds from the president’s infrastructure bill come to the District? I would reiterate the importance of DC's funding priorities being distributed in the manner in which they were identified and work in conjunction with the Mayor's Office to deliver them. I would adamantly push back on any resistance from the GOP that would seek to see the amounts reduced or intended recipients changed. It is unfortunate that we have to be subject to this type of partisan meddling in our affairs. It makes the case for Statehood stronger. What steps will you take to close the education gap in D.C.? As a current DCPS employee I get the opportunity first hand to see the impacts of the education gap amongst our students. Their are immediate interventions needed to bring our black and brown students up to par. In Congress, I would support measures to provide investments in enhanced broadband access, increase funding for tutors/mentors and after school programming, vouchers for families to receive reduced tuition for educational based support programs and reinstate vocational education. How will you tackle gun violence in the District and concerns about police accountability? From a Federal standpoint I would support bills like the George Floyd Policing Act (H.R. 1280) which seeks to establish standards for police accountability across the country including limiting qualified immunity as a defense in brutality cases. Additionally I would support all measures to ban assault rifles (AR-15's) and get them off our streets. There are too many guns (and ghost guns) making their way into the hands of DC youth/young adults. We have to cut this plague off at the root.
What is your greatest accomplishment in the last five years that has benefited D.C.? How has it helped D.C.?
My work as an Attendance/Truancy Counselor with DC students/ families to help them overcome their obstacles to educational progress has been the most gratifying work I've accomplished in the last five years toward making DC stronger. I've worked to connect families with educational resources, legal services , food and shelter options, and financial assistance. I've testified on behalf of students and their families who were facing separation as well as provided emotional and spiritual support. How will you tackle gun violence in the District? As mentioned above, I believe gun violence is tied to a number of issues including the proliferation of and access to guns on our streets, lack of employment opportunities, poverty and economic instability. Let's fund more recreation centers, activities and programs for young people to attend, Let's support our violence interrupters and agencies on the ground working everyday on the front lines to reduce gun violence. Let's provide families with more trauma informed support resources.
How will you advance the statehood agenda in a Republican-controlled Congress? * I would approach it with the same vigor I would in a Democratic Congress, because I don't believe Statehood is or should be a partisan issue. DC Statehood is a human rights issue, a voting rights issue and most importantly a racial justice issue. I'd secure the sponsors necessary to get it passed through the House, and I'd work to cultivate relationships with reasonable Republicans who could assist in making the case for Statehood to their Senate colleagues. . WI
KELLY WILLIAMS
Why do you want to represent District residents in Congress? Because African-Americans are being pushed, shoved & priced out of DC, we must have someone in Congress with a new vision and energy to fight for the issues impacting our daily lives like housing, jobs, education, healthcare & crime. I’ve worked at every level of government I know how to get the job done. I’ve lived on the streets; dealt with trauma & I’ve overcome. I’m the best person to address the issues of today and those coming tomorrow. What do you hope to accomplish in the first 100 days of the next Congress? I will get additional funding for homelessness. I will introduce legislation to give our AG the powers of the U.S. Attorney, allowing him to manage all crimes committed in DC. I will also bring probation under his authority in conjunction with DOC. I will expand funding to UDC for workforce development. I will reintroduce the bill for DC Statehood. Lastly, I will introduce a bill removing the 3/5 clause from the constitution and making African-Americans whole and complete citizens.
What will you do to ensure the funds from the president’s infrastructure bill come to the Dis-
trict? To ensure our federal dollars aren’t repurposed I will fiercely advocate for the dollars that were allocated to the District. I will work with the Speaker and President to ensure there’s no deviation from the bill. If there is talk of the District losing any dollars, I will reach out to members with similar infrastructure needs and get their support for our funds. We will work with all members to safeguard and secure that our dollars are not repurposed for other jurisdictions or programs. What steps will you take to close the education gap in D.C.? DC spends the most on early childhood education. We do a great job starting but a poor job finishing. Many students drop out before they begin high school. I will seek to ensure our schools receive their full funding. I will establish more community centers with tutoring/educational programs. I will work with community groups to give every low-income student a laptop and broadband access to enable them to be able to continue to do coursework even when they arrive home. How will you tackle gun violence in the District and concerns about police accountability? I want the 32 police agencies in DC to work together as one unit & patrol the city & clean up our streets by confiscating guns & reducing crime. This will create a deterrent when traffic stops patrols in neighborhoods & arrests are made by unfamiliar agencies. I will fund CCTVs across the city to help apprehend those committing gun violence. Police will face severe penalties for not having their body cameras on or failing to report any misconduct by a fellow officer.
What is your greatest accomplishment in the last five years that has benefited D.C.? How has it helped D.C.?
My greatest accomplishment was seeing my son survive our time of homelessness, complete his primary education with straight-A’s from 1st to 12th grades & graduate from Eastern w/4.6gpa, & get accepted by 12 D1 Universities. Additionally, I was instrumental in: •Helping bring awareness for the $15min wage to become law •Getting CBE/SBE access to 50% of DC Govt $1B contracts •DC G.E.D Graduates receive their HS Diploma Each of these accomplishments has impacted the incomes of District residents. How will you tackle gun violence in the District? We must have an all-hands-on-deck approach to address gun violence. In the immediate, use buy-back programs & apprehension of gun offenders. I will provide life skills & vocational training in schools to prevent gun violence before it ever starts. We must attack the root issues that motivate someone to use a gun & commit a violent act. & offer mental health services for everyone to treat trauma & provide conflict resolution instead of violence. We must stop putting band-aids on wounds.
How will you advance the statehood agenda in a Republican-controlled Congress? * The truth is Democrats are blocking DC Statehood & 54% of Americans believe DC should be a state. We’ll produce a documentary like a state tourism video to promote statehood across the country, outlining the unconstitutionality of taxation without representation & its economic impact on Americans. I believe that by educating the nation on the economic & constitutionality we can get voters to lobby their state legislatures to support a constitutional amendment to give DC statehood. WI
