By: Davis Kennedy
There’s a strong chance District residents will witness a shift in D.C. political representation following November’s general election.
Non-voting delegate from D.C.
Long-time Congressional Democrat Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton will run against Independent John Cheeks, Libertarian Bruce Majors, and Statehood Green Natale Stracuzzi.
The winner will have the right to vote in House of Representative committees, but not in the House as a whole without the House’s permission. “I’ll use my seniority to deliver results on committees of special interest to D.C. and to secure a House vote on statehood,” Norton said.
Furthermore, Bruce Majors said if elected he would like to see Congress overturn the D.C. City Council’s decision to invalidate the initiative D.C.’s voters passed in 1996 to impose term limits on D.C. officeholders.
Stracuzzi said the country’s major economic priority should be employment rather than simply eliminating inequality. Cheeks said his most important issue is improving the means for new wealth creation and wealth protection for both people and businesses.
Mayor of D.C.
Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, will run against Independent Dustin Canter, Libertarian Martin Moulton, and Statehood Green’s Ann Wilcox. Bowser is particularly proud of the substantial decline in the homeless population since she became mayor as well as the improvement in the fiscal situation.
Wilcox said her major issues are gentrification, the displacement of longtime residents, and the lack of affordable housing. Canter’s major issue is to “build the biggest school in the world to be paid for by Uncle Sam at the RFK stadium site.”
Moulton wrote public schools are “mired in myriad scandals [and must] serve … parents and their children with educational options worthy of the … Nation’s Capital, not … the worst and most unsafe schools in the country.”
At-large City Council
Furthermore, in the two at-large City Council elections, Democratic incumbent Anita Bonds, and Independent incumbent Elissa Silverman, are running against Independent S. Kathryn Allen, Republican Ralph Chittams, Sr., Libertarian Denise Hicks, Statehood Green David Schwartzman and Independents Rustin Lewis and Dionne Reeder.
Bonds said her goal is to insure residents who require the most help are accounted for and those who make contributions are rewarded. Silverman said her goal is to make the District more equitable. Allen said she wants to be a bridge-builder who seeks thoughtful and economically sound solutions for residents.
Moreover, Chittams said his major concern is the achievement gap between African-American and Caucasians in education. Reeder said her most important issue is putting career and information technology training back in high schools. Schwartzman said his major goal is to eliminate child poverty and homelessness in the District.
According to Rustin Lewis’ website, his major issues are equity in housing and education. Hicks did not respond to repeated contact attempts. The Current could not find a website for him.
Ward 1
Ward 1 incumbent City Council member Brianne Nadeau, a Democrat, is running against Jamie Sycamore. Both Nadeau and Sycamore said they share a concern for the shortage of affordable housing.
Ward 3
Furthermore, Ward 3 incumbent City Council member Mary Cheh, a Democrat, is running against Petar Dimtchev, an Independent. Dimtchev said he would work full-time for the Council. He will emphasize improving the ward’s “deteriorating infrastructure.”
Cheh is also a constitutional law professor at George Washington University Law School. She said she would “continue to direct funding and advocate for improving our Ward 3 infrastructure and services as [she has] … with modernizing schools, libraries and rec centers.”
Attorney General of D.C.
Democratic incumbent Karl Racine, is running against Libertarian Joe Henchman for his Attorney General position. Henchman said his major issue is that the attorney general’s office should focus more on D.C.’s widespread issues. Racine “will continue the fight to protect the District and its residents from harmful policies that threaten our rights and our way of life.”
D.C. Board of Education representative from Ward 3
Ruth Wattenberg,Ward 3’s member of the State Board of Education, is running against Dora Currea. Currea said her single most important issue is ensuring our students are globally competitive. Wattenburg said her major issue is addressing the overcrowding and underfunding of schools, particularly in Ward 3 as well as the test-driven curriculum.
Shadow Congresspeople of D.C.
Moreover, Michael Brown, the District’s shadow senator, will run against the Statehood Green Party’s Eleanor Ory.
Democrat Franklin Garcia is the incumbent Shadow U.S. Representative. Historically, shadow senators and representatives were elected or appointed by territories that later became states. Voters have a choice for a Shadow Representative. They can check a box for a candidate or write the name of someone who wants to solve this problem by 2020.
They are not recognized by either the U.S. Senate or the House of Representatives, since neither the shadow senator nor the shadow representative can vote on issues even in committees.
Lastly, Phil Mendelson is the only name on the ballot for Chair of the City Council.
