How do 2020 Ward 8 DC Council candidates measure up on issues of housing, development, and safety?
Five of the 10 candidates competing for the Ward 8 DC councilmember seat in which Trayon White is currently the incumbent. Photos courtesy of candidate's campaigns.
Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White faces even more challengers than neighboring Ward 7 Councilmember Vince Gray. There are 10 candidates on the ballot in Ward 8, which will likely benefit White by splitting the field all over the place. That said, a dynamic Ward 8 primary could push all candidates to more clearly articulate their stances on housing, economic development, and transportation.
How we’re endorsing primary candidates
As part of GGWash’s endorsements for the 2020 DC Council elections, we’re introducing candidates in the June 2 Democratic primary. This includes contested races in Ward 4, Ward 7, Ward 8, and for the Democratic at-large seat currently held by Robert White.
We’ll deliver endorsements later this spring. As with our Ward 2 endorsement, we’ll be circulating questionnaires to see where the candidates stand on housing, transportation, and land use. (We’d also love to co-host forums in any or all of these races. If your organization is considering a forum and would like to partner, email abaca@ggwash.org.)
And, as always, our endorsements will rest on who we think is most likely to best represent our interests, which include frequent, reliable transportation; accessible, affordable housing; and the land-use policies needed to support and expand both.
A word on methodology: We emailed the address on file with the Board of Elections of each candidate who has filed to run in the Democratic primary in the Ward 4, Ward 7, Ward 8, and at-large race, asking for a two- to three-sentence bio, links to relevant social media, and a headshot; candidates had a week and a half to respond. (Keith Ivey’s excellent DC Geekery makes it easy to see who’s running for what.) We’ve noted the source of content for each candidate: If a campaign responded to us, we’ve reprinted the text here. If they didn’t, we’ve cobbled together what we can find based on a candidate’s websites and cursory Googling. If they neither responded to us nor have a clear online presence, we have nothing to share!
Today, meet the candidates in the at-large Democratic primary. (Note that we’re using “at-large Democratic primary” to distinguish between Democratic at-large candidates in the June 2 primary and the non-Democratic race, which is decided in the November general election. We’ll be endorsing for the latter in late summer.)
Meet the candidates
Anderson wrote us, “My name is Stuart Anderson, a native Washingtonian. I am a father, a son, a grandfather, and a returning citizen. In 1995, I graduated from the University of the District of Columbia with an associate degree in legal assistance. In 1996, I received a BA in business management. Nothing is more important to me than family and the health of our children. As a returning citizen, I have advanced and championed many causes that seek to strengthen families. Most noteworthy, is my work bringing services to the children of the incarcerated and at risk youth. It is my hope that by providing children with the tools to succeed, together we can reduce and eventually eliminate intergenerational incarceration.”
He added, “As council member I plan to: Increase food access for food justice; Fight for a hospital with trauma 2 services to provide for the health care needs of the community; Fight for a living wage and career training opportunities to increase employment retention; and Push for adjustments on how DC manages the area medium income for housing.”
Anderson is using fair elections financing and, per DC Geekery, has 167 contributions totaling $72,061 dollars.
Austin’s campaign wrote us, “Mike Austin is a fourth-generation Washingtonian, attorney, community servant, and the ANC 8C Chair representing Congress Heights in Ward 8. Mike has spent his career fighting for Ward 8 families, and as the Ward 8 Councilmember, will fight to invest in Ward 8’s future while preserving its history. Mike believes it’s #NowOrNever for Ward 8 to solve it’s most pressing challenges, like investing in Ward 8 schools, attracting responsible development, and strengthening its workforce so Ward 8 can be ready for the demands of tomorrow. Mike will bring a creative, balanced, and responsive leadership style to the Council.”
He added, “I negotiated one of the largest community benefits agreements in Ward 8 history. I’ll be a champion for all Ward 8 residents and their families. I am the most qualified candidate in this race from my experience in workforce, small business, and health care which gives me a unique background for the Council. I will use that perspective while working closely with community leaders and partners in Ward 8 to create a plan within my first 3 months in office. That’s the urgency that we need on the Council.”
In January, the Washington Informer wrote, “Austin has been employed as vice president of public relations and corporate secretary for the United Medical Center and has worked as legislative director for both the Office of Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity and for LaRuby May, a Democrat who represented Ward 8 on the Council from May 14, 2015, to Jan. 2, 2017.
Austin is using fair elections financing and, per DC Geekery, has 188 contributions totaling $74,625.
Richard Campbell
Campbell did not respond to our request for information.
Ford’s campaign wrote to us, “Yaida Ford is an accomplished Civil Rights Attorney and Advocate Serving Ward 8. Yaida has worked on hundreds of civil rights cases in state and federal courts, and for the past four years has received the D.C. Super Lawyers Designation. Yaida has worked with the DC Council Committee for Human Services on issues relating to social services, youth affairs, homelessness, and disability services; as well as with the Fair Budget Coalition as a steering committee member representing residents residing East of the River. Yaida’s commitment to serving residents with limited resources is evident in her work with the Legal Aid Society— where she worked at its first offices in Anacostia and at The ARC: and as one of the first members of the East of the River Casehandlers, dedicated to addressing the systematic issues facing clients in Ward 7 and 8. Yaida also served on the Board of Directors of Youth Now!— a Ward 8 nonprofit; created a professional development program for teenage mothers in Ward 8; and continues to mentor and help young women break the cycle of generational poverty.”
In February, Ford told the Washington Informer, “‘If there are concerns about displacement, then there are proven methods to address that…But to do it requires knowledge, skill and the ability to partner with the right enterprises to make sure there is as little adverse impact as possible on our most vulnerable residents. Without new leadership, frustrations will mount and the people who need to be protected the most will get the worst end of the deal when it is all said and done.’” She also said that she will call for a moratorium on new charter schools in the ward.
Ford is not using fair elections financing and, per DC Geekery, has 39 contributions totaling $3,182.
Christopher Hawthorne
Hawthorne did not respond to our request for information.
Jeronda Hilton
Hilton did not respond to our request for information.
Jackson wrote us, “My name is Nelson Jackson and a proud resident of Ward 8. The sources of my pride are the aesthetic landscapes throughout the ward and most importantly the resilient people. I have lived in many places not only in this country but Germany as well. I have traveled to Belgium, Denmark, England and Egypt and all the wonders of those places could never change the way I feel about Southeast Washington. I am the husband of Carol Jackson to whom I’ve been married for 36 years. I have a successful son and daughter to whom I’m very proud. I recently purchased a home on 21st Street and glad I choose to live in Oxon Creek in between Mississippi and Savannah streets.”
Jackson is not using fair elections financing and, per DC Geekery, has 1 contribution totaling $100.
Fria Moore
Moore did not respond to our request for information.
Platt wrote to us, “I’m a third-generation Washingtonian who’s lived in Ward 8 all of my life. As a single mom and working professional, I know the challenges of Ward 8 families; and the role a quality education can provide in enhancing one’s quality of life. Working for non-profits most of my career (Everybody Wins DC, American Council on Education, and the Society of Health and Physical Educators) has significantly influenced the way I see the world. From the impact of having a positive role model, the value of higher education, to the importance health and wellness plays in each of our lives. Those experiences guide my personal life and are built into my campaign.”
She added, “I’m keenly aware of the lack of justice in Ward 8. The residents have a right to redress from our local government to address the issues that they have consistently passed on to non-profits to solve. And while our non-profits do an excellent job meeting the immediate need, the root causes that demand long-term solutions require the government.” On her website, she lists community safety, education, workforce development and economic equity, affordable housing for all, access to quality healthcare, equitable communication, and a cleaner and sustainable Ward 8 as her issue areas.
White’s campaign wrote us, “Councilmember Trayon White has served the Ward 8 community as a consistent leader, advocate and legislator. He is committed to addressing the issues of equity in our education and healthcare systems as well as ensuring affordable housing, expanding employment opportunities and combating violence. He has fought as hard on the streets as he has in hearing rooms. He will continue to advocate and represent the residents of Ward 8.”
The current Ward 8 councilmember announced his reelection bid in January. He is, once again, Trayon “Ward 8” White on the ballot.
White is using fair elections financing and, per DC Geekery, has 256 contributions totaling $94,117.
Urbanism in the Ward 8 race
Ward 8 falls mostly within the Far Southeast & Southwest planning area, which has, per Office of Planning’s Housing Framework for Equity and Growth report, built 15,760 affordable-housing units. This is, by far, the largest share of affordable housing in the city. (Some of Ward 8 is also in the Lower Anacostia Waterfront & Near Southwest planning area.) Mayor Bowser’s goal of 36,000 new units, including 12,000 affordable, is what OP calls a “critical first step toward a long-range goal proposed as a policy in the District’s ongoing Comprehensive Plan amendment process to achieve a minimum of 15 percent of affordable units within each planning area by 2050” (p. 4).
To hit the mayor’s target and be on the right track for the 2050 goal, Far Southeast & Southwest will need to add 1,120 units of affordable housing by 2025. (Lower Anacostia Waterfront & Near Southwest, which includes substantial swaths of open space, has 3,190 existing affordable units, and needs to add 850.)
The Reunion Square development and tax-increment financing plan has been a considerable focus of current Councilmember Trayon White’s term, which has also been marked by the ongoing redevelopment of the St. Elizabeth’s campus and negotiations over Barry Farm’s status. Poplar Point includes the Columbian Quarters project, which was hit with an anti-development lawsuit in 2018.
As in Ward 7, there is plenty for a Ward 8 councilmember to engage with in regards to transportation and street safety. East-of-the-river neighborhoods have a disproportionately high share of the city’s pedestrian deaths, which can be prevented by street redesigns that slow down drivers, improve sidewalks, and dedicate space to bus and bike lanes.