Didactics at Unity Health Parkside Family Medicine Residency, in Kenilworth-Parkside, Washington, DC. Image by Ted Eytan licensed under Creative Commons.

In response to Greater Greater Washington’s questionnaire, candidates for Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) seats across the District indicated where they stand on housing, transportation, and land use, and elaborated on those topics in their own words. As of this writing, GGWash’s Endorsements Committee has reviewed all the ANC questionnaires submitted by September 5, 2022, for the 2022 election, and has made its endorsement decisions for ANC races. These are the endorsements for Ward 7.

Are you a Ward 7 resident, but unsure of what commission or single member district you live in? Search your address in our interactive tool.

Looking for more information about GGWash’s endorsements? Our 2022 Elections Hub is your one-stop shop for questionnaires, candidate forum recordings, endorsements process details, and our endorsements themselves. Access the hub anytime from the “2022 Elections” link in the upper right corner of our homepage.

A few notes on process

Our ANC endorsement process is based on the same values and guidelines as our other endorsements this year, which you can read here. But ANC races are different in a few important ways.

ANCs serve, as the name suggests, in an advisory capacity, with almost no legal power over policy. Candidates for these roles can be newer to local politics and policy matters. At the same time, once in office, motivated, good-faith commissioners will learn a great deal about how change happens, and can quickly become effective advocates for the neighborhoods in which they live.

The role is also unpaid and can be demanding. This year, as in years past, there are a very high number of uncontested races or races with no candidate at all, particularly after the redistricting process this year added more single member districts. For most candidates, if you’d like to be an ANC, getting yourself on the ballot is enough to make it happen.

In light of these patterns, our Endorsements Committee took the following approach to endorsements decision-making:

  • As in our previous endorsement processes, only candidates who submitted questionnaires were eligible for endorsement.
  • As housing, transportation, and land use issues can vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, we took into mind the particulars and patterns of the parts of the District each candidate would represent, and the commissions on which they would serve, to help evaluate what we would consider indicative of constructive progress there. There’s no strict GGWash-endorsement formula or litmus test.
  • Even candidates who are not perfectly aligned with all of GGWash’s issue areas can still be great commissioners with whom we look forward to working in good faith. The fact that such candidates responded to our questionnaire in pursuit of our endorsement is itself, in our view, an indication of openness to partnership. As such, in uncontested races in particular, we looked for opportunities for alignment and growth.
  • We prioritized endorsing in contested ANC races—reflecting our commitment to endorsing in other contested races this cycle—in order to help voters with the real choices they have to make among the candidates available to them. In some instances, unfortunately, only one candidate in a contested race responded to our questionnaire. If we did not endorse the sole candidate in a contested race who responded to our questionnaire, it was because the candidate proclaimed significantly distinct views from those of GGWash.

With that framing in mind, let’s get to the endorsements!

Ward 7 ANC Endorsements

Key: ✅ = endorsement; ❌ = no endorsement

ANC 7B

✅ 7B01: John F. Adams

Questionnaire, no known contribution link
Contested? No,

Though he does not find much to like about more housing, Adams, in response to our questionnaire, expresses interest in improving traffic safety in ANC 7B. We’re cheered to read that if elected, he plans to “seek/secure viable traffic control measures to better protect pedestrians, cyclists, fellow motor vehicle operators, as well as public/personal property.”

✅ 7B02: Jamaal Maurice Pearsall

Questionnaire, website, no known contribution link
Contested? No,

Pearsall’s keenness to protect parking may conflict with his stated desire to reduce reckless driving, but his confident statement on the stakes of new development in his neighborhood—“I believe that city officials and developers have a duty to work with residents in Ward 7 to ensure steady growth in housing options throughout the ward. I firmly believe that Ward 7 is a hidden treasure with lots to offer developers in regard to space and opportunity”—is one we hope guides his decisions as a commissioner.

7B03: Travis R. Swanson

Questionnaire, Twitter, website, no known contribution link
Contested? No,

Swanson shared a detailed, thoughtful assessment of how to add housing in ANC 7B, and strongly supports bus priority and protected bike lane projects. Swanson’s response to our questionnaire included several excellent comments on both development and Pennsylvania Ave SE bus lanes: “Although ANC 7B is served by several bus routes the bus unfortunately has a reputation by many residents of being unreliable and thus many people choose to drive. The benefits to the Pennsylvania Avenue Bus Priority Plan are that it will increase speeds and reliability for bus riders and attract new riders,” proceeding to observe the perils of dividing transit corridors up into separate projects west and east of the Anacostia River. Hear, hear.

❌ 7B09: Seeking write-ins

Contested? Yes, 🥊(Racquel Codling, Michelle Hammond, Pauline B. Scott)

Though we only received a response to our questionnaire from Hammond, one of three candidates in this contested race, we are unable to endorse her on the basis of her stated opposition to bus priority and protected bike lanes.

ANC 7C

7C05: Malik M. Lloyd

Questionnaire, no known contribution link
Contested? Yes, 🥊(Mary L. Gaffney, Shirley A. Boykins)

In response to our questionnaire, Lloyd, who believes “density can be increased within the 5800 block of East Capitol street with the massive vacant lot…while still preserving neighborhood environment and green space including Marvin Gaye Park,” displayed a willingness to prioritize bus infrastructure, and a keen interest in reducing DC’s carbon emissions.

7C06: Patricia Stamper

Questionnaire, Twitter, donate
Contested? No,

Though Stamper’s emphasis on homeownership is understandable, we would have liked to see her prioritize more, larger, and more deeply affordable inclusionary zoning units in planned unit developments. However, her focus on increasing the quality of bus service will be essential to the success of bus-priority projects in ANC 7c: “ALL of the bus stops on Nannie Helen Burroughs Ave NE between Minnesota Ave NE & Eastern Ave NE do not have proper bus stop shelters to shield riders from the inclement weather while waiting for the bus. It is my recommendation that bus shelters need to be installed throughout the SMD/ANC 7C to address inclement weather issues while waiting on the bus.” We’ve seen Stamper work thoughtfully for her community, and we look forward to collaborating in future. Contribute to Stamper’s campaign here.

7C08: Kimberly Martin

Questionnaire, Twitter, donate
Contested? Yes, 🥊(David Ford)

Martin shows commitment to increasing opportunities for new housing in her ANC, and supports the legalization of apartments district-wide. As Commissioner, she plans to “Continue to push for development to come to my Commission with the Capitol Gateway Development.” Contribute to Martin’s campaign here.

7C09: Venola M. Rolle

Questionnaire, website, no known contribution link
Contested? Yes, 🥊(Carrie N. Brown)

Rolle might not align with us on the need for new housing, but her responses to our questionnaire indicate that she will champion bus access and quality of services in ANC 7C: “I am excited about this program, as I believe it has many benefits…It will reduce congestion and, as a result, reduce the number of road-related incidents that seem to occur with alarming regularity. Also, the plan is targeted primarily to assist low-income residents in accessing reliable, efficient, and affordable transportation from home to work. For residents in Ward 7 and throughout the communities East of the River, that policy emphasis is appreciated and it addresses existing inequities involving access to work-related transportation. However, not only low-income residents will benefit, but all residents who live and work within the confines of the District’s boundaries also will appreciate the advantages that come with efficient transportation routes. Specifically, the project planned for the H Street/Benning Road/Minnesota Avenue corridor is timely and urgently needed.”

ANC 7D

✅ 7D09: Ashley Schapitl

Questionnaire, Twitter, website, donate
Contested? Yes, 🥊(Shane Seger)

Schapitl and Seger are both tremendous candidates: Beyond staunch support for our issues, they are thoughtful, experienced, and would be considerable assets to any commission. Though we struggled mightily to decide between the two, we leaned toward Schapitl for her elegant assessment of housing supply issues in ANC 7D: “While there are a few apartment and mixed-use corridors in Hill East, housing supply is predominantly increased through conversions of row homes to two, three, or four-unit condominiums. The average price of row homes in my neighborhood has increased by several hundred thousand dollars in previous years. I could barely afford my house today, and I have only lived in it for six years. This is not sustainable if Hill East is going to continue to grow and remain a diverse community, particularly as families are looking for more space to accommodate both children and working from home.” We hope to work closely with both Schapitl and Seger in whatever ways they find to engage in their neighborhood. Contribute to Schapitl’s campaign here.

ANC 7E

✅ 7E06: Delia Houseal

Questionnaire, no known contribution link
Contested? No,

Houseal brings a welcome enthusiasm for reallocating street space for bus and bike riders in ANC 7E, and has led efforts to extend the Streetcar into Ward 7: “The proposed bus priority projects in ANC7E will support increased access to resources and supports that are not readily available in our community. It will also reduce transit times and improve the overall reliability and connectivity of the existing service.”

ANC 7F

✅ 7F02: Ashley Renee Ruff

Questionnaire, Twitter, no known contribution link
Contested? Yes, 🥊(Zewdi Alem, Obbie English)

Ruff’s responses to our questionnaire on land use and parking access diverge from our views, but we’re glad she spots the value in bus-priority projects: “As I see it the bus plan benefits many in my neighborhood & surrounding communities. It’s allowing more routes to be added and helps lessen the long walks some residents face. It’s beneficial to our young school-age community, our elders, our 9-5 work[er]s, and more. But most importantly now most citizens can go grocery shopping and attend healthcare providers surrounding and across the bridge.”

✅ 7F03: Kimory Kso Orendoff

Questionnaire, no known contribution link
Contested? No,

There’s a good deal with which we disagree in Orendoff’s responses to our questionnaire, particularly concerning housing. But, his acknowledgment of the importance of DC reducing trips by car is, we hope, fertile ground for collaboration.

✅ 7F07: Dev Myers

Questionnaire, Twitter, website, donate
Contested? Yes, 🥊(Beatrice Evans, Shirley Thompson-Wright)

Myers appreciates the need to build as much new housing as possible on the Reservation 13 site, and supports legalizing apartments District-wide. As a car-free resident, he “understand[s] the importance of residents having access to various modes of transportation,” and “support[s] the District’s bicycle priority network plan in 7F because it increases transportation options for our residents.” Contribute to Myers’ campaign here.

Paid for by Greater Greater Washington, 80 M St SE, Ste 100, Washington, DC 20003. A copy of our report is filed with the Director of Campaign Finance.