GGWash endorses Eboni-Rose Thompson for DC Council's Ward 7 seat. Image courtesy of the campaign.

Greater Greater Washington is endorsing Eboni-Rose Thompson in the 2024 Ward 7 Councilmember Democratic primary.

Ward 7 voters have a plethora of candidates to choose from, the majority of whom responded to our questionnaire. On housing production, affordable housing, land use, and transportation, there is not much daylight between Ebbon Allen, Kelvin Brown, Wendell Felder, Nate Fleming, Villareal Johnson, Ebony Payne, Veda Rasheed, Denise Reed, and Eboni-Rose Thompson. That’s, perhaps, understandable: The pivotal question for Ward 7 is not so much what its elected representative might advance but rather who will follow Ward 7 councilmember and former mayor Vincent C. Gray, a longtime political fixture.

There are glints of promise in most candidates’ responses to our questionnaires: Allen offered wonderfully detailed responses on housing production, affordable housing, and land use; Felder is best on his willingness to reallocate road space for other modes of transit; Fleming’s experience within the DC government is clearly on display in his understanding of how to move legislation forward; Payne recognizes that enabling trips by bus and bike is important for growing a Ward 7; and Thompson had the wisest response on whether buyouts in the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act process should be formalized. No candidate, however, was a standout.

Thompson, currently the Ward 7 State Board of Education representative and formerly an ANC commissioner, is our pick for her relative grounding in Ward 7 and District politics. Felder and Payne might edge her out on transportation, but we feel there is more consideration of the tradeoffs inherent in transportation policy in Thompson’s questionnaire responses. She’s opposed to bike lanes and road pricing, but has a justifiable stance on the latter. We see in it the opportunity for collaboration around our shared interest in transportation equity:

“I am concerned with overburdening the ability of current residents who live in car-dependent communities that have not yet received equitable transportations investments with congestion pricing. If implemented, as councilmember, I would reinvest road pricing revenue in badly needed transportation infrastructure particularly east of the river, where our residents disproportionately bear the burden of discriminatory transportation planning, commuter traffic, and pedestrian injuries from drivers.”

Thompson’s commitment to “stable and inclusive housing” in her platform is a distinguishing feature, and shows up in her responses to our questionnaire:

“As a councilmember I would push for greater oversight into affordable housing development in the district, both in the bidding process and the delivery (in line with the DC Auditor’s recommendations). It is important not only to fund the HPTF, but to be stewards of the process to ensure funds are being dispersed in the most effective way and deliver on the promise of affordable housing. In addition, I would explore changes to zoning and historical designation rules to remove roadblocks to building affordable housing across all planning areas.”

We appreciate Thompson’s recognition of the important role of process improvements to ensure more housing, and more affordable housing, and would love to work with her on reforms to the District’s historic preservation regime. These stances pair well with her prioritization of more representative forms of public outreach and engagement, like surveys, above mechanisms that have been shown to favor residents with more resources, like public hearings. Should Thompson win, she’ll be in office during the rewrite of the District’s Comprehensive Plan, and will likely be inundated with feedback from her ward’s most vocal constituents. By prioritizing more comprehensive forms of engagement, she’ll have a greater opportunity to explore changes to zoning to enable the production of more housing and more income-restricted, subsidized housing. We hope she’ll take advantage of the ability to do so.

In a crowded field for an open seat, we’re most confident that Thompson can successfully serve Ward 7’s constituents. If she emerges as a leader on GGWash’s issues, so much the better.

For more information about how we’re making endorsements in the District in 2024, see our 2024 endorsements process post. On our 2024 Elections Hub, you’ll find information about GGWash’s political work this year, including resources about voting and candidates, candidates’ responses to our questionnaires, our endorsements, and how you can help our endorsed candidates win their elections. Access the hub anytime from the “2024 Elections” link in the upper right corner of our homepage.

Distinctly political work, like our endorsements process, is not funded by grants. We are only able to make endorsements with support from individual donors. If you value our endorsements resources, consider a contribution, of any amount, to support us in 2024 and beyond. You can do so here.