By Megan Sayles
AFRO Staff Writer
msayles@afro.com

The Washington Informer teamed up with the D.C. Democratic Party (DC Dems), the Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ), the Greater Washington Black Chamber of Commerce (GWBCC) and the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL) to host a debate for delegate and mayoral candidates in D.C. on May 2. 

The debate covered critical issues, including housing affordability and displacement, education outcomes and economic equity. 

Mayoral candidates debate how to balance growth with equity 

The mayoral candidates included Councilman Vincent Orange, Councilwoman Janeese Lewis George, Gary Goodweather, Rini Sampath, and former at-large Councilman Kenyan R. McDuffie. 

Each drew clear distinction on how to balance economic growth with equity, particularly when it comes to housing education and access to opportunity for D.C. residents. 

On economic policy and business investment, candidates debated whether the city’s challenges stem from revenue or how funds are managed. Sampath emphasized the need to grow the tax base by supporting businesses, arguing that social programs depend on economic strength. 

“We need to be attracting businesses to Washington,” said Sampath. “We need to make sure it’s easier for them to thrive.” 

Goodweather pointed to inefficiencies in city spending, proposing the creation of an equity map to track investments in D.C. residents and businesses.  

“We’ve increased our budget 70 percent over the past seven years. Our economy is down 8.5 percent,” said Goodweather. “We need to take a look at the budget and double down on the services that are working. For the ones that aren’t, we need to reallocate those dollars somewhere else.” 

Lewis George framed economic growth and affordability as interconnected, arguing that stabilizing residents ultimately benefits businesses.  

“What we do is we set up a system in which we allow people to be able to afford to live here,” said Lewis George. “When people can afford child care, housing, groceries and utilities that means those people are going to patronize our businesses.” 

Education also emerged as a key issue. All candidates said they would keep mayoral control over D.C. Public Schools. 

McDuffie emphasized improving the quality of schools and workforce pathways. 

“We’re going to address overcrowded schools West of the park by making better quality schools East of the park,” said McDuffie. “We’re going to make sure we focus on early literacy, trades and apprenticeships for our middle school students— giving them early access to jobs that are being created in projects across the District.”

Lewis George highlighted the need for stronger oversight and student engagement, particularly around attendance. 

“I will also be addressing chronic absenteeism because if our students aren’t in school, we can’t close the literacy and math gap at all,” said Lewis George. 

Orange proposed making the University of the District of Columbia tuition-free and doubled down on greater investment in workforce development for students. 

“I will make sure that every agency in the District of Columbia has a paid youth apprenticeship program upon graduation from high school to make sure that our young people have health benefits, retirement benefits and entry level jobs and they will grow with the District of Columbia,” said Orange. 

On housing and displacement, particularly around the planned redevelopment of the RFK Stadium site, candidates offered competing visions for ensuring longtime residents can remain in their communities. 

Orange called for deeper affordability thresholds and community input. 

“I’m not talking about 80 percent of the area median income, I’m down at 40 or 50 percent of the area median income,”  said Orange. 

Sampath stressed the need for stronger planning and renter protections, noting that of the 6,000 homes being developed under the project, only 30 percent are affordable.

“We need to make sure we’re protecting our renters rights in that region,” said Sampath. “Under my administration, we will have an equity plan that names exactly how we will do that.” 

Delegate hopefuls outline priorities for statehood, housing and economy  

D.C. delegate candidates are vying to succeed longtime D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, who announced her retirement in January after more than three decades in Congress. 

They include: Kinney Zalesne, former White House fellow, Councilman Robert White, Trent Holbrook, former senior legislative counsel to Norton; Greg Jaczko, former chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; and Councilwoman Brooke Pinto. 

On the question of D.C. statehood, White and Holbrook argued that it’s the right moment to finally push the decades-long effort across the finish line. 

“People are hungry for a leader that can direct our energy and resources. I’m going to be that leader and build on top of what Congresswoman Norton did,” said White. “This is our time to get statehood.”

Zalesne, meanwhile, emphasized that advancing D.C.’s priorities will require broadening the city’s coalition of political allies and rethinking its economic strategy. 

“We need to rethink our economy,” said Zalesne. “That wasn’t true for most of her leadership, but it is now because we’ve had a full frontal assault on our economy by this administration, and we need someone with business experience.” 

Pinto also focused on economic transformation, particularly as it relates to adapting to emerging industries. 

“I think the biggest difference we need to lean into is accepting new industries to come here,” said Pinto. “We are in an AI revolution, and if we don’t get this right and properly regulate it to keep residents safe, we’re going to miss the boat and wish we had done it sooner.” 

On housing affordability, candidates largely agreed the crisis requires both federal intervention and local accountability. White argued for expanding federal involvement through land transfers to the District to support affordable housing development. Holbrook proposed reviving and adjusting a first-time homebuyers tax credit and increasing funding for public housing vouchers. 

Jaczko emphasized expanding access to credit and restoring programs aimed at helping first-time buyers. 

“One of the programs that’s been severely decimated by the Trump administration is an opportunity for alternative credit programs to allow people who may not have significant credit history to afford a home and to buy a home,” said Jaczko. “That’s an area that I will specifically focus on working to reestablish that program.” 

Pinto highlighted her “Breaking Ground D.C.” plan, which includes repealing the federal Height Act and building housing above transit corridors and making rent tax-deductible.  

Job displacement and the future of the federal workforce also emerged as a central concern, particularly amid federal layoffs and broader workforce reductions affecting Black and low-income communities. 

Pinto argued that the next delegate must focus on both protecting federal workers and helping them transition into new careers. 

“It is imperative that our congressional delegate is strong on supporting our federal workforce and on helping people upskill and learn other skills to be part of the economy in other places if they have lost their job,” said Pinto. 

Zalense tied these shifts to the erosion of the Black middle class in D.C. 

“The DOGE program was not about efficiency. We know that. It was about destroying the Black middle class, and we have got to take that personally,” said Zalense. “We have got to be outraged, and we’ve got to fight for those jobs to come back in a Democratic administration.