D.C. Voter Guide: Meet the candidates for mayor, attorney general and council chair

The District is choosing its prime leaders for a pivotal new period.

Why it issues: The following 4 years will embrace (hopefully) a resurgence from the pandemic, extra new residents, and challenges surrounding housing, crime, and transit.

• Muriel Bowser needs a 3rd time period as mayor, a feat solely Marion Barry achieved. So does the chair of the D.C. Council, Phil Mendelson. They’re each comparatively reasonable Democrats — by at present’s D.C. requirements.
• However they face spirited challenges from the left. Progressives argue the established order is not working. They demand extra reasonably priced housing for the poorest residents and a rethinking of public faculty reforms.

What’s extra: The District will choose a brand new lawyer basic. Over two phrases, Karl Racine constructed out the workplace as town’s first elected AG, earlier than deciding towards one other run.

There are additionally 5 different D.C. Council races, with open seats in Wards 3 and 5, and contested races in Ward 1 and at-large.

• Once more, they pit reasonable candidates towards progressives.

Between the strains: In an overwhelmingly blue metropolis, the Democratic nomination is tantamount to victory.

✍️ Scroll down: We invited all Democratic candidates within the three prime races — mayor, lawyer basic, and D.C. Council chair — to take part in our Q&A.

? Go deeper: Learn our full voter information for information about methods to vote.

The underside line: Go vote by June 21.

All Democratic candidates had been invited to finish the next Q&A. Solutions have been evenly edited by Axios for type and brevity. Candidates are within the order they seem on the poll.

Mayor

James Butler, 46, is a civic advocate campaigning in his second run for mayor. He’s a former advisory neighborhood commissioner and beforehand ran a regulation agency earlier than being disbarred in 2009. He lives in Trinidad.

Muriel Bowser, 49, is working for a 3rd time period as mayor. She was beforehand a Ward 4 council member for over seven years and an advisory neighborhood commissioner. She lives in Colonial Village.

Trayon White declined to take part within the questionnaire by way of his marketing campaign with out citing a motive. He’s the Ward 8 council member and a former consultant on the State Board of Schooling. That is his first run for mayor.

Robert White, 40, is an at-large council member in his first bid for mayor. A lawyer, he beforehand labored as a workers member for Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton and Legal professional Common Karl Racine. He lives in Shepherd Park.

Ought to D.C. develop its police division to 4,000 officers?

James Butler: ✅ Sure.

Muriel Bowser: ✅ Sure.

Trayon White: ❓❓❓Declined to take part.

Robert White: ❌ No.

How would you scale back crime?

Butler: I’d have a police pressure that’s absolutely funded, not overworked, staffed correctly, and doing community-based policing all through town.

Bowser: I’m the one candidate prepared to make the robust calls in the case of your public security, together with including cops to enhance our pressure energy, working with federal companions to conduct main drug and gun investigations and prosecutions, and absolutely deploying complete of presidency violence interventions designed by the District’s first-ever Gun Violence Prevention Director.

T. White: ❓❓❓

R. White: I’ll focus police assets on public security, handle the core issues that result in violence, broaden and coordinate violence interruption in order that it’s assembly the dimensions of the issue, and assist survivors of violence and communities which have been traumatized.

D.C. launched a pilot program final 12 months to clear homeless encampments and home some folks for one 12 months, an strategy that has garnered each reward and criticism. Would you proceed this system in its present kind?

Butler: ❌ No.

Bowser: ✅ Sure.

T. White: ❓❓❓

R. White: ❌ No.

Summarize in a single sentence the way you would offer everlasting housing for unhoused folks.

Butler: I’ll use city-owned housing inventory to offer long run, supportive wrap-around companies, as an alternative of promoting the city-owned housing inventory to non-public builders!

Bowser: By persevering with to put money into our complete strategy to make homelessness uncommon, temporary, and non-recurring, which since 2015 has lowered household homelessness by 73%, lowered general homelessness by 47%, lowered the common shelter keep to 90 days and resulted within the demolition of the unsafe, undignified household shelter at D.C. Common.

T. White: ❓❓❓

R. White: As an alternative of specializing in clearing homelessness encampments with bulldozers and police, which simply shuffles most unhoused folks to a different location, I’ll give attention to getting folks housed by placing the housing vouchers within the arms of outreach organizations that know what they’re doing on this house.

What’s a method you’d enhance metropolis companies for constituents?

Butler: I’ll have a full and full audit of 311 and each single metropolis division from day ONE!

Bowser: I’ll absolutely deploy 75,000 new good road lights in all 8 wards, a first-ever public-private partnership that leverages non-public investments to transform D.C.’s streetlights to energy-efficient LED know-how, lengthen the attain of D.C. Web free wi-fi, and supply local weather, customer support, and public security advantages.

T. White: ❓❓❓

R. White: I’ll appoint the very best and brightest folks to steer our companies, not political loyalists or marketing campaign contributors, in order that our authorities works the identical approach for the remainder of us because it does for the wealthy and well-connected.

What’s one main inequality in D.C? Summarize in a single sentence how you’d handle this.

Butler: Inexpensive housing just isn’t reasonably priced, and I’ll change the best way we calculate AMI and abort HUD’s formulation and undertake our personal native formulation.

Bowser: As a traditionally Black metropolis, the disenfranchisement of Washingtonians is anti-democratic, un-American, and one of many remaining obvious civil rights problems with our time.

T. White: ❓❓❓

R. White: I’ll handle the huge inequality in our public colleges — the place 60% of Black and brown college students are behind grade degree — by offering all college students with equitable psychological well being assist, secure environments, and the assets they should succeed.

What’s one huge thought to enhance public training? Summarize in a single sentence.

Butler: Earmark funds for underperforming colleges in order that they will make the grade, because the per-pupil formulation favors colleges predominantly west of the river!

Bowser: Rethink Excessive Faculty: our initiative to revamp all DCPS excessive colleges — whereas staying the course on reforms which have attracted households again to public colleges, improved the achievement of Black and brown college students, and supplied mayoral accountability for, and D.C. Council oversight of, unprecedented investments in academics, college students, and college buildings.

T. White: ❓❓❓

R. White: I’ll guarantee each pupil leaves highschool both faculty or profession prepared and forestall college students who don’t plan to go to varsity from dropping out by overseeing essentially the most vital growth of vocational training in D.C. historical past.

D.C. plans to construct 10 miles of protected bicycle lanes a 12 months. As mayor, would you fund to construct extra, construct fewer, or construct the identical quantity?

Butler: ⬆️ Construct extra.

Bowser: ? The identical.

T. White: ❓❓❓

R. White: ⬆️ Construct extra.

How would you restore the vibrancy of downtown D.C. in a post-pandemic restoration? Summarize your concepts in a single sentence.

Butler: Grants for small companies and eating places; guarantee that satisfactory road eating is accessible; and open streets occasions on weekends.

Bowser: The pandemic sped up a few of our desirous about interacting with the downtown and business corridors, and we’re centered on filling areas (attracting new companies centered on tech, well being, and medical), altering areas (remodeling older workplace buildings to vibrant housing, remodeling public areas with streateries, open streets, parks and parklets, busways and bike lanes), and bringing folks to the downtown (extra partnerships with festivals like One thing within the Water, conventions, and distant staff).

T. White: ❓❓❓

R. White: Recognizing that the pre-pandemic actuality is unlikely to return, we should take revolutionary approaches to revive downtown, together with changing workplace house to reasonably priced housing, growing the quantity of bike- and bus-only lanes to ease the commute to and from the world, and creating indoor and out of doors workspaces to draw individuals who telework.

Summarize the state of town in 5 phrases or much less.

Butler: Failing at each metric!

Bowser: Proper monitor, prepared for comeback.

T. White:❓❓❓

R. White: Useful resource wealthy and implementation poor.

Identify 1 huge factor you’ll accomplish in your first 12 months, in 15 phrases or much less.

Butler: I’ll make D.C. one of many SAFEST cities in America.

Bowser: ❓❓❓

T. White: ❓❓❓

R. White: I’ll finish pay-to-play politics and focus authorities operations on individuals who want us most.

What’s 1 enjoyable factor voters don’t find out about you?

Butler: ? I virtually turned a TV information anchor.

Bowser: ? I like Lemon Drops in the summertime and Manhattans within the winter.

T. White: ❓❓❓

R. White: ? The inspiration behind the senior co-living invoice I wrote was the Golden Women, my favourite present.

Legal professional basic

Brian Schwalb, 54, is a former companion on the Venable regulation agency. He graduated from Harvard Legislation Faculty in 1992. He lives in Chevy Chase.

Ryan Jones, 37, based and runs his personal regulation agency. He has levels from Southern Illinois College Faculty of Legislation and George Washington Legislation Faculty. He lives in North Michigan Park.

Bruce Spiva, 56, is a former companion on the Perkins Coie regulation agency. He graduated from Harvard Legislation Faculty in 1992. He lives in Crestwood.

How would you defend the independence of the lawyer basic’s workplace?

Brian Schwalb: I’ll strengthen independence by advocating for better management over the OAG funds, which below the present course of permits the mayor, relatively than the independently elected lawyer basic, discretion over the funds as it’s initially introduced to the D.C. Council.

Ryan Jones: Tackle sturdy instances that win judgments that considerably improve our funds to behave independently, with out having to compromise politically for funding.

Bruce Spiva: Whereas decreasing the temperature between the lawyer basic and the mayor is a prime precedence of mine, I’ll fiercely defend the workplace’s independence by at all times prioritizing the general public curiosity of the residents of the District of Columbia in my decision-making course of.

Identify the highest three targets you’d go after to guard D.C. customers.

Schwalb: Along with collaborating with different state AGs to handle nationwide unfair and misleading practices that adversely impression D.C. residents, I’ll aggressively sort out unscrupulous actors that (i) mislead owners (typically seniors) into promoting their properties far beneath honest market worth, (ii) interact in predatory and discriminatory lending (typically through synthetic intelligence and machine studying), and (iii) induce residents determined to personal a house into shopping for “lemons,” typically from flippers appearing by way of LLCs.

Jones: 1. Cybersecurity/knowledge safety; 2. Shield towards refinancing scams; 3. Shield towards market and cryptocurrency scams.

Spiva: As a plaintiffs’ client lawyer with many years of expertise, I’d prioritize going after firms or different dangerous actors profiting from D.C. residents who’re aged, folks dwelling in poverty, and members of the immigrant group, all of whom are the most certainly to be exploited and for whom the stakes are the very best.

The AG at the moment runs the violence interrupter program “Remedy the Streets” in about ten neighborhoods with excessive charges of gun violence. Would you need to improve funding, lower funding, or preserve funding the identical?

Schwalb: ⬆️ Improve funding.

Jones: ?Maintain funding the identical.

Spiva: ⬆️ Improve funding.

D.C. launched a pilot program final 12 months to clear homeless encampments and home some folks for one 12 months, an strategy that has garnered each reward and criticism. Do you assist this system in its present kind?

Schwalb: ❌ No.

Jones: ❌ No.

Spiva: ❌ No.

Summarize in a single sentence the way you suppose town ought to present everlasting housing for unhoused folks.

Schwalb: Town will need to have totally different, tailor-made methods for offering everlasting housing that target the basis causes of why persons are experiencing homelessness (e.g., home violence, discrimination towards LGBTQIA teenagers, aging-out of foster care, job loss, substandard housing, psychological sickness, substance abuse habit, and so forth.), and that handle these causes with a community of wrap-around companies to make sure that the transition to everlasting housing will probably be profitable.

Jones: We are able to convert unused and vacant buildings into housing.

Spiva: Though there are various methods wanted to fight our ongoing housing affordability disaster, a few of the greatest instruments embrace: growing funding for everlasting housing vouchers, the manufacturing and preservation of deeply reasonably priced items by way of the Housing Manufacturing Belief Fund (together with project-based subsidies for these items), and outreach to and supportive companies for unhoused folks to make sure they will entry these packages.

What’s one main inequality in D.C? Summarize in a single sentence how you’d handle it as AG.

Schwalb: Below my management, OAG would handle the inequalities which have prevented Black and brown households from constructing intergenerational wealth by way of dwelling and enterprise possession by dismantling discriminatory and systemic boundaries, equivalent to unfair lending and insurance coverage underwriting, predatory dwelling valuation and inspection scams, ineffective and/or corrupt procurement practices, and algorithmic discrimination that includes predictive bias and negatively impacts entry to mortgages, credit score, and insurance coverage.

Jones: There’s a design of inequality that reveals itself with signs that we frequently categorize with well-liked political soundbites, however till we redesign/rewire/rewrite code to create equality within the regulation we can’t have justice and a good and equitable society.

Spiva: A disciplinary subject in a predominantly white faculty ends in a visit to the principal’s workplace whereas the identical disciplinary subject in a predominantly Black faculty all too typically can lead to regulation enforcement being referred to as; I’ll decline to prosecute disciplinary points that ought to be handled by directors and academics.

Summarize the state of town in 5 phrases or much less.

Schwalb: Uniquely positioned to sort out huge challenges.

Jones: New options treatment outdated issues.

Spiva: Thriving, bustling, but unequal, unaffordable.

Identify 1 huge factor you’ll accomplish in your first 12 months, in 15 phrases or much less.

Schwalb: I’ll implement my 6-Level Crime Discount and Neighborhood Security Motion Plan.

Jones: Set up authorized clinics to expunge information, and get folks wills and trusts.

Spiva: Shield the independence of OAG, whereas bettering relations with the mayor to learn D.C. residents.

What’s 1 enjoyable factor voters don’t find out about you?

Schwalb: ? I like tequila on the rocks with a squeeze of lime.

Jones: ✍️ I’ve written a kids’s e-book referred to as “Dream Without end.”

Spiva: ? I served on the Harvard Legislation Evaluate with President Barack Obama. I wish to joke he was my president earlier than he was America’s.

D.C. Council chair

Erin Palmer, 40, is an ethics lawyer and has been an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 4 since 2018. She lives in Takoma.

Phil Mendelson, 69, has served on the D.C. Council since 1998 and is working for a 3rd full time period as chair. He entered metropolis politics in 1979 after successful an advisory neighborhood fee seat in Ward 3. He lives in Capitol Hill.

Ought to D.C. develop its police division to 4,000 officers?

Erin Palmer: ❌ No

Phil Mendelson: ❌ No

Summarize in a single sentence your resolution to lowering crime.

Palmer: Protected communities require stability, assist, and assets to fulfill fundamental wants; focused and coordinated violence intervention efforts for data-driven options; and accountable authorities companies, together with a criminal offense lab that meets nationwide requirements, responsive 911 emergency companies, and moral and clear policing.

Mendelson: Guarantee MPD has the assets they should improve case closure charges; press the U.S. Legal professional to aggressively prosecute violent crimes; enhance group belief by making certain police accountability.

D.C. launched a pilot program final 12 months to clear homeless encampments and home some folks for one 12 months, an strategy that has garnered each reward and criticism. Do you assist this system in its present kind?

Palmer: ❌ No

Mendelson: ✅ Sure

Summarize in a single sentence the way you suppose town ought to present everlasting housing for unhoused folks.

Palmer: Absolutely put money into housing for granted so that each one D.C. residents have secure, secure, and safe housing, which incorporates absolutely funding the assist companies wanted to transition from homelessness and constructing belief with our unhoused neighbors.

Mendelson: Within the quick time period, broaden our voucher program and prioritize it for homeless households and people; in the long run, improve the availability of reasonably priced and deeply reasonably priced housing along with wrap-around companies equivalent to psychological well being companies.

What’s one main inequality in D.C? Summarize in a single sentence how you’d handle it as chair.

Palmer: Each map of D.C. is identical — whether or not we’re speaking about housing stability, entry to wholesome meals, high-quality training, patient-centered healthcare, or group security — the results of many years of power disinvestment, and I’m devoted to values-based management that makes use of the D.C. funds, laws, and oversight to fulfill residents’ fundamental wants.

Mendelson: I’m pursuing a two-prong technique for meals insecurity, which impacts people’ well being in addition to kids’s potential to be taught: funding to draw grocery shops to meals deserts; and supporting non-profits (like FreshFarm, Martha’s Desk, and DC Greens) to get dietary meals to households.

What’s one factor you’d do to enhance D.C. public training, in a single sentence?

Palmer: I’d finish our standing as the one legislature within the nation and not using a standing training committee to make sure strong, significant, and devoted oversight of our public colleges and that at-risk funding goes to the scholars who want it.

Mendelson: I’m specializing in getting extra assets to particular person colleges, establishing funds stability for particular person colleges, lowering trainer/principal turnover, encouraging faculty autonomy, and increasing coaching for educators to raised handle literacy.

D.C. plans to construct 10 miles of protected bicycle lanes a 12 months. As chair, would you fund to construct extra, construct fewer, or construct the identical quantity?

Palmer: ⬆️ Construct extra.

Mendelson: ? Construct the identical quantity.

How would you restore the vibrancy of downtown D.C. in a post-pandemic restoration? Summarize your concepts in a single sentence.

Palmer: We should transfer previous outdated methods of considering that aren’t sustainable in a contemporary work atmosphere by acknowledging that the largely commuter-focused downtown is a factor of the previous and give attention to constructing full neighborhoods for residents to reside, work, and play.

Mendelson: Restoring vibrancy requires folks being drawn to the downtown, so folks should really feel secure, and due to this fact addressing public security is important to reopening downtown; but additionally, rethinking regulatory hurdles in order that it’s simpler for brand spanking new companies and occasions to return to downtown.

Summarize the state of town in 5 phrases or much less.

Palmer: Wealthy in assets, poor execution.

Mendelson: Teetering getting ready to greatness.

Identify 1 huge factor you’ll accomplish throughout your first 12 months, in 15 phrases or much less.

Palmer: Implement the proposals in my Council Accountability Plan for a contemporary, moral, and accountable council.

Mendelson: Efficiently create a brand new Division of Buildings out of the present DCRA.

What’s 1 enjoyable factor voters don’t find out about you?

Palmer: ? I gave start to my youngest youngster within the backseat of my sister’s automobile at thirteenth and Gallatin streets NW on the best way to the hospital, and their start certificates says “en route” for the placement of their start.

Mendelson: ? I’ve two cats, Archie and Luna. Archie likes to attend protests outdoors my home.