Setting the Standard:
Closing Out Our Publicly Financed Campaign with Integrity
The Erin for DC campaign is officially closed — ethically, responsibly, and in full compliance with the law. Following the District Office of Campaign Finance’s final Audit Report issued on April 29, 2025, which confirmed that our financial records and reporting met all legal and ethical standards, we filed our Termination Report on May 1. We ran a principled, community-powered campaign that exemplified what public service should look like: transparent, accountable, and grounded in the values of the people it aims to serve.
This final step is an opportunity to reflect not just on what we achieved, but how we ran.
Over the course of our campaign for DC Council Chair, we raised more than $500,000 from more than 1,000 individual donors, with approximately 94% of contributions from DC residents (compared to less than half for the incumbent). We earned nearly 57,000 votes and 46.44% of the vote, the most competitive challenge in decades against a 20+ year incumbent who likely outspent us 3 to 1 with corporate contributions from private prisons, detention center developers, and out-of-state billionaires. We ran a citywide campaign that reached every corner of DC, with no corporate or PAC donations and no independent expenditures from dark money groups.
Our success was made possible by the Fair Elections Program, which empowered us to run a values-driven campaign free from corporate money and outside influence. As the first and only Council Chair candidate to qualify, I am grateful to the District Office of Campaign Finance for administering the program with care. With the Fair Elections Program, we built a campaign rooted in listening, community connection, and detailed policy, proving that dark money and entrenched incumbency can, and must, be challenged with strength, compassion, and several “Elizabeth Warren-esque plans for conducting Council business in a less haphazard way.” The public investment in our campaign yielded real returns: we ran a highly competitive race, engaged new voters, invigorated turnout, shifted the policy conversation, and forced a 20+ year incumbent to respond and do more. That is the power and the promise of public financing.
We treated public dollars with respect. We spent only what we had on hand, paid all staff and canvassers, including youth canvassers, a living wage, and ensured every individual and business was paid on time and in full. We ultimately returned almost $70,000 in unspent funds to the Fair Elections Fund, supporting public financing for future Fair Elections candidates.
We ran a clean campaign, with no notices to show cause, no violations, no enforcement actions, and a strong commitment to transparency and accountability from start to finish.
But the process was not without challenges. To ensure the Fair Elections Program can fully deliver on its promise, it must be improved in several key ways:
- Delays in matching payments made responsible planning difficult. Without timely disbursements, we were forced to make more conservative spending decisions and could not plan with confidence, even for core campaign operations. Final matching payments were disbursed far too late to help effectively campaign, and because we did not spend money we did not have on hand, were largely returned to the DC government. The current structure can inadvertently encourage candidates to spend beyond their means in anticipation of delayed funds, leading to debt, unpaid vendors, and serious compliance issues, as we have unfortunately seen with other campaigns.
- The closing process took far too long. Although we were certified in October 2021, the campaign account did not formally close until May 2025 — three and a half years later. This delay was not due to any inaction on our part. We timely filed reports, responded promptly to all requests, and worked diligently and in good faith to provide the District Office of Campaign Finance with everything they asked for. Despite our consistent compliance, the prolonged process required real financial and labor costs in years of continued filings, meticulous recordkeeping, and labor-intensive work from me and our volunteer Treasurer.
- The program does not go far enough to support a full range of candidates. While the Fair Elections Program helped level the playing field in many ways, I also come from significant personal privilege: a two-income family, a homeowner, and flexible professional responsibilities. To truly democratize access to public office, the program must be expanded and strengthened to broaden who can run and who can run effectively, including making campaign funds usable for childcare, providing a candidate stipend or salary, exploring a Democracy Voucher-style program to empower more residents to contribute financially — particularly in underrepresented communities in Wards 7 and 8, and offering mentorship or other structured support for first-time candidates navigating the process. These improvements can be paired with strong accountability measures to ensure public funds support ethical, responsible campaigns.
I am incredibly proud of what we built. We ran a principled, community-powered campaign with bold ideas and deep integrity. Instead of just talking about good government, we modeled it. This includes not just how we raised funds, but also how we treated every dollar, volunteer, and voter.
I express deep gratitude to the team that made this possible and to Laurence B. Minor II, the Erin for DC Treasurer, who spent almost three years after Election Day ensuring every report was filed, every record was accurate, and the campaign was concluded with the same integrity it started. This level of care and commitment reflects the heart of our campaign: a campaign rooted in everyday DC residents and the belief that our government can make a real difference in the lives of our families and neighbors.
Good government is a practice and a promise. And it’s one that I’ll continue to fight for with you.
Yours in service,
Erin Palmer
