Will the Real Council Chair Please Stand Up?
It’s 19 days until the Primary Election in DC, and we’re working hard to elect Erin Council Chairwoman! The DC Board of Elections has mailed out ballots that you can return by mail or at any one of 55 drop boxes. You can also vote early at any vote center from June 10th through June 19th, and (of course!) on Election Day on June 21st. You can find all the details regarding drop box and vote center locations here, and if you need any help making a plan to vote please reach out!
We’re continuing to build momentum with endorsements and distinctions. I recently received Greater Greater Washington’s endorsement, and I could not be prouder of their confidence in my ability to make meaningful change not just on housing and transportation, but also on Council governance. They noted:
“[Erin Palmer] brings a clear-eyed understanding of the power of this role to make needed progress on pressing housing, transportation, and land use challenges. As Chair, she would be courageous, fair, and action-oriented…. Palmer’s grasp of the powers available to the Chair is thorough, and on display in her Council Accountability Plan …. At GGWash, we often say that good government is the most urbanist issue of all. We’re pleased to endorse Palmer — who we believe will meaningfully expand access to housing, affordable housing, and frequent and reliable transportation for fiscal, social, and moral reasons — for Council Chair. It’s evident that Palmer wants the job. We don’t see a reason why she shouldn’t have it.”
I also received an endorsement from Run for Something as the only Democrat running for Council Chair using DC’s Fair Elections program, as well as the 2022 Moms Demand Action Gun Sense Candidate distinction for advocating for gun violence prevention and making a commitment to govern with gun safety in mind. I’m honored to not just receive this distinction, but to have the support of many of the local Moms Demand Action volunteers.
They join DC for Democracy, Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund, DC Working Families Party, Our Revolution DC, the Washington Teachers’ Union, DC Women in Politics, DC National Organization for Women, Georgetown Voice, Green New Deal for DC Action, and Capital Stonewall Democrats. I’m so humbled to also have the support of over 75 current and former elected officials and candidates across all 8 Wards. You can read our full list of endorsements here.
We’ve had a number of important candidate forums, and my positions are consistent and values-based. However, the current Council Chair keeps shifting. During a recent candidate forum hosted by the ACLU of the District of Columbia on achieving community safety, I talked about taking a data-driven approach to community safety and accountability for all our government agencies, including violence intervention programs, the police department, the failed crime lab, and our failing emergency call center. The current Council Chair, on the other hand, has shifted positions on or expressed a lack of familiarity with police in schools, moving traffic enforcement to our Department of Transportation, and harm reduction centers. I believe DC voters deserve knowledgeable, consistent leadership, even when we disagree — and that is what I will do as Chairwoman.
You can read more in several recent Voter Guides, including The Washington Informer, which lays out my vision for better Council oversight and more inclusive and accessible Council proceedings, DCist, which talks about how I plan to further professionalize the Council, and Axios, where you can learn a fun fact about me. And you can read my detailed policy proposals in my DC Council Accountability Plan, my Safe Housing Action Plan, my Plan for Public Education as a Right, my Safe Streets Infrastructure and Public Transportation Plan, and my Plan for Safe, Stable & Secure Communities.
Election Day is around the corner, and this campaign is built on the strength of our friends, neighbors, and volunteers. Join us as we grow bigger and stronger through Election Day. If you’re interested in volunteering over the next few weeks, you can sign up here. We have many upcoming events to share information about the campaign with neighbors across DC, including DC’s Pride Parade. You can also request a yard sign, phonebank from your home, or post a social media graphic to tell voters why you support Erin for DC Council Chairwoman.
Stay tuned for details about an Election Day party to celebrate all we’ve built with this campaign. This is only the beginning as we work together for a brighter DC for all of us.
