From unions to The Post’s editorial board: An overview of endorsements in DC’s June elections

The ethics scandal that prompted Jack Evans to resign from his longtime seat as the Ward 2 council member is just one of the storylines figuring into the upcoming June 2 primary and June 16 special election for the seat. With early voting now open and absentee ballots available on request through May 26, here is a breakdown of endorsements that candidates have secured across the at-large and four council seats on the ballot.

Many are watching the endorsements of progressive groups, as incumbents Brandon Todd and Vincent Gray face challengers from their left, and which candidates are using public financing through the new Fair Elections program. Incumbent Trayon White is participating; Robert White is not but says he will not take contributions from corporations, either.

With limited opportunities for face-to-face engagement with voters, incumbents and their opponents are finding new ways to campaign in a digital environment.

---

At-Large 

Robert White has held one of the four at-large council seats since September 2016, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy after having won the Democratic nomination for a full four-year term. Since declaring his candidacy for re-election, White has swept a number of endorsements from the region’s unions. With no challengers from within his party, he will wait until the November election to face independent candidates who make the ballot as well as nominees from DC’s other parties. In those primaries, Marya Pickering of the Republican Party, Ann C. Wilcox of the DC Statehood Green Party and Joseph Bishop-Henchman of the Libertarian Party are likewise running uncontested. None of the other at-large candidates in the June 2 primaries have secured major endorsements.

Endorsements for Robert White

• AFSCME District Council 20: “Robert White has our full support. Throughout his first term, he has been a consistent champion for our union members.”
• Baltimore-DC Building Trades Council
• Gertrude Stein Democratic Club
• LiUNA! Local 11: “We are pleased to endorse Robert White. He understands the importance of union membership and creating quality jobs for DC residents.”
• Sierra Club, Washington D.C. Chapter: “Over the last four years, Councilmember White has proven himself a top environmental ally.”
• National Organization for Women, DC Chapter
• Teamsters Local 639: “As a member of the Council, Robert has been a strong supporter of DC rights and worked hard to protect the rights of DC citizens.”
• UFCW Local 400
• Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO
• Greater Greater Washington
• DC Association of Realtors
• Washington Teachers’ Union
• 1199 SEIU
• DC Latino Caucus
• DC Bar and Restaurant Workers Alliance
• DC Young Democrats

---

Ward 2

Originally seeking spots on the June 2 primary and June 16 special election ballots, Jack Evans took a step back, deciding only to run in the primary. “Not running in the special is also a way of showing my sincere regret for the mistakes I made,” he told the Washington Post.

Jordan Grossman and Patrick Kennedy lead the race in fundraising and endorsements. Brooke Pinto, the only Ward 2 candidate not in the public financing program, received The Washington Post’s endorsement. The other Democratic candidates — John Fanning, Daniel Hernandez, Kishan Putta and Yilin Zhang — are publicly financing their campaigns. Neither Zhang nor Katherine Venice, a “maverick Republican” who is uncontested for her party’s nomination for the four-year term, has significant endorsements. 

To add a complicating factor, the special election to fill the vacancy left by Evans’ resignation in January will feature a different field than the primary. Like Evans, Hernandez opted not to run in the special election; meanwhile, Venice is on the ballot for the election, which is open to all Ward 2 voters regardless of party registration.

Endorsements for Jack Evans

• Nightlife advocate and Washington Blade columnist Mark Lee: “Ward 2 voters have a decision to make that will affect the future of the city. Let’s make our choice Jack Evans.”

Endorsements for John Fanning

• Carol Schwartz, former DC Council member: “I believe far and away the best choice is John Fanning.”
• DC Latino Caucus
• Teamsters Local 639: “Local 639 believes that as a Council Member John will continue the hard work of improving the quality of life in Ward 2 that he demonstrated while serving on the Ward 2 ANC.”
• Commissioner Ian Smith (ANC 2F)
• Paul Kuntzler, LGBTQ rights activist

Endorsements for Jordan Grossman

• 350 DC
• Carpenters Local 197
• DC for Democracy
• DC Working Families Party
• At-large DC Council member Elissa Silverman (independent): “Ward 2 residents want a clean break from the pay-to-play corruption of Jack Evans, which makes Jordan Grossman the best choice. … He has a strong track record of fighting for working families and using the power of government to make that happen.”
• Health Care Workers’ Union 1199SEIU: “As frontline healthcare workers, we are proud to endorse [Jordan Grossman,] who will fight for a healthy and equitable District of Columbia. The coronavirus pandemic has made clearer than ever that healthcare workers — Black, brown, and white — are absolutely essential. The pandemic has also shown that we must build real healthcare equity in the District. It is critical that we elect representatives who will organize with us to build a DC that works for all the District’s working families.”
• Run for Something
• Former Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif.
• Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund
• Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO
• National Organization for Women, DC Chapter
• Nonprofit Professional Employees Union
• Our Revolution DC: “Jordan is a strong progressive … committed to fighting for progressive causes that are of dire concern for our city, including advocating for economic, environmental, and racial equality on the council.”
• Persist DC
• Sunrise Movement DC
• Transit Workers’ Union, ATU Local 689
• Unite Here Local 25
• U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar: “Jordan Grossman played a crucial role in helping us save the Affordable Care Act. He will be an incredible leader for DC Ward 2 residents.”
• Washington Teachers’ Union
• UFCW Local 400
• SEIU Local 500

Endorsements for Daniel Hernandez

• VoteVets

Endorsements for Patrick Kennedy

• Baltimore Washington Laborers’ District Council, LiUNA!
• Democrats for Education Reform
• Commissioner Detrick Campbell (ANC 2A)
• Georgetown Metropolitan blogger Topher Mathews
• Greater Greater Washington: “Kennedy has consistently demonstrated an innate grasp of meaningful, realistic, and achievable housing, transportation, and land-use policies and reforms to make DC less reliant on automobile transportation and add the housing needed to deal with DC’s affordability crisis.”
• Commissioner Jeri Epstein (ANC 2A)
• Commissioner Joe Gibbons (ANC 2E)
• Commissioner Kari Cunningham (ANC 2B)
• Mary Lord, former Ward 2 representative, DC State Board of Education
• Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades Association
• Commissioner Mike Silverstein (ANC 2B)
• Monica Roaché, DC Democratic State Committee member
• Peter Rosenstein, LGBTQ and Democratic Party activist and Washington Blade columnist
• DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson: “I know Patrick Kennedy as a well-regarded community leader. He’s balanced and knows how to work with others, which is why he is supported throughout Ward 2. We need his experience, integrity, and leadership on the Council. I endorse Patrick’s election.”
• At-large DC Council member Anita Bonds
• Jack Jacobson, Ward 2 representative, DC State Board of Education
• Ruby Corado, founder and executive director of Casa Ruby: “We need new voices on Council and Patrick is one of them. He’s the new young talent. He has values for the real people of D.C. Patrick has shown he is committed to our entire community.”
• Sierra Club, Washington D.C. Chapter
• Washington DC Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 36: “Local 36 supports Patrick Kennedy’s goals to increase affordable housing and place public safety services including the Fire and EMS Department as a budgetary priority.”

Endorsements for Brooke Pinto

• Christina Johnson, affordable housing executive and nonprofit leader
• DC Bar and Restaurant Workers Alliance (in the special election)
• DC Women in Politics
• DC Attorney General Karl Racine: “Brooke has an impressive work ethic and a rare sticktoitiveness that resulted in Brooke becoming a go to advisor in my office on whom I often relied. Brooke thoroughly understands the importance of listening to the views of all interests that could be impacted by contemplated legislation. She is a persuasive person who leads by consensus. Additionally, Brooke’s character is beyond reproach, which will be a breath of fresh air for Ward 2.”
• U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass.
• John Castellani, former president and CEO of the Business Roundtable
• DC shadow Sen. Michael D. Brown
• U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn.
• Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.
• Howard Marks, founder of the Ward 2 Better Government Association and Take Back Our Sidewalks
• Chris Kennedy, former Democratic candidate for governor of Illinois (2018) and chairman of Joseph P. Kennedy Enterprises Inc.
• Michael Healy, CEO and founder of New Columbia Solar
• Rusty Conner, partner at Covington and Burling LLP
• Vicki Girard, co-director of Georgetown University Law Center Health Justice Alliance
• The Washington Post: “[T]he best choice is Brooke Pinto, a former assistant D.C. attorney general who would give Ward 2 a needed new start.”
• DC Tenants’ Advocacy Coalition (TENAC)

Endorsements for Kishan Putta

• DC Voters for Animals
• Adam Eidinger, longtime DC activist: “I want diversity in the council. I want someone who’s already been responsive in the community for 10 years as an ANC commissioner and both the Eastern half and the Western half of the communities where he’s been elected a representative.” 
• Kevin Minoli, former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official: “Kishan is a tireless advocate who has demonstrated that he can get things done and that he is dedicated to building a better future for DC.”
• Neil Albert, president and executive director of the DowntownDC Business Improvement District and former DC city administrator
• Former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy

---

Ward 4 member of the DC Council

Incumbent Brandon Todd is seeking reelection for his second full term in office. He was elected in 2015 during a special election to replace then-Ward 4 Council member Muriel Bowser, for whom Todd had worked for years. Democratic primary challenger Janeese Lewis George worked as an assistant attorney general under Karl Racine and is running as a progressive alternative to Todd. Marlena D. Edwards, a third Democratic candidate, and Perry Redd, who is running uncontested for the Statehood Green Party’s nomination, have not received major endorsements.

Endorsements for Janeese Lewis George

• 350 DC
• Black Lives Matter DC
• DC for Democracy
• Democratic Socialists of America
• At-large DC Council member Elissa Silverman (independent)
• Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund
• DC Attorney General Karl Racine: “Janeese is relentlessly hardworking, smart, she cares about constituent services, and most importantly she’s independent. Ward 4 deserves a smart, independent councilmember and Janeese Lewis George is the person for the job.”
• Ward 4 State Board of Education representative Frazier O’Leary
• Commissioner Renée Bowser (ANC 4D)
• DC Voters for Animals
• Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO
• DC Women in Politics
• Nonprofit Professional Employees Union
• National Organization for Women, DC Chapter
• DC Working Families: “We are so proud to back Janeese Lewis George, someone who has been a life-long progressive who will fight to shift the balance of power back into the hands of working people. Her candidacy is not just about who has the best policies, but about who will help to organize the support we need to create real change. Her grassroots, people-powered campaign is what sets her above the rest.”
• Sierra Club DC
• Greater Greater Washington
• Washington Teachers’ Union
• Unite Here Local 25
• Transit Workers’ Union, ATU Local 689
• 1199 SEIU
• Sanctuary DMV
• Sunrise Movement DC
• Our Revolution DC
• Persist DC
• UFCW Local 400
• DC Latino Caucus
• Broads Save America
• SEIU Local 500
• DC Young Democrats
• DC Tenants’ Advocacy Coalition (TENAC)

Endorsements for Brandon Todd

• 32BJ SEIU
• Associated Builders and Contractors
• AFGE Local 1975
• AFSCME District Council 20
• Baltimore/Washington District Council, LiUNA!: “Mr. Todd recognizes that project labor agreements (PLAs) not only help bring construction projects in on time and on budget, but also help further construction careers for District residents.”
• DC Association of Realtors
• Democrats for Education Reform
• At-large DC Council member Anita Bonds
• Ward 5 DC Council member Kenyan McDuffie
• DC Police Union (FOP-MPD Labor Committee)
• Mid-Atlantic Pipe Trades Association
• Teamsters Local 639
• The Washington Post: “He has had some stumbles, but despite critics’ biggest complaint — that he has been largely supportive of the mayor — he has been good for the city and for Ward 4. Instead of chasing headlines or pushing programs fashioned by advocates with a national agenda, Mr. Todd has focused on education reform and other issues of fundamental interest to Ward 4 residents.”
• DC Bar and Restaurant Workers Alliance

---

Ward 7 member of the DC Council

Vincent Gray has held the Ward 7 seat on the DC Council since 2017, previously sitting from 2005 through 2011 before serving one term as mayor. He is opposed by advisory neighborhood commissioners Anthony Lorenzo Green and Veda Rasheed. Three other candidates — military veterans Kelvin Brown and James Leroy Jennings, and business owner Rebecca J. Morris — have not received major endorsements.

Endorsements for Vincent Gray

• 32BJ SEIU
• AFGE
• Baltimore-DC Building Trades Council
• DC Association of Realtors
• DC Bar and Restaurant Workers Alliance
• DC Latino Caucus
• DC Voters for Animals
• Democrats for Education Reform
• Gertrude Stein Democratic Club
• Greater Greater Washington
• Baltimore-Washington Laborers’ District Council, LiUNA!
• SEIU722
• Sierra Club, Washington D.C. Chapter
• Teamsters Local 639: “Local 639 recognizes Council Member Gray’s longtime service to the District of Columbia and his commitment to protecting the needs and interests of working families and public employees.”
• The Washington Post: “Mr. Gray’s experience is too valuable to discard at this critical time. He forged a mastery of budget issues as council chair and mayor, and, as head of the council’s Health Committee, he is schooled in the city’s health needs.”
• Unite Here Local 25
• Caribbean-American Political Action Committee

Endorsements for Anthony Lorenzo Green

• 1199SEIU
• 350DC
• ATU Local 689
• Black Lives Matter DC
• Lorn D. Hill, co-founder of Black History Swim Meet: “Commissioner Anthony Lorenzo Green as Councilmember is a wise choice. He has the soul, the sincere desire and the energy to bring justice and improvements which are only two of his focuses. His background provides a strong base for his platform and community outreach which would give him a great start and hit the ground running as they say.”
• DC for Democracy
• DC Working Families Party: “Anthony Lorenzo Green is a proven champion of progressive values and we’re excited to endorse him in the Ward 7 Democratic Primary. … He is running a grassroots, people-powered campaign and isn’t afraid to stake out unapologetic and bold positions to confront the challenges facing our city. This is exactly what we need to build a government that works for everyone.” 
• Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO
• Nonprofit Professional Employees Union
• Our Revolution DC
• Washington Teachers’ Union
• DC Tenants’ Advocacy Coalition (TENAC)

Veda Rasheed

• Capital News DC: “The Capital News recognizes Miss Rasheed as an inspiration to a community tired of politics as usual. We proudly endorse her for Ward 7 DC Council where she has committed to fighting for a new normal and to work from day one to repair the damage that insider politics and broken promises have caused her beloved hometown.”
• DC Women in Politics

---

Ward 8 member of the DC Council

After a hotly contested campaign in 2016, Trayon White is running for reelection against former allies Stuart Anderson and Mike Austin as well as civil rights attorney Yaida Ford. Nate Derenge, a Republican, is running for his party’s nomination; he and Anderson do not have any major endorsements

Endorsements for Mike Austin

• Greater Greater Washington (shared with Trayon White)
• Ward 8 Concerned Voters
• The Washington Post: “A better choice is offered by Mike Austin, an attorney with deep ties to the community who was legislative director to former Ward 8 council member LaRuby May.”

Endorsements for Yaida Ford

• DC Women in Politics
• National Organization for Women, DC Chapter: “Yaida O. Ford has dedicated her professional life to working with Ward 8 residents and supporting those who need it most in Washington, DC. As the Ward 8 City Council member, Yaida will advocate for equitable educational supports for our students and teachers, a full-service hospital in the Ward, and innovative and affordable housing.”
• DC Tenants’ Advocacy Coalition (TENAC)

Endorsements for Trayon White

• AFGE
• ATU Local 689
• DC Voters for Animals
• At-large DC Council member Elissa Silverman
• Greater Greater Washington (shared with Mike Austin)
• Baltimore Washington Laborers’ District Council, LiUNA!
• Healthcare Workers’ Union 1199SEIU
• Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund: “Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. has demonstrated a deep commitment to progressive policies during his first term on the Council, and we have seen his growth as a leader. Our endorsement team was also impressed by his self-reflection and humility in discussing with forthrightness the lessons he has learned from his first term.”
• Metro Washington Council, AFL-CIO
• Sierra Club, Washington D.C. Chapter: “Trayon White prioritizes service to his ward and his constituents above all else. He’s working to lessen plastic pollution with cleanups across Ward 8. He co-introduced the 2018 climate bill that’s moving DC to electricity from 100% renewable sources.”
• Washington Teachers’ Union
• DC Association of Realtors
• DC Bar and Restaurant Workers Alliance

This post has been updated to add endorsements not included when originally published.