jonetta rose barras: Debunking myths about DC’s Ward 3

How many times have some advocates, civic leaders or others, perhaps with larceny in their hearts, cast Ward 3 as the land of myopic, narcissistic, wealthy white people interested only in maintaining their privilege? If I had a nickel for each occasion when that description has been tossed around as reason to write off that part of the city or else to levy a new tax, I would myself be rich. 

However, the nine candidates seeking to become the Democratic Party nominee for the Ward 3 DC Council seat in the June 21 primary are doing a fine job of debunking that myth. They are a racially diverse group of middle- or upper-income folks, who could never be mistaken for Jeff Bezos clones or as members of his economic circle.

What’s been clear from the forums I have attended over the past several weeks is that Ben Bergmann, Deirdre Brown, Tricia Duncan, Henry Cohen, Beau Finley, Matthew Frumin, Eric Goulet, Monte Monash and Phil Thomas care about many of the same issues that energize most District residents — good government, ending homelessness, creating more affordable housing, improving public education and reducing crime. They are not novices and there isn’t a slouch among them. They are thoughtful, pragmatic and dedicated.

 If I were a Ward 3 Democrat, I surely would have a difficult time choosing. 

Most of the candidates have been involved in local affairs for decades: Monash, a 21-year resident, is a business owner and a prior chair of the DC Public Library Board of Trustees; Brown is a former advisory neighborhood commissioner and a longtime member of the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors; Bergmann is an advisory neighborhood commissioner and practicing lawyer; Finley is an advisory neighborhood commissioner, attorney and union leader; and Cohen is a student at Jackson-Reed High School, formerly known as Wilson.

Thomas is chair of the Ward 3 Democratic Committee and until recently was director of the Mayor’s Office of the Clean City; Duncan is former president of the Palisades Community Association; Goulet has held several senior-level positions in the DC government for two mayoral administrations and at the DC Council; and Frumin has toiled in the arenas of smart development and public education, advocating for better neighborhood schools throughout the city, including east of the Anacostia River.

“The process has been very positive; there are lots of great candidates in this race,” Frumin said earlier this week during a telephone discussion that interrupted his efforts to complete an organization’s survey that could lead to an endorsement or at the very least publicity about his positions on issues of importance. “There’s been a vibrant debate about what the path for the city should be.” 

Truth be told, all of the races this political season, for one reason or another, have renewed my interest in exploring the benefits of term limits in DC. The city has only a finite number of elected offices. There are potentially talented leaders waiting their turn. When does it come?

I am excited about the fresh faces as well as the ideas I have heard discussed in the races in wards 1, 3 and 5; in the latter two cases, I doubt that residents would have had an opportunity to engage in those discussions were it not for the fact that the incumbents decided to depart from the council, opening the field.

Ward 5’s Kenyan McDuffie had hoped to become attorney general; his campaign was aborted after the DC Board of Elections ruled he did not meet the statutory qualifications. Ward 3’s Mary Cheh had already collected tens of thousands of dollars before abruptly closing down her reelection plans and announcing her retirement from the post she has held since 2006.

Now, Ward 3 residents are being treated to a smorgasbord of candidates and public policy discussions. Political observers I have spoken with over the past several weeks have suggested that Duncan, Thomas, Frumin and Goulet are the top contenders.

The Washington Post editorial board endorsed Goulet, noting that his 19 years in government “give him unparalleled expertise.” The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1975 as well as former mayors Anthony A. Williams and Vincent Gray have also announced support for Goulet.

Ward 3 DC State Board of Education member Ruth Wattenberg, the Washington Teachers’ Union and Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund have endorsed Frumin. 

Meanwhile, this week Cheh announced that she plans to vote for Duncan. Cheh said she wouldn’t call it an endorsement but rather an indication of her intentions. 

That sounds like waffling — or perhaps a distinction without much of a difference. After all, the only reason for a public official to announce political preference is to lift their preferred candidate above the others.

When I spoke with Cheh last week, during the first in a series of wide-ranging conversations about the future of the city and her ward, she suggested that in looking for a replacement “attitude” is important. “I’m pretty friendly, but I listen to people, and they get the feeling that I care about their problems and I’m responsive. That’s what folks around here want,” she said. 

Cheh said the candidate most suitable for the job has to be “willing, I think, to explain why you’re doing what you’re doing because even if they disagree with you, if you explain it and you’re responsive to whatever it is they’re complaining about, I think they respect that.” 

In her prepared statement supporting Duncan, Cheh offered that “Tricia is smart, energetic, knows the issues, and actually listens to residents’ concerns.

“Other candidates may have more experience with the council or profess a certain expertise, but only Tricia has the personal qualities that will make her an excellent council member,” added Cheh.

That last bit surely must sting the other eight candidates — particularly Frumin, who, before Cheh dropped out of the race, had been serving as her campaign’s treasurer. In my conversation with him, he brushed it aside, offering that she is entitled to support whomever she chooses.

The Ward 3 race has been hugely competitive mostly because so many of the people running have a record of public service and, despite Cheh’s implication, do actually understand the issues facing their community and the city.

When asked during a forum presented by the DC Chamber of Commerce to name what they perceived as the top three issues for Ward 3, there was a diverse set of responses from the seven candidates in attendance. For example, Thomas identified composting for all, free public transportation for seniors, and construction of a senior wellness center like the ones touted in other wards. Cohen argued that public transportation should be free for all, the voting age should be lowered to 16, and public schools must be well-maintained. Brown cited the need to fix paid family leave and to make changes to the city’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase laws and regulations related to single-family homes. Bergmann pointed to the need for restoration of downtown, more child care, and gentle density around Metrorail stations to increase housing and development. Monash mentioned free transit passes for seniors as well as incentives for businesses to operate in Ward 3 business corridors.

Education and public safety, including funding the Metropolitan Police Department to allow police to “do the kinds of things it used to do like youth camps,” were noted by Frumin at the forum. Goulet cited regulatory reform; oversight of Metrobus and Metrorail (including a request to serve on the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s board of directors); and ensuring every Ward 3 school has enough prekindergarten seats. 

Don’t think the race has been all tame. A battle broke out after the Chamber declined to post a video of its event. The brouhaha began after candidates raised concerns about Goulet’s response to a question about welcoming Black residents and increasing affordable housing in Ward 3 while protecting property values for existing homeowners. Several candidates accused Goulet of making discriminatory remarks against low-income residents of color; Bergmann pushed for the release of the video and persuaded the other seven to sign on to a letter to the Chamber. 

When I heard Goulet’s answer, I didn’t have the same reaction. Rather it appeared he was laying out the various complications associated with increasing the number of Black and brown residents in the ward, considering the current income gaps. Goulet also noted that while the city’s use of housing vouchers has increased the number of residents of color in Ward 3, some of the recipients had problems like substance abuse or mental health disorders that could reduce their ability to succeed. Those problems were also creating tension with current residents in some buildings where there was an abundance of voucher holders. Goulet argued that for some of these Black and brown residents, it’s unlikely they would become stable enough to remain in the community without the government ensuring adequate wraparound services to help them overcome past challenges.

As the controversy grew, Goulet tweeted out a copy of his own video of that forum; the controversy appears to have died down. He asserted that it was all a “display of rivalry desperation.” 

You can expect another skirmish or two, although the Elections Board has already begun mailing ballots to voters. However, which campaign is shouting the loudest — or, for that matter, which is receiving the most endorsements and from whom — shouldn’t be used to measure who has the best chance of winning.

There were nearly 41,000 registered Democrats in the ward as of April 30, according to the Elections Board. In 2018, when Cheh was last up for reelection, she had no opposition in the primary and pulled in only 10,011 votes, with a turnout of 30.68% among the ward’s Democrats. In the general election that year, independent Petar Dimtchev won 7,946 votes while Cheh received 23,443. 

Voting by mail — not to mention a competitive race — could increase the turnout this time around. But by how much?

Every candidate in the Ward 3 field seems to have a base from which to draw — as a past or present advisory neighborhood commissioner, the head of a neighborhood association, or a participant on a special committee or task force. 

Prior to the launch of her council campaign, Duncan headed the Palisades community group that claims 1,800 members. Thomas is the chair of the ward’s Democratic Party and has boasted he has knocked on 3,000 doors per week. 

“My campaign has always been grassroots based on years of working in the community. We have a big network of enthusiastic supporters,” said Frumin, himself a former advisory neighborhood commissioner in American University Park. “I am optimistic.”

There is a run, right now, on optimism. However, talk doesn’t guarantee political victories. Candidates have to turn out their base. That is all show.

This post has been updated to correct a reference to Phil Thomas’ door-knocking efforts as part of his campaign.

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jonetta rose barras is an author and freelance journalist, covering national and local issues including politics, childhood trauma, public education, economic development and urban public policies. She can be reached at thebarrasreport@gmail.com.