Opinion

Someone should have warned DC residents at the start of this political season to “fasten your seat belts; it’s going to be a bumpy night,” as Margo Channing did in the movie All About Eve. The District’s primary, or more precisely the…

Today in the District, our elections are more competitive than they have ever been. At the time of writing this, Democratic primary voters in Ward 3 have six active candidates to choose from for their council representative (though nine…

The Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results (NEAR) Amendment Act, passed in 2016 by the DC Council, was supposed to provide a comprehensive public health approach to preventing crime in the District, with attention to victims and…

DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson has leaned into the label of progressive during this election season in which he faces challenger Erin Palmer. An ethics lawyer and Ward 4 advisory neighborhood commissioner, she also claims that political…

As Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month draws to a close, DC shouldn’t stop celebrating our city’s rich history and diverse communities. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are — and for generations have been — residents of this…

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…

Ryan Jones, Brian Schwalb and Bruce Spiva — the three candidates vying to become DC’s second elected attorney general — appear to be reading from the playbook developed by DC Council member Kenyan McDuffie prior to suspending his campaign.…

The DC Council took its first vote earlier this week on the city’s fiscal year 2023 budget, which is based in large part on $11 billion in local revenues. Legislators are expected to take a second vote later this month on the Local Budget…

Knowing how to read does not mean you know how to teach reading. Pedagogy matters. How you teach reading is both a science and an art, and DC must do more to equip reading instructors with proven methods. Allister Chang represents Ward…

DC public schools play a critical role in my family’s story. I met my wife in seventh grade in Deal Junior High School’s cafeteria, and we graduated from Wilson High School — she as valedictorian. My eldest, now in college, graduated from…

Any District resident or leader who cares about the city’s political independence and the ability of its legislature to establish laws and demand their enforcement — including in spirit — should be disturbed by the recent rulings of the DC…

It’s difficult to imagine any mayor’s second term like the one with which Muriel Bowser has grappled. It began in 2019, filled with promise. One year later, it felt like Pandora was once again among us, unleashing all sorts of hellish…

We are fortunate to live in a city where we invest in our children across their lives. From universal public prekindergarten to robust social supports, young people in the District benefit from meaningful public funding. Mayor Muriel…

The DC Board of Elections collaborated in the disenfranchisement of thousands of District voters when it upheld a complaint filed by Bruce Spiva that asserted DC Council member Kenyan McDuffie did not meet the statutory qualifications to…

Public safety has become a dominant theme this election season, with questions related to gun violence and carjackings a regular feature of candidate forums, community meetings and constituent emails. And no wonder: A…

When their schools reopened for in-person learning, my five boys were excited to return. They’ve been happy to be back in the classroom as a more normal school year has progressed, though their enthusiasm has occasionally waned — like when…

Salah Czapary is telling a story about the time when he, as a member of the DC Metropolitan Police Department, responded to a 911 call at a nail salon where a customer was engaged in a dispute. “The lady was upset that they didn't offer a…

District leaders say they understand how difficult the past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic have been for District residents, especially the Black and brown families who have borne the brunt. They say our recovery plans should touch…

I’ve been around DC politics long enough to know that when a candidate goes negative, whether directly or indirectly, it’s usually because that person’s campaign is having a tough time gaining traction. The aim is to knock the opponent off…

The opening salvo in the anticipated fight over the executive’s fiscal year 2023 budget and financial plan came quickly. On March 16, seated inside the auditorium of the newly renovated Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library,…