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ELECTI N COVERAGE by Sarah Payne
Multiple Candidates Vie for Two Council Seats
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ntersections, front yards and lamp posts around the District are adorned with different colorful signs this fall as 24 candidates seek election to two seats on the DC Council. Under its Home Rule Charter, one of those seats is reserved for non-Democratic Party candidates. Democratic incumbent At-Large Councilmember Robert White (D) is standing for reelection having won the Democratic Party Primary last June. Current incumbent At Large Council Member David Grosso (I) has decided not to run for reelection. District residents will have the opportunity to select two candidates on their Nov. 3 general election ballot and at least one of their choices must be a non-democrat.
Meet the Candidates Claudia Barragan (I) is running on a focused platform of equity, diversity and action. Barragan boasts more than 20 years of experience in public service including service as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, a former policy staffer for Ward 8 Councilmember Trayvon White (D). Barragan brings an urban planning skillset to the race with experience in land use, zoning and environ10
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mental policy. If elected, Barragan would be the first immigrant woman to serve on the DC city council. www. claudiafordc.com Markus Batchelor (I), just 27 years old, if elected would be the youngest current member of the council. Batchelor has served four years as the Ward 8 representative on the State Board of Education and previously served on Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 8C. Batchelor is focused on reforming education to make it more equitable, increasing paid family leave, improving transportation access for District residents including making the Metro free and improving quality and access to healthcare east of the river. www.markusfordc.com Mario Cristaldo (I) is an immigrant from Paraguay passionate about affordable housing. He is seeking to create a DC that is affordable, livable, diverse and walkable for all residents regardless of their race, economic and social status. Since moving to the District 19 years ago, he has worked on several projects including as a community orga-
nizer for living wages in Montgomery County and for living wages in the District. Cristaldo was then appointed by former Mayor Anthony Williams (D) to serve on the rental housing conversion task force. Cristaldo also supports a Green New Deal for DC, Medicare-For-All and improving access to high quality education for all residents. mario2020dc.com Franklin Garcia (I) is the US Shadow Representative for the District and is a longtime advocate for DC statehood. Garcia was the former president and original founder of the Latino caucus and currently serves as President of the DC Latino Leadership Council. He is running on a platform of “investing in our collective future� including increasing job skills training in the public schools, prioritizing District residents in the local job market, ensuring communities feel safe and supported through improved police-community relations and monitoring development and infrastructure with a focus on local businesses and construction. Garcia is also an advocate for increasing the availability of affordable housing in the District and supports relaxing regulations that make it challenging for tenants to get into homes. Franklinfordc.com Marcus Goodwin (I), a native Washingtonian
