Aparna Raj
Ward 1 Councilmember — Democratic Primary, June 16, 2026
Participating in DC Fair Elections Program ✓Aparna Raj (age 32) is a tenant organizer, union member, and queer woman of color who has lived in Columbia Heights for a decade with her husband Stuart and their dog Frank. She describes her motivation in personal terms: her mother came to the US as an immigrant and worked minimum-wage retail without the ability to take sick time; her father lost his job in 2009 and the family scrambled to make ends meet; and as her parents age, the prospect of a medical emergency bankrupting them looms. Those experiences led her to volunteer with Metro DC DSA, through which she organized for tenants' rights (including alongside the tenants of Marbury Plaza), worked to defend and expand tenant protections against the real estate lobby, and organized against Trump. She previously worked at a nonprofit addressing food insecurity in DC and now works for Local Progress, a progressive policy nonprofit. She served on ANC 1A's Housing Justice and Zoning Committee and fought for housing that meets people's needs rather than developer profits. As a union member she served on her unit's bargaining committee and picketed alongside restaurant workers, bus drivers, and mechanics. She has raised more money than any other Ward 1 candidate, hitting the Fair Elections Program funding ceiling. Her housing platform is the most detailed in the race: she would expand rent stabilization to all buildings built after 1975 (with a goal of universal coverage at the 2030 reauthorization), restore TOPA for all DC residents, allocate $125 million annually to the Housing Production Trust Fund, and pilot social housing modeled on Montgomery County and Seattle. On childcare, she would guarantee free publicly funded care from age 3 months to 3 years — no means testing, paid for by taxes on large corporations — by fully funding the existing Birth to Three infrastructure. Her energy platform calls for PSC reform (reducing Pepco's guaranteed return to ~6%), fully funding Solar for All and home electrification programs, and ultimately transitioning to public ownership of DC's utilities. She has a detailed rat-control platform including smart rodent-proof bins, a DC Rat Czar to coordinate DPW and DC Health, and a composting expansion. On workers' rights she would extend the right to strike to public sector workers, introduce fair scheduling legislation, and introduce a DC Right to Organize Act. On transit she would build dedicated bus lanes (citing 15% commuting time savings), increase bus frequency to 12-minute minimums, and close bicycle network connectivity gaps. On public safety she emphasizes violence interruption ("Cure the Streets"), non-police crisis response, and youth programming. She supports ending MPD cooperation with ICE, strengthening the Sanctuary Values Act, and funding free public immigration legal services. Ward 1 is majority-Spanish-speaking in many blocks; Raj is actively learning Spanish and has committed to fully translated constituent communications.
Endorsements (32)
Labor unions
- Washington Teachers' Union
- Local 25 – UNITE HERE (hotel, restaurant, casino workers)
- Unite Here! Local 23
- Amalgamated Transit Union – ATU Local 689
- Metropolitan Washington Council – AFL-CIO
- 32BJ SEIU
- SEIU Local 500
- Committee of Interns and Residents – SEIU Healthcare
- AFSCME – District Council 20
- AFGE Local 2978
- AFGE Local 2725
- AFGE – District 14
- UFCW Local 400
- CWA – Maryland-DC State Council
- Teamsters Local 639
- Nonprofit Professional Employees Union
- International Association of Fire Fighters – Local 36
Advocacy & community organizations
- Working Families Party
- Greater Greater Washington (Rank #1)
- Metro DC DSA
- Sierra Club
- Jews United for Justice
- Bike, Walk & Bus PAC
- DC Women in Politics
- DC for Democracy
- DC Voters for Animals (#2 Ranking)
- Our Revolution DC
- Run for Something
- Lead Locally
- Rachel's Action Network
- The Woodner Tenants' Union
- Tivoli Gardens Tenants Association – Asociación de Inquilinos
Positions on the issues
All positions are sourced directly from the candidate's campaign materials, official questionnaire responses, or verified news coverage. Stances are rated on a scale from Strongly opposes (−2) to Strongly supports (+2). A stance of Unknown means no public position has been found.
DC should expand rent stabilization to cover more housing, including buildings constructed after 1975.
Would expand rent stabilization to properties built after 1975 and push for universal coverage of all multifamily buildings at the 2030 reauthorization. Wants to reverse harmful provisions of the RENTAL Act and fund tenant attorneys through the Access to Justice program.
DC should restore and strengthen TOPA (the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act) to give tenants the right to purchase their building before it's sold to an outside buyer.
Explicitly calls for restoring TOPA to all District residents — including single-family homes, 2–4 unit buildings, and new downtown construction stripped in recent rollbacks — and strengthening the First Right Purchase Program for limited equity cooperatives.
DC should significantly increase the Housing Production Trust Fund.
Explicitly calls for $125 million allocated to the HPTF annually, with five-year production targets and rigorous oversight of DHCD. Would require HPTF to prioritize TOPA projects and reform the opaque Qualified Allocation Plan.
DC should adopt a social housing model — publicly owned, mixed-income housing.
Would pilot District-owned, tenant-controlled social housing modeled on Montgomery County's HOC and Seattle, built with union labor and to high environmental standards, open to residents from all income levels.
DC should build more protected bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes.
Would build dedicated bus lanes (citing 15% commuting time savings), increase bus frequency to 12-minute minimums, extend existing lane hours, and close remaining bicycle network connectivity gaps to make it possible to ride safely east-to-west across Ward 1. At the Bike, Walk & Bus PAC transportation forum she named east-west connectivity a top priority, argued 'paint is not protection' in pushing to make the 14th Street bike lanes physically protected, and called for more bus shelters (noting they cluster in whiter, wealthier wards).
Sources: [Platform — Aparna Raj for DC Council], [Ward 1 Council Candidate Forum on Transportation (Bike, Walk & Bus PAC)]
DC buses should be fare-free for all riders.
At the Bike, Walk & Bus PAC forum she said 'buses should be a free public good in the same way that we consider libraries and parks a public good' — the position of the transit union (ATU Local 689) that endorsed her — because fare enforcement endangers drivers and fares are an unreliable funding source. Would fund free buses through a land value tax (which she says could raise up to $1 billion), commit to confirming only WMATA board members who back free buses, and fight for a free-bus pilot to build momentum for a permanent program.
Sources: [Ward 1 Council Candidate Forum on Transportation (Bike, Walk & Bus PAC)]
DC should implement congestion pricing — charging drivers to enter the busiest parts of downtown.
At the Bike, Walk & Bus PAC forum, asked how the Council should discourage driving, she said she 'would fight to get DOT to release the congestion pricing study that they've been holding on to' and 'would potentially support' congestion pricing — pairing it with cheaper, more frequent transit, better bus shelters, and programs to teach kids to bike. Supportive but tentative ('potentially').
Sources: [Ward 1 Council Candidate Forum on Transportation (Bike, Walk & Bus PAC)]
MPD should not assist ICE or other federal agencies in immigration enforcement operations within DC.
Would end MPD collaboration with ICE including joint patrols, surveillance, and intelligence sharing; strengthen the Sanctuary Values Act with enforceable consequences for officials who break it; ban law enforcement from wearing masks; fund free public immigration legal services.
Every DC public school should have a dedicated behavioral health clinician on staff.
Would increase funding for school-based behavioral health services, opposing the FY26 budget's $2.3 million cut to school behavioral health. Supports expanding school counselors, social workers, and nurses; funds mobile health crisis units; and expands the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic program. At the WTU Ward 1 education forum she underscored that 'not every school has a counselor… not every school has a school nurse,' calling these vital supports for students' wellness, health, and safety.
Sources: [Platform — Aparna Raj for DC Council], [Ward 1 Council Candidate Forum on Education (WTU)]
DC should end mayoral control of DC Public Schools and return authority to an elected State Board of Education.
At the WTU Ward 1 education forum she pledged to 'democratize our school system' and bring OSSE under the control of the elected State Board of Education — 'which is how it works in the majority of states' — so State Board members (often current or former teachers) gain more decision-making authority. Would also hold public charter schools to the same accountability and transparency standards as DCPS. Directly supports ending mayoral control in favor of the elected board.
Sources: [Ward 1 Council Candidate Forum on Education (WTU)]
DC should treat violence as a public health problem, investing heavily in violence interruption programs and community-based solutions.
Would expand 'Cure the Streets' violence interruption and community violence intervention programs; consolidate DC's patchwork of non-police crisis responders into a single coordinated program for mental health, substance use, and homelessness calls; and invest in 911 paramedic call takers to route mental health emergencies to appropriate responders.
Any youth curfew must be paired with substantial investment in alternative programming — jobs, recreation centers, mental health services — for young people.
Would fully fund after-school and weekend programs, revitalize the Marion Barry Summer Youth Employment Program, and expand rec center hours with programming that kids want. Frames youth programming investment as crime prevention: 'early childhood education is proven to reduce adolescent crime.'
DC should increase funding for the Department of Parks and Recreation, including extended rec center hours and expanded youth and senior programming.
Would resist cuts to rec centers and public spaces and fight to invest in longer hours and improved physical infrastructure. Specifically proposes expanding rec center hours with programming for youth, and advocates for bringing Ward 1's federally maintained parks under DPR control.
DC should expand subsidized childcare into a universal program — available to all DC residents regardless of income — building on the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP).
Would guarantee free, publicly funded childcare for every DC child from age 3 months to 3 years — no means testing, no fees, no benefits cliff — by fully funding the existing Birth to Three program infrastructure. Would pay for it with taxes on large corporations and the ultrawealthy, and protect and expand the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund.
DC should implement a comprehensive citywide rodent control program — including replacing standard trash containers with rodent-proof bins — to address the District's chronic rat infestation.
Has a detailed, multi-pronged rat platform: replace open-top public litter cans with smart rodent-proof bins with compaction sensors; pest-proof household trash bins with locked tops; appoint a DC Rat Czar to coordinate DPW and DC Health; expand composting to restaurants; explore rat birth control pilots; and strengthen landlord accountability for chronic infestations. Notes Ward 1 reports the most rats in the District year after year.
DC should create a publicly owned electric utility to replace Pepco.
Explicitly: 'Aparna believes that DC should transition to public ownership of its utilities.' Argues that regulation through the PSC has failed to check investor-owned monopolies, and points to the 2,000+ municipal utilities nationwide (including the whole state of Nebraska) whose customers pay about 13% less. Sees public power as the way to lower bills, meet climate goals, and create union jobs.
DC should legalize apartments and 'missing-middle' housing (duplexes, triplexes, and small multifamily buildings) citywide by removing single-family-only zoning restrictions.
Will 'make it legal to build apartments everywhere in DC,' citing Portland and Cambridge, and specifically upzone transit corridors such as Georgia Ave and 14th St. Would amend the Future Land Use Map to end exclusionary zoning, allow 'light-touch density' (duplexes, triplexes, sixplexes) by reducing minimum lot sizes and setbacks, ease alley-home rules, and reduce or eliminate parking minimums near transit. At the Bike, Walk & Bus PAC forum she called transit-oriented development 'a no-brainer,' voicing strong support for upzoning near Metro stations and along transit corridors so people can live near transit.
Sources: [Platform — Aparna Raj for DC Council], [Ward 1 Council Candidate Forum on Transportation (Bike, Walk & Bus PAC)]
DC should guarantee free, high-quality child care from birth through age three — with no waitlists — for District families.
Would guarantee free, publicly funded childcare for every DC child from age 3 months to 3 years — no means testing, no fees, no benefits cliff — by fully funding the existing Birth to Three infrastructure, paid for by taxes on large corporations and the ultrawealthy.
DC should keep police officers out of public schools and instead invest in counselors, social workers, and mental-health staff.
Would invest in 'good schools for all,' including counselors, social workers, nurses, and other support staff so students have trusted adults — and supports shifting mental-health, substance-use, and wellness-check responses away from police toward trained civilian responders. Emphasizes non-police supports rather than a police presence in schools.
DC should raise taxes on large corporations and the wealthiest residents to close the District's budget gap.
Explicitly funds her universal childcare and affordable housing platforms with 'taxes on large corporations and the ultrawealthy,' framing progressive corporate taxation as the alternative to service cuts or income-tested subsidies.
DC should respond to Trump administration interference in city governance with an assertive, public stance — filing lawsuits, passing protective legislation, and refusing to comply with unlawful federal directives — rather than quiet diplomacy or pragmatic deal-making.
Would strengthen the Sanctuary Values Act with enforceable consequences for officials who break it, ban law enforcement from wearing masks, and fund free public immigration legal services — an assertive legislative posture against federal overreach targeting DC's immigrant communities.
DC should act aggressively to lower residents' electricity bills — for example by contesting or rolling back Pepco rate increases through the Public Service Commission.
Raj's platform centers an 'energy affordability crisis' agenda: demanding stricter PSC oversight of rate increases, cutting Pepco's guaranteed 9.5% return toward 6%, barring utilities from using ratepayer funds to lobby, creating shutoff guardrails, and ultimately moving toward public ownership. Strongly supports aggressive action to lower electricity bills.
DC should strengthen worker protections — expanding paid family and medical leave and raising the minimum wage — even if it raises costs for employers.
A union member and former bargaining-committee rep, Raj backs a $25 living-wage minimum, restoring Initiative 82's tipped-wage increase, fully funding the childcare Pay Equity Fund, new worker-rights enforcement (a DC version of California's PAGA), and protections against gig misclassification. Strongly supports expanding worker protections.
DC should expand permanent supportive housing and 'Housing First' services to address homelessness, rather than relying on clearing encampments.
Raj would end chronic homelessness by funding Permanent Supportive Housing, LRSP, and bridge housing, reforming Rapid Rehousing, and replacing lost federal vouchers with local dollars — while explicitly opposing 'Trump and Mayor Bowser's violent encampment evictions' and criminalization. Strongly supports a Housing First approach.
General sources
- Platform — Aparna Raj for DC Council — Aparna Raj Campaign. Accessed 2026-05-30.
- Aparna Raj for DC Council — Campaign Website — Aparna Raj Campaign. Accessed 2026-05-30.
- Meet the candidates running to represent Ward 1 — The 51st — The 51st. Accessed 2026-05-27.
- Ward 1 candidates helped clean Columbia Heights — El Tiempo Latino — El Tiempo Latino. Accessed 2026-05-28.
- Ward 1 Council Candidate Forum on Education (WTU) — Washington Teachers' Union. Accessed 2026-06-02.
- Ward 1 Council Candidate Forum on Transportation (Bike, Walk & Bus PAC) — DC Bike, Walk & Bus PAC. Accessed 2026-06-03.