Zachary Parker
Ward 5 Councilmember — Democratic Primary, June 16, 2026
Not in DC Fair Elections ProgramZachary Parker is an educator, public servant, and transformative leader dedicated to building communities where all residents can thrive. He earned a Bachelor of Science from Northwestern University and a Master of Arts from Columbia University, Teachers College, and began his career as a 7th-grade math teacher before spending nearly a decade supporting DC school leaders to improve student learning. In 2018, Ward 5 residents elected Zach to the DC State Board of Education, where he was unanimously chosen as President in 2021. In 2022, Ward 5 neighbors elected him to the DC Council, where he serves as the only openly gay member and the first Black openly gay member in Council history. Parker is considered a progressive member of the Council, though not dogmatically so. In his first term he developed and funded the District Child Tax Credit, making DC the first city in the nation to provide a local child tax credit of $1,000 per child under 18 — projected to cut childhood poverty by about 25%. He secured additional labor protections and benefits in the Commanders stadium deal at RFK. He contributed to a 35% drop in violent crime in Ward 5 from 2023 to 2024 (the steepest decline in the city) and an approximate 15% drop in 2025. As Chair of the Committee on Youth Affairs, he passed and funded the Child Behavioral Health Services Dashboard, passed the School Improvement Amendment Act, and introduced the 16-bill C.A.R.E. for Youth Plan addressing everything from higher pay for summer jobs to reducing truancy. He secured $1 million for the DC LGBTQ+ Center, established two new parks in Lamond-Riggs and Carver-Langston, advanced the Fort Lincoln Recreation Center, and secured nearly $500,000 in grants to support small businesses along Rhode Island Avenue. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated.
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 treat violence as a public health problem, investing heavily in violence interruption programs and community-based solutions.
Contributed to a 35% drop in violent crime in Ward 5 through holistic, non-enforcement-first approaches — investing in behavioral health, jobs, and community partnerships. Pushed for targeted opioid abatement investments in Ivy City to ensure resources for treatment, prevention, and community-based response reach the neighborhoods most affected.
DC should enforce a curfew for minors as a tool to reduce youth crime.
Opposes punitive quick-fix approaches to youth crime, arguing they 'fly in the face of definitive research on what it takes to help youth succeed: restorative justice, trauma-informed care, and access to quality education and economic opportunity.' Frames durable safety as coming from healing trauma, supporting families, and investing in communities rather than enforcement-first measures like curfews.
Sources: [Opinion: Locking kids up isn't working. Here's what we should do instead.]
Any youth curfew must be paired with substantial investment in alternative programming — jobs, recreation centers, mental health services — for young people.
Introduced the 16-bill C.A.R.E. for Youth Plan — developed with impacted youth, families, advocacy groups, and agency employees — to address gaps in juvenile justice and child welfare. The package expands work-based learning and career technical education, increases pay for youth employment program participants, aims to improve school attendance, and ensures education continuity for youth in and exiting custody.
Sources: [Opinion: Locking kids up isn't working. Here's what we should do instead.]
Every DC public school should have a dedicated behavioral health clinician on staff.
Passed and funded the Child Behavioral Health Services Dashboard to help families access behavioral health care faster. Strengthened oversight of child welfare and rehabilitation systems, helped expand education services for incarcerated youth, and addressed social worker vacancies so foster care youth receive the support they deserve.
Sources: [Zachary Parker for Ward 5 — Campaign Website], [Public School Health Services Amendment Act of 2024 — DC Council LIMS], [Child Behavioral Health Services Dashboard Act of 2024 — DC Council LIMS]
DC should increase funding for the Department of Parks and Recreation, including extended rec center hours and expanded youth and senior programming.
Established two new parks in Lamond-Riggs and Carver-Langston, and advanced the long-stalled Fort Lincoln Recreation Center. Revived community traditions like Ward 5 Day. Expanded Ward 5's tree canopy by partnering with organizations like Casey Trees to reduce heat and pollution.
DC should build more protected bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes.
Co-introduced the STEER Act to hold reckless out-of-state drivers accountable, secured closure of the 8th Street gap on the Metropolitan Branch Trail to protect cyclists and pedestrians, and advocated for safer street design to curb reckless driving throughout Ward 5.
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.
Stood firm against federal overreach on DC's self-governance throughout his first term. Fought to ensure the RFK redevelopment deal supports strong labor standards and creates union jobs for DC residents, asserting local community interests against external pressure.
DC should cut taxes and fees on small and local businesses — and offer relief such as the small retailer property tax credit — to help them open, survive, and grow.
Passed legislation lowering permitting fees for breweries, secured nearly $500,000 in grants to support small businesses along Rhode Island Avenue through a multi-year revitalization effort, and supported the creation of Station DC, a transformative tech hub in Union Market. Championed grocery store investments in Lamond Riggs, Brookland, and the Reservoir District.
Sources: [Zachary Parker for Ward 5 — Campaign Website], [Small Retailer Property Tax Credit Expansion Amendment Act of 2025 — DC Council LIMS]
DC should raise taxes on large corporations and the wealthiest residents to close the District's budget gap.
Developed and funded the District Child Tax Credit, which provides $1,000 per child under 18 to working-class families — a redistributive policy funded through the District's progressive revenue structure. His focus on targeted investments for working-class and low-income families reflects support for using the tax system progressively.
DC should keep police officers out of public schools and instead invest in counselors, social workers, and mental-health staff.
Advocates for restorative justice, trauma-informed care, and expanded education over punitive enforcement for youth. His C.A.R.E. for Youth legislation emphasizes counseling, support, and rehabilitation rather than police-based approaches — consistent with preferring mental-health staff and social workers over police in school settings.
Sources: [Opinion: Locking kids up isn't working. Here's what we should do instead.]
DC should directly intervene to eliminate food deserts — including by opening a publicly owned grocery store in underserved areas like east of the Anacostia.
Parker has championed bringing grocery stores to underserved Ward 5 neighborhoods including Lamond-Riggs, Brookland, and the Reservoir District. Supports active city intervention to expand food access, working primarily to attract and invest in grocery options rather than proposing a publicly owned store.
DC should strengthen worker protections — expanding paid family and medical leave and raising the minimum wage — even if it raises costs for employers.
Parker secured additional labor protections and union-job guarantees in the Commanders stadium deal and raised pay for participants in the District's youth employment program. Supportive of strengthening worker protections, demonstrated through his Council record.
General sources
- Zachary Parker for Ward 5 — Campaign Website — Zachary Parker Campaign. Accessed 2026-05-31.
- Opinion: Locking kids up isn't working. Here's what we should do instead. — The 51st. Accessed 2026-05-31.
- Your guide to the June 16 DC primary — The 51st — The 51st. Accessed 2026-05-31.