Gloria Nauden
Ward 6 Councilmember — Democratic Primary, June 16, 2026
Not in DC Fair Elections ProgramGloria Nauden (age 57) has lived in Ward 6 for more than 30 years, raising her family, building her career, and serving as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC6A-02) representing the Capitol Hill side of H Street. The daughter of a decorated African American U.S. Army veteran and a Korean mother who together built nearly a dozen small businesses, she grew up working in the family's restaurants and car wash. Nauden began her career at Black Entertainment Television during its startup years and later led the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, where she expanded funding access to the arts by 77% and created Art All Night. As Vice President at City First Bank — a leading national Community Development Financial Institution — she helped drive asset growth and expand capital access for local businesses, and led the bank's transformation into the first certified B Corporation bank in the United States. She currently serves as interim CEO of Philanthropy DMV and runs the DC Community Development Consortium Institute. Over her career she has helped nearly 1,000 DC small businesses secure capital, grants, and back-office support. Her campaign — built around the principle "Listen. Collaborate. Deliver." — focuses on safer communities, affordability, strong small businesses and schools, and a city government that follows through. On public safety she calls for a fully staffed Metropolitan Police Department paired with prevention, opportunity, and clear consequences. In response to recent "teen takeover" incidents she launched Spring Break Community Service Week, connecting students with workforce exposure, civic engagement, and service. She has criticized incumbent Charles Allen for what she describes as limited engagement with Ward 6 organizers outside Capitol Hill.
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.
Hiring significantly more MPD officers is a priority for reducing crime in DC.
Calls for rebuilding MPD to full staffing levels with officers who are visible and engaged, and for strengthening community policing and coordination across public safety agencies. The 51st reports she would increase MPD staffing while also expanding youth workforce programs.
Sources: [Gloria Nauden for Ward 6 — Campaign Website], [Your guide to the June 16 DC primary — The 51st]
DC should treat violence as a public health problem, investing heavily in violence interruption programs and community-based solutions.
Supports community-based violence prevention, expanded youth workforce programs, and early intervention efforts alongside enforcement. Frames durable safety as requiring prevention and opportunity, but pairs it with 'clear and appropriate consequences' and a fully staffed police force rather than a primarily public-health framework.
DC should enforce a curfew for minors as a tool to reduce youth crime.
Supports a youth curfew provided it is implemented equitably and data-driven — enforced consistently across all neighborhoods, citywide and timed, with regular reporting on whether incidents are actually declining.
Any youth curfew must be paired with substantial investment in alternative programming — jobs, recreation centers, mental health services — for young people.
Launched Spring Break Community Service Week in response to teen takeovers, connecting students with workforce exposure, mentorship, and civic engagement, and pledges to fight for its public funding and expansion if elected. Would expand youth workforce programs and early intervention as a core public-safety strategy.
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.
Would cut red tape to make it easier to open and grow a business, expand access to capital and technical support, and strengthen commercial corridors. Having helped nearly 1,000 DC small businesses, her emphasis is on reducing bureaucratic barriers and improving conditions like cleanliness, lighting, and safety rather than specific tax cuts.
DC should significantly increase the Housing Production Trust Fund.
Would expand affordable housing and homeownership opportunities, ensure new development includes real affordability, and use public-private partnerships to bring more housing online. Her affordable-housing focus suggests support for the District's affordable-housing financing tools, though her materials emphasize partnerships rather than the Housing Production Trust Fund by name.
DC should legalize apartments and 'missing-middle' housing (duplexes, triplexes, and small multifamily buildings) citywide by removing single-family-only zoning restrictions.
Per The 51st, favors bringing down costs to increase housing production. Her platform calls for ensuring new development includes 'real affordability' and using partnerships to bring more housing online — broadly supportive of expanding housing supply, though without an explicit position on ending single-family-only zoning.
DC should build more protected bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes.
Per The 51st, supports adding transit options for residents. Has also called for greater transparency and oversight of rising costs, including utility bills, as part of her broader affordability agenda. Her transit position is one of general support for expanded options rather than a detailed bike- and bus-lane buildout plan.
DC should increase funding for the Department of Parks and Recreation, including extended rec center hours and expanded youth and senior programming.
Would expand youth workforce programs and early intervention efforts and has organized community programming connecting young people with service and civic engagement. Supportive of recreation and youth programming as part of her public-safety and community agenda, though her materials do not detail a DPR budget plan.
DC should act aggressively to lower residents' electricity bills — for example by contesting or rolling back Pepco rate increases through the Public Service Commission.
Nauden names rising utility bills as a growing strain on Ward 6 residents and would push for greater transparency and stronger oversight of rising utility costs — engaging the oversight and regulation angle rather than efficiency programs. Supportive of acting on utility affordability, with an emphasis on oversight and transparency rather than a specific rate-rollback mechanism.
General sources
- Gloria Nauden for Ward 6 — Campaign Website — Gloria Nauden Campaign. Accessed 2026-06-01.
- Your guide to the June 16 DC primary — The 51st — The 51st. Accessed 2026-06-01.