Ward 5 Councilmember
Democratic Primary — June 16, 2026
What's at stake
Ward 5 covers a wide swath of Northeast DC including Trinidad, Brentwood, Langdon, Edgewood, Michigan Park, Brookland, Lamond-Riggs, Fort Lincoln, and the Ivy City corridor. Incumbent Councilmember Zachary Parker, the first Black openly gay Council member in DC history, is seeking re-election. The ward has seen significant development pressure along the NoMa, Ivy City, and Rhode Island Avenue corridors and a sharp decline in violent crime under Parker's tenure. Three Democrats are on the primary ballot, and ranked choice voting applies for the first time in June 2026.
Candidates
Each candidate's full set of positions is listed on their profile page.
Incumbent Ward 5 Councilmember and the first Black openly gay Council member in DC history. Former 7th-grade math teacher and DC State Board of Education President (2021). Delivered the District Child Tax Credit ($1,000 per child under 18), helped produce a 35% drop in violent crime, chairs the Committee on Youth Affairs, and secured additional labor protections in the Commanders stadium deal.
Full profile →Washington, DC native, Enterprise Risk Management professional, and senior DC Democratic Party member. Proposing her "Future of Ward 5 Legislation" package: higher CBA standards for developers, commercial corridor revitalization, and workforce development. Wants to build 36,000 housing units per year citywide (20,000 affordable). Participates in DC Fair Elections small-donor matching.
Full profile →Twenty-year DC resident and clean energy policy professional who helped launch DC's first energy programs through the DC Sustainable Energy Utility. Announced March 2026. Focuses on lowering residents' monthly bills (especially utility costs), making it easier to open and run small businesses, and improving government services for families. "We don't need more programs — we need the ones we already fund to actually work together."
Full profile →Sources
- City elections in Washington, D.C. (2026) — Ballotpedia — ballotpedia.org
- Voter Guide — June 16, 2026 Primary and Special Elections (DCBOE) — dcboe.org