We have some extraordinary challenges, but also the opportunity to build a better DC. To realize the full scope of our ambition, we need to put an end to the dysfunction and reject the “don’t rock the boat” attitude that defines DC politics.

We need a Councilmember who will engage in aggressive oversight, holding the District’s officials and politicians accountable for their missteps. We also need a Councilmember who will approach the legislative process seriously and push back when necessary on half-baked bills that haven’t been fully though through. Above all, we need a Councilmember who will be effective and ready to dive right in during a challenging time.

Parenting has always had its challenges but parenting in a pandemic is another order of magnitude more difficult. But even before the pandemic, the financial and other pressures on families in the nation’s capital were already way too high. We need a Councilmember who will put the needs of kids and families at the top of the priority list and fight every day to make high quality and affordable childcare a reality.

Ward 3 has made progress towards meeting the extremely modest target of 1,990 new affordable units by 2025, although we remain quite far away. But let’s make one thing clear: meeting that goal and nothing else would be a remarkable failure. We need many more income-restricted affordable units, both in Ward 3 and the District as a whole. We need many more units, period.

There is no silver bullet, no magic solution to the District’s housing crisis. Building more market-rate housing is essential but it is not sufficient by itself. Solving the housing affordability crisis is the most significant and complex challenge facing the District of Columbia. We can’t leave any tools on the table, nor can we spend another decade indulging in empty talk.

It’s time to get serious and build more housing.

With one in five offices empty, Downtown is experiencing an identity crisis that threatens to wreak havoc on the District’s tax base and economy. We must get creative and think differently. The key will be to make DC a more attractive place to live. That means making it more affordable, first and foremost, but it also means investing in neighborhoods to make them more dynamic and walkable. We can re-imagine Downtown as a place that is more than just office buildings and gingham shirts—a place that is alive at night and more resilient in times of economic stress.

Promoting a transition away from single-use commercial/office neighborhoods to walkable, mixed-use communities that combine residential with office and commercial uses will revitalize Downtown and the District’s commercial corridors, including Friendship Heights. Thinking critically about how we currently use public space will be important to making that transition.

Ward 3 needs a Councilmember who will aggressively advocate for improvements to public transit. Instead of fighting service cuts, let’s focus on investing in and expanding public transit options in the District. We need to push WMATA to expand rail and bus service in the District to fill transit gaps. This includes pushing for new Metrorail service from the Tenleytown stop down Wisconsin Avenue to Georgetown, with stops in the Cathedral Heights and Glover Park areas. But that will take ambition, dedication, and many years, likely decades.

The Council can move the ball forward now by investing in bus priority lanes and other measures to speed up bus service. We can fill in transit gaps by expanding the DC Circulator and DC Streetcar network to create a “home rule” transit system that strategically complements existing Metrorail and Metrobus service.

Washingtonians are increasingly concerned about the safety. Crime is up. There have been a lot of press conferences and plenty of finger pointing. We need more from our policymakers—we need clear plans to reduce violence. Most of all, we need demonstrable results.

At the same time, we cannot afford to reverse recent criminal justice and police reform initiatives. These are important efforts that can and should exist in tandem with a measured and responsible commitment to reducing crime. All DC residents need an effective police department, and an effective department is one that respects the civil rights and uses force responsibly.

Vision Zero has been a failure. Far from approaching zero fatalities and serious injuries, the District’s traffic fatalities have actually trended upwards in recent years. We can’t be satisfied with slogans and flashy branding, we need to truly commit to making our streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

The last two years have been enormously disruptive for our kids. Beyond loss of instructional time, the pandemic has ignited a mental health crisis among children and teens. The needs in the coming years will be significant.

In Ward 3, our schools are overcrowded. Their budgets perennially threatened with the prospect of damaging cuts. Compounding other challenges, teacher turnover rates in the District’s public schools are consistently much higher than the national average, something that we know impacts school quality.

While the challenges ahead are significant, it is important to recognize the enormous progress the District has made in improving academic performance and parental confidence in the quality of their child’s school. Significant gaps remain, however, between white students and students of color and between schools in affluent areas and schools in high poverty neighborhoods. We can and must do better.

Climate change is the defining threat of our times. Like the COVID-19 pandemic, it will negatively impact all of us, but certain communities will be devastated disproportionately by climate-related disruptions and dislocations.

As the nation’s capital, we have a special responsibility when it comes to leading the way on climate change. Let’s make DC a model for how cities can reduce their climate impact and mitigate and adapt to changes in the climate.

As we look to a post-COVID future, it’s critical that we build on the hard lessons that we have learned. Today, it has never been more obvious how important it is to invest in public health and the costs of failing to do so. We cannot build a healthier city without paying attention to equity. We must work aggressively to close racial and income health gaps, expand access to opportunity, and address the root causes of inequality in the District.