DC has nearly unpaid 300 Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner positions, making up 40 separate ANCs comprising all of DC. ANCs have been in place since 1976; their role is mostly legally advisory, but in many cases, both in practice or actuality, they can serve as an effective veto or sign-off on development and bars/restaurants. It can be hard to follow ANC work as a resident but they can have a significant impact on your lives.

To that end, if you have no idea to vote for in the 2020 election which has started, I’ve asked people to reach out to me if they support nightlife as well as making it easier for bikers and pedestrians to live in DC. A number did,  who are listed below with verbatim quotes (excerpts if lengthy). I also reached out to people on my own to get their pulse on who would be probably candidates that they know of. Check out Open ANC  for more information and figure out your ANC. If you’re running for ANC in a competitive race and your SMD is not listed (or if you are a strong support of a candidate in a competitive race), email barredindc@gmail.com or Twitter DM @barredindc with a short statement.

Greater Greater Washington did a Herculean job soliciting statements and endorsing candidates. You should read here for more info but also for competitive races not listed below.

Those bolded mean that candidate or a voter proactively reached out. I did not do a full background check or study all their issues, so I’m sure there’s someone I regret here, this shouldn’t be considered an “endorsement.”

* means that GGWash also endorsed candidate
+ means GGWash endorsed another candidate in race

Competitive Races (more than 1 candidate) (NOTE – there are way more competitive races than these; these are just the ones I received feedback on)

• 1C03: Peter Wood*
• 1C04: Meghan Faulkner*
• 1C08: FIona Clem*
• 2A03: Trupti “Trip” J. Patel*
• 2B01: Matthew H Sampson*
  • “I supported Anju, Pupatella, and Assets through their opening in my district. There was lots of blowback but I’m proud to have supported a diverse amount of restaurants and nightlife in my district. I’ve also voted in support of 20th and 17th protected bike lanes, and I recently got pedestrian safety infrastructure installed at 19th and S, 20th and S, and 19th and T intersections.”
• 2B03: Robin Nunn*
  • “Having grown up in the DMV area, and living in Dupont Circle on 17^th Street and R Street NW for many years, I’m devoted to ensuring that our community improves upon what came before, and that collectively we thrive.  My life’s work has been dedicated to this task and, as an ANC, I promise to help the Dupont Circle commission create change we all deserve for a neighborhood we can proudly call home.  This means addressing the bigger issues – like encouraging the District to enact transit-oriented development to increase the number of people who can shop in our businesses without driving to them– but it also requires addressing the day-to-day matters that affect us all here: transportation, rats!, liquor licenses.  As a representative to local government, I’ll encourage the DC Government to invest in start-ups and credits for small businesses and support nightlife.”
• 2B04: Mo Pasternak*
• 2B06: Mike Silverstein*
• 2B09: Kyle Mulhall*
• 2D01: Ashley Warren*
• 2E02: Christopher “Topher” Mathews*
  • Fellow blogger, runs The Georgetown Metropolitan
• 2F05: Sherene Joseph*
• 2507: Rehenna Mohammed*
• 3C05: Sauleh Siddiqui*
• 3D08: Ben Bergmann*
• 4A02: Stacey Lincoln
  • From frequent Twitter interactor: “Had one license matter with him and found him to be smart, committed and fair. Shepherd Park is always a challenge for ABC licensees, but he was great to deal with.”
• 4C02: Maria Berry*
• 4C07: Jacob Mason*
  • ” I’m a strong supporter of walking, cycling, and public transportation, both professionally and as an advocate. I live with my wife and 4-year-old without a car and travel mostly by bike and bus. I contributed to the Vision Zero Omnibus bill that recently passed the council. Upshur Street is in my single member district, and I strongly support the businesses there, and want to make my area a model of how businesses can succeed alongside residences. ANC 4C has already done a lot of proactive work to set clear guidelines for businesses, in terms of expectations, but to also protect those businesses operating within those guidelines from frivolous complaints, so they can focus on operating. In these challenging times for businesses, I want to push for more creative outdoor solutions to enable safe dining, as has been done successfully in other parts of DC.”
• 4C08: Clara Haskell Bolstein+
  • “1) I’m definitely in favor of pedestrian and bike-friendly policies. As someone who doesn’t have a car or a license, I’m personally invested in this issue and in supporting public transit more generally. 🙂 .. 2) We don’t have a ton of nightlife in our SMD, but I definitely want to help local businesses, several of which are restaurants and bars, during this difficult time. The ANC has limited power, but can advocate for city resources and promote businesses through events and campaigns.”
• 4D04: Zachary Israel*
• 5A08: Gordon-Andrew Fletcher*
• 5C01: Michael Triebwasser*
• 5D03: Sean Barry*
  • From frequent Twitter interactor/voter: “I like his community engagement, The fact he has healthcare work on his resume (especially during a pandemic) and his focus on helping our with neighborhood trash cleanup and traffic issues.”
• 5D05: Sydelle Moore*
• 5D06: Zachary Hoffman+
  • DC bartender who’s been a longtime follower and has always been very transparent about the personal and business side. Working with an org called THIRSTExecutive VP of DC Bar and Restaurant Workers Alliance
  • Note that another voter recommended Marina Budimir* as she is sustainable planner for DC.
• 6A01: Keya Chatterjee*
  • Followed me for awhile. Robb Dooling submitted statement for both of them
  • “2) Keya and I are champions of car-free living. We have a track record of getting DDOT projects done, especially in our successful campaigns for #GreenKSt (that brought bike lanes to K St NE and Florida Ave NE) – and #DCStreets4People, the precursor to DDOT’s current Slow Streets pilot. Neither of these are perfect yet but we’re eager to continue advocating at the ANC level. We also passed Greater Greater Washington’s “bus priority” resolution through ANC 6C to our west. 3) Keya and I absolutely support vibrant nightlife on H St NE. We’re currently pushing for more outdoor space for H Street’s small businesses and in touch with our districts’ business owners to advocate for them as well as we can. We particularly want to support rent relief and similar assistance for these small businesses if we become commissioners.”
• 6A04: Amber Gove*
• 6A05: Laura Gentile*
• 6A06: Robb Dooling*
  • Followed me for awhile. I’m voting for him.
  • “2) Keya and I are champions of car-free living. We have a track record of getting DDOT projects done, especially in our successful campaigns for #GreenKSt (that brought bike lanes to K St NE and Florida Ave NE) – and #DCStreets4People, the precursor to DDOT’s current Slow Streets pilot. Neither of these are perfect yet but we’re eager to continue advocating at the ANC level. We also passed Greater Greater Washington’s “bus priority” resolution through ANC 6C to our west. 3) Keya and I absolutely support vibrant nightlife on H St NE. We’re currently pushing for more outdoor space for H Street’s small businesses and in touch with our districts’ business owners to advocate for them as well as we can. We particularly want to support rent relief and similar assistance for these small businesses if we become commissioners.”
• 6A07: Dan Lee*
• 6B03: Brian Ready+
  • Worked with him on ANC Alcohol committee. Seemed like an effective advocate for Barracks Row with good liaison
• 6B07: Edward Ryder (write-in)
• 6B08: Peter Wright*
• 6B09: Alison Horn*
  • ” I hear a lot from my neighbors about the need to make our district more bike and pedestrian-friendly and I would hope to keep up the good work of my predecessor and residents of my SMD who have been pushing the 6B transpiration committee to improve bike safety with protected bike lanes on Pennsylvania Ave SE, 17th Street, and adding more bike path connections to the Anacostia Riverfront Trail. Neighbors also want traffic calming measures on Potomac Ave between 17th and 19th and I would advocate for that as well. 3) currently, nightlife in my SMD is non-existent, unless you count movie nights and activities in congressional cemetery. I’d like to see more nightlife within walking distance of my district, which is entirely residential. In neighboring SMDs, there are some old staples like Trusty’s, and some new arrivals like the bars/restaurants in the Roost, and I would be excited to see more of that in areas walkable from my SMD, as well as in Reservation 13, which is in Ward 7, but borders my SMD.”
• 6C04: Mark Eckenweiler*
  • Entertaining/informative Twitter account though we don’t follow each other
• 6D07: Edward Daniels
  • Excerpt of long statement “…I have remained honest, transparent, and have worked tirelessly to hold myself, my colleagues, and others in positions of power as accountable as possible for both their actions and their inaction in regards to making our community one of the most amazing places to live. …The fight for my second term and my goals remain rather simple. Life is short, efficiency is key, and accountability is a must.  The past two years have revealed so many flaws in the system of politics and the people who continue to break and slow down that system. The death of George Floyd and subsequent protests really sparked my thoughts and frustrations with failed systems and has really informed my mode of operation as I enter this second term.”
• 6E02: Alex Lopez*
  • Frequent Twitter interactor: “basically forced the ANC to start a transportation committee as a resident and has pushed some pretty great projects (K street NW notably) and has made it his #1 issue to get 9th street lanes built.
• 6E04: Rachelle Nigro*
  • Longtime follower, seems like doing solid work
• 8A07: Steven Tiller
  • Frequent Twitter interactor/Voter: “In our area of ward 8 (Hillsdale) we’re experiencing a changing of the guards if you will between the elders and the younger people. Steven is equipped to bridge the gap between the young and old. He’s also someone who supports growth and development but not at the risk of our most vulnerable neighbors.”

Only One Candidate, But Person Reached Out Anyways

• 2F01: Brian Romanowski
  • “2. Yes, I support actions that make it easier for people to walk, bike, and take public transportation. I am a member of the Washington Area Bicyclist Assocation and their Ward 1 & 2 Safe Streets Advocacy Committee. I represent Ward 2 on the Mayor’s Recreational Trails Advisory Committee. I do not have and do not plan to get a car while I live in the District. I bike, walk, run, scooter, bus, Metro, or Uber/Lyft anywhere that I go, primarily walking and biking.”
• 5D07: Stephen Cobb
  • Long-time follower, met him once at Last Call. Had a long thoughtful comment so will just post part.
  • “I am strongly in support of actions that make it easier for people to exclusively travel via bike or walking. Biking is my main mode of transportation throughout the District, especially now in the era of social distancing. We have several street redesigns coming to my ANC, and I am very excited about them. … I support a vibrant nightlife scene in my ANC. While it sometimes feels like H Street is the primary nightlife area near 5D, my ANC has great potential for its own vibrant nightlife scene in two types of areas: (1) the mixed-use areas of Union Market and Ivy City; and (2) the commercial corridors of Bladensburg and Benning Roads….”