The newly elected Ward 5 councilmember said his approach to leadership centers heavily on facilitating community engagement.

Parker told 91���� that he has “already established a help team where constituent services can help address neighbor concerns,” started a weekly newsletter, and will soon be appointing a community engagement director to his team. He said he hopes that this engagement and his focus on providing “strong constituent services” that will guide Ward 5 residents towards the best channels for addressing their concerns will foster inclusion.

“On one hand, black, gay, lesbian, trans folk in the broader gay community don’t always feel seen and heard. And so that is important for me to help reflect that and change that on the council,” Parker said. “At the same time, within the black community, as D.C. is changing so rapidly, many within the black community feel as though that change is happening to them versus with them, that they are not participating in the growing prosperity of the city.”��

Parker said that “tailored policy prescriptions” are needed that “meet the realities of Washingtonians” and ensure that their voices are heard.��

At the top of his agenda are responding to the demand for affordable housing – which Parker notes is rising given the “changing face of D.C.” – and public safety.

“We’re on the heels of a tragic mass shooting in Colorado Springs. And so that responsibility goes beyond just representation, but that I actually need to fight for the community and provide a voice at the table –through policy, through action, through oversight – to make sure that the LGBTQ+ community is centered in the city’s policy decisions,” Parker said.

He said that the shooting “reinforces the need for us to address the crimes here locally”.

“And so, it’s just a reminder that what the LGBTQ community needs is much more than parades and flashy events, but actually housing and protection and access to jobs. And those are the things that I’m going to be fighting for and against.”

Parker views inequity in the city’s housing market as a larger system issue affecting marginalized communities, one in which “Wards 8, 7 [and] 5, usually in that order, start seeing disproportionately more cases of everything – violence, sickness, cases of COVID”.��

A former representative of the D.C. State Board of Education for over a decade, Parker views public school safety as yet another example of entrenched inequity.��

“What we’re seeing happen is a system issue within our schools. And it is unconscionable that we would have students in school buildings work without working HVAC systems, heating systems, and it will be important for me to hold the city, including our mayor, accountable to the interests and the needs of Ward 5 residents,” Parker said.��

Parker said that public-school safety is an issue that affects Black and LGBTQ+ disproportionately and described the importance of acknowledging intersectionality amongst his constituents “because those challenges are not the same across the community.”��

“We know that bullying in school is on the rise. We know that, as members of the community affirm their own identity with their family, at times, that puts them out on the street either because the family is not accepting or welcoming, or they are facing bullying within the home,” Parker said.

“So, very quickly, you can see how members of the community, especially marginalized members of the community, are facing many barriers in many facets of their lives, working to housing to safety, and the list goes on. And it’s important for us to address that.”

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If passed, Maryland will join neighbors Washington, D.C., and Virginia in legalizing marijuana for recreational use.

The proposed , listed as Question 4 on the ballot,��would allow adults to possess up to 1.5 ounces. It also offers people who were arrested for marijuana possession to have their records expunged, and others serving time for simple possession to have their sentences reconsidered.

A Washington Post-University of Maryland found 73% of voters favor legalizing the use of cannabis for people 21 and older.

Melissa Ward, a 43-year-old mental health therapist, said she is “extremely pro-cannabis.”

“As a therapist, I like to see my clients have access to things like cannabis versus benzos and alcohol because I feel like the research shows it’s a little less dangerous,” Ward said.

Ward, who is a Democrat, said the state could raise revenue through taxes by legalizing cannabis. She said if Maryland doesn’t vote to legalize recreational cannabis use, then she feels the state will be behind the curve.

Maryland legalized marijuana for medical use in 2013 and, a year later, decriminalized possession of 10 grams or less of cannabis.

Zephan Harnish, a 24-year-old Frederick Republican, said he voted to in favor of question four – the marijuana legalization measure – because he already has a medical marijuana card

If passed, Question 4 would go into effect on July 1, 2023.

David Allen, 63, said he didn’t know there would be a marijuana legalization ballot measure, but that he was happy to vote in favor of it.

“There are people that truly need it,” Allen said.

Voters in Missouri, Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota on legalizing recreational marijuana this Election Day.

and the District of Columbia have already legalized recreational cannabis use for adults.

Wendy Whitmore, a Democrat Frederick County voter, said she didn’t feel too strongly in either direction on the issue, but that she did vote in favor of its’ passage.

“I don’t like the fact that people would go to jail for having marijuana and then they can’t get a job,” Whitmore said.

Some voters, however, expressed concern about the prospects of legalizing recreational marijuana.

Amanda Camilleri, 41, is a Frederick County mom and Republican. She voted no on the measure, saying that there’s already “drugs everywhere,” and further legalization would just exacerbate the problem.

“I never did it, and I would not like it out there for my kids to partake in,” Camilleri said.

The Maryland General Assembly passed legislation, aiming to address the criminal justice and racial equity impact of legalizing cannabis. ��alters certain provisions relating to penalties, charging procedures, expungement, shielding and sentencing for certain offenses involving cannabis.

This amendment comes after President Biden last month he would pardon all those federally convicted on simple marijuana possession charges.

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“We should be able to get that chance [to vote] because we have a lot of work to do ourselves,” said Damia Bates, a business administration graduate student at Trinity Washington University, on Election Day.

The D.C. Council passed the in 2020 before the year’s presidential election. While the legislation mandates employees have the right to paid time off to vote, it also grants students an excused absence to vote.����

According to the law, educational institutions must provide students with at least two hours to vote in person in any District of Columbia election. Students ineligible to vote in the District also have the right to a voting absence in any election run by the jurisdiction where they are eligible to vote.������

Whether the act applies to university students is unclear, however.��

“I think that’s the big question: what did D.C. Council mean by this?” said William Brummett, program manager for co-curricular service at George Washington University.

In the legislation, educational institutions are defined as any school in the District of Columbia Public Schools system, a public charter school, an independent school, a private school, a parochial school or a private instructor.��

The amendment does not clarify if colleges and universities fall under this definition, including if a private university is considered a private school.

“The law is sort of vague on what they define a school as,” said Brummett, who works with campus voter group GW Votes.

Spokespeople for the D.C. Board of Elections and the D.C. Council said they did not know if the law applies to university students. The D.C. Council Judiciary and Public Safety Committee, which reviewed the bill in 2020 and expanded it to include students, did not respond to requests for comment.��

Brummett said clarification of the law would help students’ interests. Last month, the GW Student Association passed a requesting faculty to count voting on Election Day as an excused absence.��

“There’s a lot of momentum from our students wanting to have that flexibility,” Brummett said.

Voting flexibility is also a priority for Jacob Wilson, an adjunct instructor at American University who works with student engagement group AU Votes. Wilson said students should be given time throughout the semester, not just on Election Day, to discuss the importance of voting and get ready to cast their ballot.��

“We can do more to support students and help empower them to be voters,” Wilson said.��

Wilson said not having enough time is one reason college students may not vote, with commitments from class, work, family obligations and extracurriculars potentially being prioritized over voting.��

Students interviewed on Election Day agreed.

“I feel like a lot of people feel like their schedules don’t let them vote,” said Tyler Anthony, a public relations senior at Howard University. “If the class schedule was taken out of the equation, a lot of people that have nothing else to do would vote.”

Regardless of the law, Brummett said universities could empower students by canceling classes every Election Day — not just during presidential elections. Brummett said he would like to see schools in the District emulating Stanford University’s , which turns elections into an academic holiday with voluntary events like guest speakers.

“Whether it be through legal action or through universities taking [election] days off, I’d love to see something going forward that gives students more ability to participate,” Brummett said.

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The traffic outside of Crystal Plaza looked as if it was any other day. There were no lines outside the building that morning, and only one election volunteer was standing outside offering sample ballots to those walking in to vote.������

Crystal Plaza resident Christina C. said she didn’t even notice any unusual traffic while walking her dog. She asked that we do not publish her full name. ��

Crystal Plaza is the only apartment complex polling site in Crystal City and one of only three in the county.����The other apartment-based polling sites are Bennett Park in Rosslyn and The Bartett in Pentagon City.��

It is not Crystal Plaza’s first time hosting a polling site.��

The voting site at Crystal Plaza is also unique because it is only a seven-minute walk from the Crystal Square Five polling site that sits outside the Crystal City Metro Station.����

Crystal City resident Tieranee Stevens, when asked why she chose the Crystal Square Five polling site over the Crystal Plaza location, said it just felt more accessible with it being right by the Metro.��

Stevens said she voted immediately after exiting the Metro Station.

In addition to being further from the Metro, Crystal Plaza sits along a street loaded with construction.����

The apartment complex is located on South Clark Street, a street with a giant hole and vehicles and supplies for the construction of a new apartment complex nearby. The construction also means the apartment complex has one entrance closed off.

Crystal City resident Junkwi Keng had issues finding his way out due to all of this construction.��

Keng, who arrived at 7:45 a.m. to vote, was left outside after voting, waiting several minutes for an Uber driver to tell him the street was shut off. Keng walked to the nearby Marriott Hotel in order to access the Uber.����

The street was not in fact closed off, but those unfamiliar with the area could find it very confusing.����

“I wish they could have offered voting at a nearby library instead,” Keng said, not knowing about the Crystal Square Five polling site.��

As a result of all these factors during the morning, a lot more voters were present at the Crystal Square Five polling site compared to Crystal Plaza.��

Residents of Crystal Plaza saw no issue with their apartment complex being a polling site for the day.����

“I think it’s pretty clutch,” Christina C. said.����

Christina and many other Crystal Plaza residents were able to vote at the convenience of their own building then head to work immediately following.����

Christina said two weeks prior to election day, people were outside of Crystal Plaza advertising the election as well as registering residents to vote.������

Both polling sites will stay open until 6 p.m. and the latest reporting was done at 1:30 p.m.����

Crystal Plaza management declined to comment. ��

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PHILADELPHIA—President Joe Biden and former president Barack Obama joined Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro and Senate candidate John Fetterman on the campaign trail for a rally here on Saturday.��

Obama emphasized that democracy is on the ballot and encouraged those in the�� audience to make their voices heard.

“A lot of folks don’t pay a ton of attention to politics the way they do in a presidential year. Maybe they don’t think Congress matters as much. Maybe they don’t think their vote will matter,” Obama said.�� “Fundamental rights … reason and decency are on the ballot.”

President Biden told the crowd that Republican control will lead to abortion bans and the removal of women’s rights across the country, but said that by electing Democrats such as Fetterman and Shapiro, the right to choose will be left between�� an individual�� and their�� doctor.

“But if we elect John Fetterman to the Senate and keep control of the House, we can restore the right to choose in this country by codifying Roe v. Wade and make it the law of the land,” Biden said. “With Josh Shapiro as governor, there will be no ban in Pennsylvania.”

The pro-abortion rights message resonated with several people who waited for hours in line for the event at Temple University

Michele Roby, a Pennsylvania resident who was wearing a “pro-choice, pro Fetterman” pin, said she has always been pro-choice and it was a reason she came to the event.

“To have anybody make a decision for somebody not knowing the background, I think it’s just not right,” Roby said.����

Those in the crowd included out-of-state voters who traveled to show their support for the candidates and the party.

��Dani Jackson, a New Jersey voter, said she was especially excited�� to see the former president.

“It’s a really cool event to see, the support for Fetterman and everything…I’d like to see all of them together and come together for the Democratic party and try to make some change in America,” she said, and that “everything” is on the line.

“It has to do with rights, you know, at this point in terms of human rights, women’s rights,” Jackson said.

The Pennsylvania election has been in the national spotlight for months, as many experts said the results�� could determine the balance of power in Washington.��

Obama went on to emphasize the need for optimism ahead of the election.“The kind of slash-and-burn politics we’re seeing right now? That doesn’t have to be who we are. We can be better,” Obama said.

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In September, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin outlined his proposal, directing the state’s 133 school districts to adopt guidelines about transgender students.

The guidelines determine which facilities students can use (only those that match their gender assigned at birth); whether students can request to change their names or listed gender (not without family approval); and direct school staff to not use a student’s preferred name or pronoun unless their parents approve.

Opponents say the changes would endanger transgender students and damage the relationship between educators and students.

The policies “talk about parental rights and it’s really centering the entire conversation that we have seen in District 10 around this idea of parental rights versus transgender rights,” said Cris Candice Tuck, a transgender parent in Loudoun County, Va., part of District 10.

Youngkin and his supporters, including Republican candidates running for election in the District, said that the changes would restore decision-making to parents, where they say it belongs.

Policies on hold

The guidelines did not go into effect as planned, which could have been as early as last week. A 30-day public comment period drew more than 71,000 comments, prompting the state board of education to take time to review and potentially revise the guidelines based on input.

In addition, the measure received several comments saying the model policies contradict existing state law, delaying its’ implementation 30 days, per a .

Tuck said , a nonprofit organization that works for LGBTQ+ equality in Loudoun County, filed a legal objection to the model policies in late October.

If the model policies go into effect, it is up to each school district to comply, but there is no enforcement mechanism.

Loudoun in the middle

Loudoun finds itself at the center of this debate due to the introduction of Youngkin’s state policies at the same time as several high-profile incidents involving transgender students in Loudoun over the last two years.

In 2021, a Loudoun teacher was placed on leave for refusing to use transgender students’ pronouns. The teacher sued Loudoun County Public Schools and was eventually reinstated following a decision by the Virginia Supreme Court.

In addition, two Loudoun school board races are focused on how transgender students are treated in schools; candidates for the open school board seats, in Broad Run and Leesburg, are facing the fallout from how the school district handled two student sexual assault cases last year that sparked .

Transgender issues have also been emphasized in the campaigns of the candidates running for US Congress.

Democrat incumbent Jennifer Wexton is facing Republican Hung Cao, a retired Navy captain. While the considers the 10^th District a likely Democrat-voting district, Cao has received significant support from Youngkin and Republican voters in the area.

In an early October , Cao referred to the issue of transgender students as one of parents’ rights, using similar language to Youngkin. “That right belongs to the parents always, always, always,” he said. “I mean, a school can’t even give your kid an aspirin, but you’re saying that school can decide what sex your child is?”

In the same debate, Wexton said that parents could and should be involved in decisions regarding their children. She noted, however, that some parents are not always accepting of their children.

“In a perfect world, we would see parents who are caring and loving and take care of their kids, but we’re not seeing that in all instances,” Wexton said.

Wexton also pointed out that Youngkin’s model policies would allow teachers to refuse to abide by a parent’s request that their child be called by their preferred names and pronouns if the teacher does so on religious grounds.

Views from the District

Sandy Sullivan, an elementary school teacher in Loudoun County, is the president of the Loudoun Education Association, a nonprofit advocacy organization for Loudoun public school educators.

The association’s Political Action Committee endorsed Nick Gothard for the Broad Run seat and Erika Ogedegbe for the Leesburg seat because they are the candidates that will do what is best for students, according to Sullivan.�� Sullivan said the potential impact of Youngkin’s proposed policy “would be very chilling.”

“All educators certainly want parents’ input, right?” Sullivan said. “Teachers can’t do it alone. Student success in the school system can’t be done without parent input, but what came about in that proposed guidance from Gov. Youngkin was really kind of splitting the support system for students in half,” she said.

Stephen Farnsworth, a political scientist at the University of Mary Washington, said the focus on local school issues is a smart campaign choice for Republicans.

“The conversation about issues of trans students is a great way to create energy among Republican voters. If you can get people motivated, that can be a very effective means of making sure that they actually turn out,” said Farnsworth.

‘Well-resourced’ people

Loudoun County is the wealthiest county in the United States according to the 2020 , circumstances that Tuck said make Loudoun uniquely set up for parents exerting influence over schools.

“What’s different about Loudoun County is that we have a very large group of well-resourced, well-connected and well-funded anti-LGBTQ individuals and political individuals who are pushing partisanship within Loudoun to create the national spectacle,” Tuck said.

Farnsworth said many Republicans, particularly Virginia Republicans, will likely attempt to model their behavior and rhetoric after Youngkin due to his success.

Declan Green, 33, is a transgender man who grew up in Loudoun County, graduating from Stone Bridge High School in 2007. Green said he experienced extensive bullying as a teenage girl who came out as lesbian before he eventually transitioned to male in his adult life.

Green said he is concerned that the debate on transgender students in schools will only continue to grow, given the governor’s proposed policy changes.

“I feel like as people go to the ballot over the next week or so, they are voting whether or not these policies become permanent, and whether this rhetoric becomes something of a norm amongst Loudoun County, amongst the state as a whole,” Green said.

The post Transgender student rights indirectly on ballot in Loudoun first appeared on 91����.

“Every single mayor of D.C. has been a Democrat, and I think the legacy will continue in this election,” said Andrew Thompson, assistant professor of political science at George Washington University.����

Here are the three opponents:����

Rodney Grant, Independent��

Rodney “Red” Grant is a retired comedian, husband to a retired police officer, and father of three daughters. Grant was born and raised in Washington, D.C., and attended Dunbar Senior High School and the University of the District of Columbia.��

Issues Grant wants to tackle are ensuring education equality, eliminating poverty, supporting the LGBTQIA+ community, advocating for small businesses, and increasing public safety, according to his campaign website.����

“I am running a campaign based on love, care, and respect rooted in sincere concern for our youth, our residents, and our public safety,” Grant said in an email.����

“For the last 18 months, I have knocked on 96,000 doors, attended hundreds of community events, spoken directly to thousands of frustrated residents, attended way too many vigils, and the theme is always the same; our city has been mismanaged by a leader who never shows up in the communities that need the most support.”��

Stacia Hall, Republican����

Stacia Hall identifies as a grandmother and businesswoman, according to her campaign website. Hall is the founder and owner of a local small business Eclectic Minimalist Interior Décor and Staging located in Ward 3.��Hall was born and raised in Miami and now lives and operates her business in Cleveland Park. On her campaign site, she also makes note of her faith.����

Hall’s plan is to increase policing, reduce taxes, expand school choice, and incentivize local employers to hire people without housing, according to her campaign website. ��

Hall did not respond to questions, after she directed a reporter via Twitter to contact her on Gmail. Hall did not respond to the email.��

Dennis Sobin, Libertarian��

Dennis Sobin is a father and for his involvement in��an escort service he founded in 1984.��

Sobin advanced as a write-in for the Libertarian Party primary in June. This is his second time being on the ballot for D.C. mayor, after first running in 2010.����

Sobin’s platform is on decriminalizing what he called victimless crimes. Drugs and prostitution should be legal in Washington, D.C., according to Sobin in an interview published on his YouTube channel back in July. ��

91���� could not reach Sobin for comments, and there are no public sites for��Sobin’s political platform. ��

The mayoral contest has several major issues����

Crime����

Crime in Washington, D.C., has grown since 2012. The homicide rate in D.C. increased from 88 homicides in 2012 to, according to D.C. metropolitan police data.����

Bowser’s approach is by targeting individuals that the District knows are committing violent acts, according to a DC press release.������

Hall wants more policing. In 2011, Hall’s son was a victim of police brutality in Miami. Hall still supports the police and said she wants to bring more police officers back to Washington, D.C., calling them��needed and essential in .��

“On Miami Beach in 2011, my son was beaten by a gang of police and hospitalized,” Hall said in a tweet on Oct. 16. “But we got past it through prayer and forgiveness. Despite what it looks like, we have great police officers.”������

Grant takes a different approach to fighting crime. “The youth need more things to do, ” Grant said in a phone interview. “Don’t shoot guns, shoot cameras is one of the many initiatives I have planned to get the youth off the street.”������

Homelessness����

As of January 2020, there werein Washington, D.C., according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.����

In 2014, Browser ran on the platform of ending D.C.’s homelessness. As of April, D.C.’s 47% since her administration implemented the in 2016, according to her office.����

Hall used to be homeless, living in a shelter in Miami as a single mother at one point, according to her campaign page. Hall’s plan to fight homelessness in Washington, D.C., is to , Hall told WTOP News. ��

Grant’s campaign literature says one of his goals is to eliminate poverty in D.C. His plan to accomplish this includes, increasing affordable housing, enhancing the partnerships with Veteran Affairs, investing in job training for the present and future workforce.������

Migrant Busloads��

Over the summer, from states like Texas and Florida have been brought to Washington, D.C. Several nonprofit organizations received a total of $150,000 in grants from the attorney general to provide help for��the migrants. ����

Bowser in September also established the to provide support and services to migrants being bused to the District.����

Hall said the migrants should have Hall told��The Vibe Bar podcast that,��if the president never into Florida and Texas, D.C. would never have this issue. (According to Washington Post fact-checkers, the Biden flight in question was f)��

Hall also tweeted saying “In DC, Sanctuary City status must end! We need to take care of our own!”.������

Grant said if he wins the election, he said in a phone interview he will continue the work Browser already started with the Office of Migrant Services. ��

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“The overwhelming feeling for me is just it’s so, so far past due,” said Lawrence Grandpre, director of research for a grassroots think tank, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle.

As is true nationally, Marylanders of color are disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of cannabis.��

Black residents are more than twice as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession in the state despite roughly equal usage across racial groups, according to the amendment’s .��

If the amendment is approved, residents aged 21 and older can legally use and possess cannabis up to 1.5 ounces. Possession of larger amounts up to 2.5 ounces would be punishable by a civil fine instead of jail time. The amendment would go into effect on July 1, 2023.��

A majority of Maryland voters support legalizing recreational marijuana, according to conducted by 91����ington Post and the University of Maryland. Seventy-three percent of Marylanders favor the amendment, with 23% against and 4% with no opinion.

“As I talk to people in my district, the broad feeling is we don’t want to put people in jail for possession of cannabis,” said Luke Clippinger, a state delegate representing District 46 in Baltimore.

Marijuana decriminalization

The Maryland General Assembly already passed legislation to address the criminal justice impact of legalizing cannabis. The revises marijuana related penalties, expunges certain criminal records and establishes funds for both community reinvestment and business assistance.��

If the constitutional amendment is approved by voters, the reform bill will automatically expunge prior convictions for simple marijuana possession, which could impact hundreds of thousands of convictions, said Clippinger, who sponsored the bill.��

The law also creates a new pathway to expunge intent-to-distribute convictions, as well as marijuana-related charges embedded in unrelated sentences.��

“We’ve tried to really open the door pretty widely to allow people to get those convictions expunged to allow people to move forward,” Clippinger said.

Advocates weigh in

Some advocates say the law is not enough to address the financial impact of cannabis related convictions. This includes Eric Sterling, a member of the Maryland chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

Sterling said the state’s current plan is “inadequate” because people cannot recover court fines, attorney fees, lost wages and other expenses from being prosecuted and incarcerated.��

The Cannabis Reform bill does include a community repair fund, which would provide money to local organizations across the state that serve populations disproportionately impacted by the criminalization of marijuana. Some of these funds would come from taxes on Maryland’s incoming recreational cannabis industry.��

Leaders for a Beautiful Struggle advocated for this provision in the bill. Grandpre said the repair fund could have a substantial impact because it addresses the harm done to entire communities.

“It’s not just the individuals who went to jail that were impacted by the war on drugs,” Grandpre said.

The fund maximizes local control and lets communities address their unique needs “because every community is different,” Grandpre said.��

“The people who were impacted by the harm need to have the power to choose for themselves the mechanism to redress the harm,” Grandpre said.

The funds would be dispersed across the state based on the percentage of people who were jailed for cannabis related convictions in each county over the last 20 years.��

New business sector

State policies over what would be the newly created recreational market are not fully developed yet, with no current policy for licensing or taxing the legal sale of marijuana. Clippinger said this would be addressed in the 2023 General Assembly session.

“We want people to be able to take advantage of opportunities to be able to sell cannabis,” Clippinger said. “And that’s the next piece of our story.”

The state delegate said the most challenging aspect is ensuring communities negatively impacted by the war on drugs will be able to compete in the state’s recreational marijuana market. Existing markets by white executives in other states that have legalized cannabis.��

“That’s where the profits are going and yet, at the same time, in our prisons and in jails, we have people who are disproportionately Black and Hispanic, still serving long sentences for doing the same kind of thing before it became legal,” Sterling said.��

To address this, the reform bill also establishes a business assistance fund. It would offer grants and loans to new businesses and help with license applications.��

Maryland would prioritize awarding these funds to populations disproportionately impacted by cannabis criminalization and individuals with marijuana-related convictions.����

The fund would also create cannabis-related business programs at historically Black colleges and universities in the state to assist minority entrepreneurs seeking to participate in the industry.����

Maryland’s vote comes a month after President Joe Biden simple marijuana possession offenses under federal and D.C. law while all governors to do the same with state offenses.��

and the District of Columbia have already legalized recreational cannabis use for adults. Voters in Missouri, Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota legalizing recreational marijuana this Election Day.

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Only four people showed up in a meet-and-greet that David Krucoff held in a private home in the Van Ness neighborhood. If Krucoff, candidate for the Ward 3 seat, was disappointed by the low turnout, he did not show it.

He talked almost non-stop about his opposition to the plan for installing protected bike lanes on Connecticut Avenue, his disapproval of fare gate jumpers in the Metro, and his advocacy for retrocession, a plan for D.C. to become a part of Maryland.

Washington is a largely Democratic city where President Joe Biden received 92% of the vote in . The city’s voters have not elected a Republican member of the council since 2004, when Carol Schwartz was re-elected for an at-large seat. No Republicans have ever held a ward-level seat.

Who would take on such a long shot?

Krucoff is a third-generation Washingtonian, and a realtor by profession. He calls himself an “underdog,” but he said he believes he has a fair chance of winning the race against the Democratic candidate Matt Frumin, an attorney and former political appointee at the U.S. State Department during the Clinton administration. The Libertarian candidate is political activist Adrian Salsgiver.

“When I meet people, I keep on meeting Democrats. They say I am the first Republican they are ever going to vote for. They think that the council has gone too far to the left,” Krucoff said.

91����ington Post agreed with that view. It saying “one-party rule has been unhealthy for D.C., so we endorse Mr. Krucoff and urge Ward 3 voters to give him a close look.”

The last time 91����ington Post endorsed a Republican for a ward seat was in 2010, when Dave Hedgepeth was running for Ward 3 against Democratic incumbent Mary Cheh, who won.

91����ington Post also said that Krucoff’s call for lower taxes, better support for the police and continuing mayoral control of schools are “the right positions.”

Krucoff does not think his Republican affiliation would be too big an obstacle to gain support from non-Republican voters. He calls himself “a centrist” and has been openly criticizing former President Trump.

“Trump is not only a pig, but he’s also an authoritarian. I’m a democracy guy,” Krucoff said.

In fact, when Krucoff ran unsuccessfully for D.C. delegate in U.S. House of Representatives in 2020, he was an independent candidate. Krucoff said his decision to run as a Republican this time was strategic.

“The party is a vehicle. It is not a religion to me,” Krucoff said.

However, being a Republican candidate in D.C. comes with disadvantages. As of Sept. 30, 76.6% of 503,740 registered voters in the city are Democrats and 16.5% don’t identify with a party, while Republicans represent only 5.3%, according to the city Board of Elections monthly report.

In terms of campaign finance, Krucoff is dwarfed by his Democratic opponent. As of Oct.31, Krucoff raised $94,526.00 while Frumin raised $301,145.47, according to the finance reports the campaign committee of each candidate filed to the city’s Office of Campaign Finance.

“It’s not easy in Ward 3 running as a Republican to recruit volunteers,” said John Muller, a long-time friend and an advisor to Krucoff.

“David is doing a lot of the groundwork that in other campaigns you’d have maybe teenagers or volunteers doing,” Muller said.

Krucoff’s campaign team consists of a few close friends and some consultants. In contrast, Frumin said he had “around 12 people on the core team” and “hundreds of volunteers.”

While Krucoff said the endorsement from 91����ington Post gave a momentum to his campaign, Frumin garnered a wide range of endorsements from the Washington Teachers’ Union to Sierra Club D.C.

Tom Sherwood, a political analyst at WAMU 88.5, said in an email that the race is “a high hurdle” for Krucoff.

Sherwood pointed out that Frumin had strong support among both Democrats and much of the ward’s influential public school parents.

“Most political observers I know agree that Krucoff still needs to become better known in the remaining days of this campaign if he is to win an upset victory,” Sherwood said at the end of October.

Muller, who worked as a coalition director for students and veterans in Florida for John McCain’s campaign during 2008 presidential election, recalls similarities between McCain’s and Krucoff’s campaigns. “What they lack in resources or staff, they make up in charisma,” Muller said.

Muller described Krucoff as “spunky.”

On one late October Saturday, Krucoff dashed back from a tennis court around 1 p.m. He fixed a sandwich, ate while standing, and rushed out to canvas.

Running up and down hundreds of stairs to the porches, Krucoff managed to talk to only a few residents.

“Every time I knock, only one out of every six doors is there a person,” Krucoff said nonchalantly. Then he walked to a meet- and-greet in a nearby apartment complex and mingled with voters for two hours.

While walking home, Krucoff came across a soccer field. He found an abandoned ball, went running up and kicked it.

It was a long shot, but he made it.

WAMU 88.5, D.C.’s NPR station, is owned by American University.

The post An ‘underdog’ story in D.C. Council race first appeared on 91����.

On a crisp October morning, the Planned Parenthood at 4^th Street Northeast in the NoMa area, had advocates on both sides of the issue lined up along the pavement out front. The Carol Whitehill Moses Center of Washington, DC offers a range of healthcare services including primary care and abortion.

On one side are anti-abortion activists––around 10 of them––standing around holding up signs or praying. On the other are volunteer escorts from the Washington Area Clinic Defense Task Force. The volunteer escorts were primarily women, identifiable by their bright orange vests with the wording “pro-choice clinic escorts.” According to the task force’s brochure, the escorts’ goal is to “promote peaceful and safe access to clinics for both patients and staff” and provides a “non-violent buffer” between the anti-abortion activists and the health center.

There are chalk messages scrawled on the concrete sidewalk between them. “Mothers and fathers regret abortion,” read one missive, while another said, “There is a better choice.”

And then there is the silence, a palpable tense quiet between the nearly 20 people this day.

The stillness outside the healthcare provider was only broken when someone exited or went in. One of the escorts walked the person back to their car or the next street while a protester tried handing out material supporting their cause. It’s a scene that repeated every time someone left or entered the health center.

Some passersby thanked the escorts for “being out here” and “doing what you do.” Others chuckled and said they were just going to Trader Joe’s a few feet away.

It’s a tension reminiscent of the mixed emotions around the country since the fall of Roe.

Signs of the times

For one of the anti-abortion protesters outside the clinic, who would identify herself only as a resident of Maryland, it’s her first time back on the sidewalk after the fall of Roe. Before that, she was here every week, she said.

Others like Lori Furstenberg have been coming out here for months. Furstenberg, who’s a former Democrat, described herself now as a “political activist, Republican, and a pro-lifer.”

For most hours outside Planned Parenthood, Furstenberg held up a sign that said, “Everyone deserves a lifetime. Say no to abortion,” showing a fetus in the womb. She said that people “just need to know my sign that I usually hold up.”

“It’s just that simple,” she added. “I usually don’t engage with people other than saying ‘good morning, you matter.’”

Michael New is the leader of this particular pre-election, anti-abortion vigil for “” outside the clinic. He is not new to these circles and has been involved in the anti-abortion movement for years. While the street-level organizing is something he’s still expanding in the District, New said that the Republicans had had their larger focus elsewhere.

“I mean, one thing that pro-lifers have certainly invested very heavily in, and I think pays some big dividends, is judicial nominations,” he said. “That’s kind of the one thing, more than anything, pro-lifers want from people we elect is getting like-minded judges on the Supreme Court and other lower courts.”

Lately, “the other side has seemed to kind of be a bit more organized than previously,” he acknowledged.

Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC, turned down an interview request for this story.

“We emphasize choice”

Earlier in October, exactly a month before the midterms, a “” demonstration, organized by the Women’s March, was held nationally. In the District, it began at Folger Park and the large crowd marched down to the Capitol to rally ahead of the upcoming elections.

While the District has always been one of the sanctuary cities for abortions and access to reproductive healthcare, the Supreme Court’s ruling has rejuvenated the fight for abortion rights.

“We’ve had an increase in people wanting to join us,” said Megan, a volunteer trainer with the task force who requested her last name not be used for security concerns.

She stressed that the escorts outside Planned Parenthood are not “counter protesters.” But a patient’s interaction with a protestor is up to the individual.

“That’s their choice; we emphasize choice,” she said.

A new swell of support

The D.C. Abortion Fund has also had an increase in volunteers post-Roe, said Devin Simpson, the fund’s communications director. “We haven’t quite figured out exactly how to use them all yet.”

Simpson also said there’d been a swell of support for the fund from local businesses and the community.

“I mean, like the weekend Roe fell, I was monitoring our social media, and it was difficult to keep up with the amount of ad-hoc fundraisers going on across the city,” she said, referring to random restaurants and bars.

Elsewhere, more events centered around reproductive rights, have been organized with the proceeds going to various abortion funds.

At the Dupont Underground on Oct. 22 and 23, Duke and Duck––a D.C-based creative content studio––staged a for reproductive rights. The walls of the abandoned tunnel featured 16 unique animations from artists around the country. Katrina Soohoo, a Los Angeles-based motion designer, was one of them.

“Because, you know, we can read about facts,” Soohoo said. “And it’s important to know about facts, but sometimes it takes sort of like some emotional significance to really make it hit home for people.”

A safe haven

With the upcoming elections, while abortion is still protected and legal in the District, the fact that it is not a state still puts it at risk for the future, explained ACLU-D.C. Policy Counsel Melissa Wasser in an email statement.

“The midterm elections across the country could significantly impact abortion in the District,” the statement read. “On the other hand, a Congress committed to democracy could grant D.C. statehood, and as a state, District residents and lawmakers could protect and expand our status as an abortion safe haven.”

Back at the Planned Parenthood in NoMa, at around noon, everyone on either side of the pavement is packing up to leave. As New and the others gathered their material and carried away their signs, they stopped for a quick selfie in front of the clinic before parting ways.

“Will you be back here again next week?” Furstenberg is asked.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

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