(Updated at 4:37 p.m. Wednesday) Logan Circle residents will be able to get to know some of the people running for office in their neighborhood during a public forum on Wednesday.
The Logan Circle Community Association will host a “candidate forum” at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle NW) Oct. 19 at 7 p.m.
Seven candidates up for election next month are slated to take questions from moderator Tom Sherwood and members of the audience.
“In advance of the November election, local candidates will discuss with residents their positions on issues of concern, followed by questions from the community,” organizers said.
The following candidates will participate in the forum:
- Jack Evans, Ward 2 D.C. Councilmember
- Jason Forman, ANC 2F01
- John Guggenmos ANC 2F02
- Pepin Tuma and Alex Graham, ANC 2F03
- John Fanning ANC 2F04
- Ron Rubin ANC 2F05
More information on the upcoming election can be found on the District Board of Elections website.
Hillary Clinton’s campaign is scheduled to open a new D.C. outpost with some help from D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser later this week.
The new office, located in the Whittemore House at 1526 New Hampshire Ave. NW, will officially open its doors this Thursday at 7 p.m. The location will serve as a hub for Clinton campaign staffers and volunteers in the final weeks of the race, according to a Hillary for America spokeswoman.
To celebrate the opening, Clinton staffers are set to host a potluck dinner and meet-and-greet with an appearance from Bowser.
“Come join us and Mayor Bowser this Thursday from 7:00pm – 9:00pm for the grand opening of our new D.C. office,” the campaign said on an event page. “It’s a potluck; so bring a dish and a friend. Connect with others who love Hillary, want to get active, and show the nation that we are truly Stronger Together!”
This isn’t the first time Bowser has stumped for Clinton. Back in May, she proved she was “ready for Hillary” by supporting the candidate during back-to-back primary campaign office openings at 1919 M St. NW and 1227 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
“When I think about somebody who’s going to represent me in the dangerous places in this world, I don’t want to see Donald,” Bowser proclaimed at the M Street office’s grand opening event. “I want to see Hillary Clinton.”
Though you might see his smiling face and star-spangled hat on presidential campaign posters across the D.C. area, Russell Hirshon doesn’t want your vote and he definitely doesn’t want your money.
Why? Well, because he doesn’t actually intend to take office (though he really is registered with the Federal Election Commission as an independent candidate).
“Honestly, you’re looking at the signs and you have to wonder, what in God’s name?” Hirshon said. “What would motivate someone to do that?”
The 55-year-old president of a small local creative agency is making a silly statement about the entire process. As he puts it in a press release, Hirshon “engages the public through his performance-art-politics that look to awaken individuals to his message and bring attention to the cause of supporting charitable organizations over political campaigns.”
More plainly, he posts funny signs across the city and occasionally sits on toilets in public in an attempt to get people to donate to charity instead of political candidates.
“For me, it’s like an art piece. I’m creating a canvas of political art,” Hirshon said. “The outcome of course… is to do that function of donating to charitable causes.”
Instead of filling the war chests of Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, Hirshon said people should open their wallets to charities like The Mastocytosis Society, LUNGevity and The Many Hats Institute. But any charity will do, as long as it helps people, he said.
Hirshon lays it out like this on his website:
With estimates that approximately $2.6 billion was spent in the last presidential election, it’s time to redirect campaign contributions. As donors, What would happen if we gave 10% of intended campaign contributions to a charitable cause instead? Likely some very beautiful things.
“If I can raise money for the charities that might help my friends, if it benefits other people’s charities, then it’s a win,” he added.
This isn’t the first time he’s tried to poke holes in the political process. In 1990, during the height of Marion Barry’s drug scandal, Hirshon made a name for himself by running for mayor of the District.
Two years later, he launched a sarcastic presidential campaign centered around grungy cable TV ads peppered with slogans like, “if you don’t vote, I just might win.”
“I’d put my phone number on there and people would call,” he recalled. “Talk about the greatest political science experiment ever.”
Though something like that would likely turn him into a viral video star these days, Hirshon said his exploits and celebrity have mostly been lost to time. When he relaunched his presidential campaign earlier this year, few people remembered him. In fact, it was only when he started putting up signs across town last week that he started to get noticed.
Last weekend, 300 people visited his website, about as many visitors as the previous six months put together; still a small number, but a definite sign of life. And even if his relaunched campaign snags just couple more dollars for charity, Hirshon said he’s happy with that.
“There will be those that say I’m an idiot or crazy or who knows,” he said. “But if I raise ten dollars extra more for charities, then I’m good with it.”
(Updated at 5:55 p.m. Aug. 21) The 2016 ballot for the lowest level of elected office in the D.C. government is now almost final.
More than 100 locals who live in or near the Borderstan coverage area have submitted nominating petitions to serve as members of the District’s Advisory Neighborhood commissions. They had until yesterday to collect the signatures of 25 of their neighbors in their single member districts and bring the paperwork to the D.C. Board of Elections.
But before the ANC candidates officially can get on the ballot, they must make it through a petition challenge period, which lasts until Aug. 22.
The candidates for the Nov. 8 general election for now include:
The former chair of Dupont Circle’s advisory neighborhood commission announced today he won’t seek another term.
ANC 2B Commissioner Noah Smith said this morning he plans to step away from his neighborhood commissioner post at the end of his term in January.
“I’m sorry to announce that this November I will not be seeking re-election as your neighborhood commissioner in 2B09,” Smith wrote. “In the end, my growing career responsibilities and travel schedule make it difficult for me to commit to two more years as Commissioner.”
Smith, who passed his responsibilities as chair to commissioner Nicole Mann earlier this year, said he will back Dupont resident Scott Davies as his replacement.
“When I think about who I want to represent me to the city, I think of someone who is level-headed, patient, experienced in dealing with government and interested in making a positive difference without a personal agenda; that is Scott Davies,” Smith wrote. “You can look forward to getting to know Scott and some issues important to him when he goes door-to-door this fall to hear from each of you.”
Read Smith’s full statement below:
(Updated at 4:19 p.m.) A community activist has succeeded Thu Nguyen on the Columbia Heights Advisory Neighborhood Commission.
Christine Miller yesterday secured “decisively more” votes for Nguyen’s ANC 1A05 seat than her opponent, Oliver Barham, according to commission Chairman Kent Boese. But it wasn’t immediately clear exactly how many votes she received in the special election.
Nguyen stepped down in May to move to Philadelphia, triggering a race for the ANC single member district, which is bounded roughly by Newton and Irving, roughly 16th and 14 streets NW.
“I am very excited,” said the 41-year-old Miller.
(Updated at 2:55 p.m.) The race to enter (or stay in) the lowest level of elected office in the D.C. government officially has begun.
More than 20 locals who live in or near the Borderstan coverage area yesterday picked up nominating petitions to serve as members of District’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions.
Monday was the first day prospective candidates could get the nominating materials. They have until Aug. 10 to collect the signatures of 25 of their neighbors in their single member districts to get on the Nov. 8 ballot.
So far, the candidates include:
A real estate agent has succeeded a dog walker on the Columbia Heights Advisory Neighborhood Commission.
Realtor Richard DuBeshter, who ran unopposed for the ANC 1A06 seat vacated by pet care company owner Patrick W. Flynn, officially took office during a swearing in ceremony today. Flynn resigned from the commission last month to devote more attention to his business.
DuBeshter said he’s seen the “good, bad and very ugly” of Columbia Heights since he came to the neighborhood in 2000. Since his arrival, DuBeshter said he has served on the North Columbia Civic Association, and has strived to make his neighborhood a better place by participating in community clean-ups, safety walks and work to create the Trolley Park at 11th and Monroe streets NW.
D.C. Council at-large candidate David Garber had some strong words for Councilmember Vincent Orange over his proposed bill to regulate the way D.C. residents can rent out their homes, apartments and condos on Airbnb.
As Greater Greater Washington’s David Alpert wrote, Orange’s bill would “make it illegal to rent a unit on Airbnb except for renting out a room inside one’s own house, in a single-family (detached or row) house, with a special permit, and after notifying all nearby neighbors and the local Advisory Neighborhood Commission.”
D.C. has more Airbnb listings per capita than New York and Los Angeles, according to a recent Washingtonian article, and many of those listings are in Dupont Circle, Shaw and Adams Morgan.
In a press release sent out yesterday evening, Garber said Orange’s bill was “closely tailored to industry special interests” and would have “a broad, negative impact on local homeowners and visitors” in D.C.
The candidate also accused Orange of appeasing “industry stakeholders” instead of representing his constituents.
“As Mr. Orange plays politics from the Wilson Building, residents in neighborhoods across every ward of the District of Columbia could face the harmful consequences of a bill that curtails their rights and ability to earn extra income as homeowners, and restricts consumer choice,” Garber said in the release.
“We need to continue the momentum for fresh leadership on Council that puts the priorities of District residents ahead of the priorities of special interests,” Garber added.
Photo courtesy of David Garber
Dupont Circle residents, meet your newest ANC Commissioner.
Locals overwhelmingly voted in favor of candidate John Kupcinski during a special election at ANC 2B’s general meeting at the Brookings Institution (1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW) last night.
The meeting started with a ceremonial ballot box unveiling from Director of the Office of ANCs, Gottlieb Simon. The director, with help from Mike Silverstein, 2B-06, then sealed the box with tape and officially opened the voting period. Neighbors who live in the ANC’s 2B-07 single member district — including Greater Greater Washington’s David Alpert — filed in throughout the night to cast their votes.
In the end, Kupcinski won 31 votes. His opponent, Holly Biglow, received seven. In the hallway after the election, defeated candidate Biglow was all smiles.
“I’m really happy to have been apart of this process,” she said. “This is my very first time running for something. I was glad to be apart of it.”
Moving forward, Kupcinski said the St. Thomas Church renovation, traffic issues and local development will be at the top of his agenda after he’s sworn in.
“I would need to sit down with the other ANC commissioners first, but … the traffic situation at 18th and P [streets NW] is just horrendous,” he said. “There’s also a lot of development that’s going on, especially at the Patterson Mansion … and Dupont Underground is going to be more and more important as we move forward with that project.”
Some Dupont Circle residents will have the chance to elect a new ANC commissioner tonight.
ANC 2B will tally votes tonight during a special election for former commissioner Justine Underhill’s 2B-07 seat, which was vacated in August when Underhill moved to New York City. Voting takes place between 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. during tonight’s ANC 2B meeting at the Brookings Institution (1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW) near Dupont Circle.
Dupont residents Holly Biglow and John Kupcinski have entered into the race for the 2B-07 seat. In previous interviews with Borderstan, both candidates have said weighing in on the planned St. Thomas Church development is at the top of their agenda if elected.
“First and foremost, … I’d like to try to [figure out] how the construction is going to happen [at the St. Thomas’ Parish], how the operations will work, how the pre-construction, construction will work,” said Kupcinski. “Just make sure there aren’t any misunderstandings. It’s going to be one of the biggest developments happening in 2B-07.”
“I know the St. Thomas Church project is a very large project,” Biglow told us. “It’s very important to the community, so that will be the number one issue that will have to be addressed.”
According to ANC 2B chair Noah Smith, 2B-09, ballots will be available in the back of the ANC meeting room. D.C. Director of the Office of ANCs, Gottlieb Simon, will check in voters as they arrive. Locals do not need to stay for the entire meeting to cast a vote, added Smith.
ANC 1B has a another new commissioner.
The commission applauded Amanda Bonam, 1B-10, as she took her new seat during a general meeting at the Reeves Center last night.
Swearing in our newest ANC @AmandaBonam. A student at @HowardU and now member of @ANC1B. Congrats! pic.twitter.com/ZIJs61RETw
— Brianne K. Nadeau (@BrianneKNadeau) October 1, 2015
Bonam, a 19-year-old student at Howard University, said she’s glad to take over for previous 1B-10 commissioner and Howard alum Allyson Carpenter.
“[Allyson and I] came to ANC meetings, we checked it out and it was something I was really interested in,” Bonam said. “Once I realized Allyson was on her way out, I thought that would be a natural step up, to run for the seat.”
Bonam added that she hopes to use her seat to connect the university and surrounding residents.
“As the newest commissioner, something that I think is absolutely important is connecting Howard University back with he community,” Bonam said. “I represent most of the Howard dormitories, so making sure that Howard and the community are connected is really important to me.”
Dupont Circle’s ANC 2B is getting ready for a special election.
Residents Holly Biglow and John Kupcinski have entered into a race for former commissioner Justine Underhill’s 2B-07 seat, which was vacated in August when Underhill moved to New York City. Earlier this month, you heard from Kupcinski. Now, here’s your chance to hear from Biglow:
Borderstan: Tell me a little bit about why you decided to run for the 2B-07 seat.
I’ve been in the neighborhood for six years. I love the neighborhood. I love my community. I love the diversity. I love what my neighborhood stands for. I want to be apart of it. I am apart of my condominium association, so I do like being involved however I can, especially regarding where I live.
You previously thought about running for this seat, didn’t you?
When Justine [Underhill] ran, I was also interested, but I met and I spoke to her and I didn’t go through with getting signatures or anything like that.
So you didn’t run, but you were thinking about it.
Exactly. I was just interested, but I met with her and she was very passionate about it, so I sort of stepped back.
If you are elected, what will be one of your first priorities?
I know the St. Thomas Church project is a very large project. It’s very important to the community, so that will be the number one issue that will have to be addressed.
After that, I would like to work closely or continue to work with the surrounding businesses, such as the restaurants. I know there’s a lot more competition in D.C., which is driving a lot of patrons to go to different parts of D.C. I want to try to keep our area vibrant and as active as it currently it. I would definitely like to work more to try to keep the businesses in our area.
I think congestion will be addressed eventually. Traffic congestion. I’m not sure about people congestion, but I know that is a concern, especially considering the St. Thomas street project and some of the other condos that are being developed in the neighborhood, such as the Patterson House. That’s one of the things I would definitely like to keep an eye out on.
In what ways would you work with the businesses to keep patrons here?
I know that normally the businesses come to the ANC to get approval on their patios or what they can and can’t do in terms of their liquor license, or can they play music or not? I think just sort of working in that regard and being open-minded and looking in a business sense to make sure that I’m helping them to thrive and keep customers coming into our neighborhood.
I do know that the ANC scope is limited, but when they approach the ANC with things they might want to do to boost their business, instead of saying no, [I want to] look at it more like, we do want to keep people coming into the neighborhood, how can we work together and keep the neighborhood thriving?
How do you plan to interact with other neighborhood associations, if elected?
Like I said in my speech at the last ANC meeting, I’m a very open-minded person. I like working with different organizations and coalitions. That would continue with any association if I were elected to the ANC.
How would you use social media to engage with your potential future constituents?
I’m a Facebook user. I would probably use Facebook and keep people updated through Facebook. That would be my route.
Is there anything you’d want to change in the way ANC 2B operates?
Nothing that I can pinpoint right now. But I feel like the commissioners are easy to work with and they’re very nice people. I’m sure if something did come about, they would probably consider my suggestions if there’s anything that I think would need to be changed. The meetings run pretty smoothly.
Residents of the 2B-07 single member district can cast their ballots next month at the Brookings Institution on Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Click here for more information regarding voter eligibility and the voting process.
This interview was edited for length and clarity
Watch out, frequently absent ANC commissioners.
D.C. Councilmember Brianne Nadeau today introduced a bill that would ax commissioners who miss meetings for three months in a row.
The bill, called the Advisory Neighborhood Commission Absenteeism Penalty Amendment Act of 2015, was co-introduced by councilmembers Anita Bonds and Elissa Silverman and aims to “make it easier for ANCs to reliably have the quorum required to conduct official business.”
“Like several of my colleagues, I was an ANC Commissioner,” said Nadeau, who served on ANC 1B from 2006 to 2010, from the podium. “I found, as many commissioners can relate to, it can be difficult to enforce attendance among a group of volunteer leaders.”
As written in the bill, any commissioner who fails to attend official public meetings for three months will “be considered resigned from the position.”
“District residents and business leaders should not be penalized for poor attendance of their representatives,” Nadeau added from the dais.
Nadeau said that the legislation was requested in a resolution from Columbia Heights and Park View ANC 1A, and that it “mirrors similar language already in the procedures governing ANC 1B.”
Final bill will make it easier for ANCs to do business. Commissioners can’t miss more than 3 meetings in a row. Bill requested by @ANC1A.
— Brianne K. Nadeau (@BrianneKNadeau) September 22, 2015
As former ANC, I appreciate their hard work as volunteers. This bill will ensure they have quorum to do imp’t community business.
— Brianne K. Nadeau (@BrianneKNadeau) September 22, 2015
I also want to commend the work of @ANC1A Chair @KentBoeseDC for his leadership on the ANC absenteeism bill I intro'd today.
— Brianne K. Nadeau (@BrianneKNadeau) September 22, 2015
Photo courtesy of Brianne Nadeau
Dupont Circle’s ANC 2B is getting ready for a special election.
Residents Holly Biglow and John Kupcinski have entered into a race for former commissioner Justine Underhill’s 2B-07 seat, which was vacated last month when Underhill moved to New York City. Now, here’s your chance to hear from one of them.
We spoke with Kupcinski about some of the local issues he feels strongly about:
Borderstan: Tell me a little bit about why you decided to run for the 2B-07 seat.
John Kupcinski: I’ve been involved in neighborhood politics, I purchased my property about a year and a half ago or so. I made a fairly big investment. It’s the biggest purchase I’ll probably ever make in my entire life So I wanted to make a big investment in the community as well. I got involved with Church Street Neighbors. Meeting the people who are my neighbors, I’m a proponent of trying to make things better. I felt like this is one of the ways I could contribute to the community.
If you are elected, what will be one of your first priorities?
First and foremost, … I’d like to try to [figure out] how the construction is going to happen [at the St. Thomas’ Parish], how the operations will work, how the pre-construction, construction will work. Just make sure there aren’t any misunderstandings. It’s going to be one of the biggest developments happening in 2B-07.
How do you plan to interact with other neighborhood associations, if elected?
It’s important to have people’s voices heard. One of the things we’re blessed with in 2B-07 is that we have a lot of very active and engaged community members who have decided to participate in the political process. So that, I think, is a fantastic benefit and also something that can help whoever the ANC commissioner is in October. I would see those organizations as a conduit for ideas and to help out with initiatives and to be able to provide communication back and forth between constituent groups within the neighborhood.
Is there anything you’d want to change in the way ANC 2B operates?
This is kind of a non-answer, but my perception has been on the other side of the microphone. So, I would need to get in and see the workings of how things are happening. I don’t know yet. But I am looking forward to working with everybody. I think that everybody in the ANC has a significant amount to give and contribute. They’ve made the neighborhood a better place to live in. I’m excited about working with everybody.
You said previously that, even if you don’t win the election, you’ll still be involved in the community. Are there specific things you’d undertake?
I’ve been very fortunate to, through this process, to meet a number of the different neighbors and develop a lot of close friendships. I would get involved in [Dupont Circle Citizens Association] or Church Street Neighbors or even work with a message board that people are active on within the community.
How will you use social media to engage with your potential future constituents?
My Twitter is very professional. Mostly articles that I think are interesting with respect to information security. One of the things that I would like to do is find a way to engage people on social media, whether that be on Twitter, create a 2B-07 media account. Using other blogs. I know the ANC has a blog. But I’d try to find as many ways to reach out to people.
Residents of the 2B-07 single member district can cast their ballots next month at the Brookings Institution on Oct. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Click here for more information regarding voter eligibility and the voting process.
