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When former D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie stepped down from his independent at-large council seat to seek the Democratic nomination for mayor, he set the wheels in motion for a special election.
The contest for the seat McDuffie vacated includes At-Large Council member Doni Crawford, the woman selected by the council to hold the seat until the special election; Elissa Silverman, a former at-large council member; and Jacque Patterson, president of the D.C. State Board of Education.
The three independent candidates are now making their case to voters about how they would handle the job, with the winner serving through January. In November, voters will decide who earns the next four-year term.
All of it is unfolding alongside a crowded primary ballot, where Democrats are deciding a second at-large seat, along with several ward contests.
Six candidates are running for the Ward 1 seat after Brianne Nadeau announced she is not seeking reelection. In Ward 5, incumbent Zachary Parker faces two Democratic challengers, and in Ward 6, incumbent Charles Allen is also being challenged by two Democrats. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and Ward 3鈥檚 Matthew Frumin are both unopposed in the Democratic primary.
As that plays out, the spotlight is on the three candidates competing for the at-large seat.
海角社区app sent a questionnaire to candidates in all of the contested races, asking about the top issues facing D.C.听Meet the candidates and read their responses here.
Candidates tout experience in bid for citywide seat
Silverman is stressing a record of results from her time on the council, from passing paid family leave to holding agencies accountable.
鈥淚 offer voters is both a track record of getting really hard things done that benefits their lives, like D.C. paid family leave,鈥� Silverman said.
She said that experience positions her to handle big policy and budget challenges.
Crawford highlights her background before taking office, including years as a council staffer and work at a think tank, saying she understands how the system works from the inside.
鈥淚’m new to the job, but I’m not new to the work,鈥� she said.
Crawford said that experience has given her a deep knowledge of the legislative and budget process and shaped her focus on working with communities across all eight wards.
Patterson points to decades of experience in the community and in public service.
鈥淚鈥檝e lived here 30 years and my whole entire time here has been about serving the District of Columbia,鈥� Patterson said.
He said his work in education and neighborhood engagement gives him a strong foundation to represent residents citywide.
Public safety and youth engagement emerge as key issues
Concerns about rowdy “teen takeovers” and the debate over youth curfews are shaping the conversation in the race.
Candidates agree public safety requires more than law enforcement, but differ in their overall plans.
鈥淚 didn’t want to just tell youth where they cannot be but I wanted to be a part of the solution and finding places for them to engage with each other,鈥� Crawford said.
She also believes D.C. police are leaning too heavily on overtime because of staffing shortages, saying the overtime hours worked in fiscal 2025 were the equivalent of roughly 870 additional officers.
And long-term, Crawford said improving safety means addressing issues like housing and jobs, and tracking police response times and community trust in addition to crime numbers.
Silverman wants to focus more on the people most likely to commit violence, and ensuring agencies are working together.
鈥淲e need to better identify and focus on the people who are known troublemakers, those likely to pull a trigger on a gun,鈥� Silverman said.
She said that requires coordination between police, housing and social services, along with consequences when crimes are committed.
Silverman also points to staffing shortages and the need to follow best practices.
鈥淲e need to staff our force, especially in certain areas such as detectives,鈥� she said.
Patterson said safety concerns reflect years of underinvestment.
鈥淭his didn’t just happen overnight, this has been a disinvestment in youth programming and mental health for a long period of time,鈥� Patterson said.
He supports targeted enforcement like curfews, but said reinvestment in youth programs and mental health is key.
Candidates outline approach to representing entire city
Unlike ward-based council members, at-large seats represent all residents across D.C., a role each candidate said requires strong community engagement.
Silverman said staying visible and listening is essential.
鈥淵ou have to get out and meet people where they are. I think, often government expects voters and residents and businesses to come to them,鈥� Silverman said.
Crawford said she鈥檚 focused on building relationships across all eight wards.
鈥淚 made sure to call all the ANC wards across the district, there’s over 50 of them, and I wanted to make sure that they knew that I was here and I was accessible to them,鈥� Crawford said.
Patterson said his focus, if elected, will be on engaging directly with neighborhood leaders and residents.
鈥淚’m going to be a very active at-large member, going to ANC meetings, going to civic association meetings, those places where communities meet to talk about the issues that involve their particular community,鈥� Patterson said.
Candidates differ on federal role and protecting home rule
Candidates are also laying out different approaches to dealing with federal oversight and protecting the District鈥檚 autonomy.
Silverman said D.C. leaders need to improve on how they respond to federal involvement in city affairs and present a united front.
鈥淲e need to be much more coordinated and strategic,鈥� Silverman said.
She said that includes city leaders aligning their actions across agencies and elected offices before taking steps that could lead to federal pushback.
Crawford said she supports using legislation to reflect the District鈥檚 priorities within the limits of home rule.
鈥淚 think there are things we can do through legislation, both emergency and permanent, to stand up for our values, that is within our limited home rule, and I want to continue to do that,鈥� Crawford said.
Patterson said lawmakers should carefully consider how legislation will play out at the federal level.
鈥淲e have to be very pragmatic about our policies, our legislation that we’re putting forward,” Patterson said. “I think some of the times that we do some performative legislation because certain groups would like us to put step forward, and we really don’t coordinate between the offices that we need to, because we all need to be singing the same tune.”
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