Kenyan McDuffie for DC Mayor

Kenyan McDuffie is the right person to lead our city forward in these difficult times. We are different from other cities, and Kenyan understands that. We don’t have a state to bail us out, and we don’t control all our own destiny. We are 700,000 strong, don’t have a vote in Congress, don’t control our courts, or our national guard. We have home rule, but it’s not absolute. Congress kept the right to review our legislation, and budget. Recently, we found out how destructive that is. So, we need a mayor who will fight for our rights, all of our rights. The rights of immigrants, Latinos, the LGBTQ community, Blacks, women, Asians; all whose rights may still be at risk. Kenyan will fight for full statehood but understands the tightrope the DC mayor must walk to keep us from losing more control. 

Kenyan McDuffie said, “leadership is measured by delivering results, not rhetoric.”  From his days as a union mail carrier, serving DC neighborhoods door-to-door, to his work as a civil rights attorney in President Obama’s Department of Justice, to his service as a citywide lawmaker, he has approached every challenge with the same values: stand up for working people, fix broken systems, and demand accountability from those in power. 

As mayor Kenyan has committed to, “focusing on delivering what matters most to DC families: lowering the cost of living, expanding opportunity in every ward, and strengthening public safety with a government that answers to all DC.” Kenyan believes every resident deserves to live in a safe and affordable home recognizing housing remains one of the largest costs for DC families. On the council he authored laws expanding the supply of affordable housing, helped direct hundreds of millions of dollars to preserve and build more affordable homes across the city. As Mayor he is committed to expanded home purchase and down payment assistance programs for first-time homebuyers, and District employees. Providing additional resources for housing providers to preserve and expand existing affordable housing stock, while overseeing the responsible use of taxpayer dollars dedicated to building more. He is committed to creating more family-sized units in affordable housing developments to prevent displacement of longtime residents and ensuring families of all sizes have access to safe, affordable, homes. He will streamline the process for regulatory approvals prioritizing growth, and modernize zoning to increase supply, and lower per-unit construction costs.

Kenyan is committed to expanding access to childcare and early learning, recognizing DC families face the highest childcare costs in the nation. He understands affordability begins at birth, which is why he helped secure funding for birth-to-three, and early learning providers. He knows strong early childhood systems support both parents’ workforce participation, and children’s long-term success. As Mayor Kenyan will expand the Local Child Tax Credit to help families cover childcare costs. He will provide incentives to employers to help expand their employee’s childcare benefits, and repurpose District-owned space, to reduce providers’ costs and expand subsidized care in neighborhoods that have been historically underserved and neglected. He supports more mixed-use project development incorporating family amenities, including childcare centers. He will secure updated zoning to allow more high-quality home-based and neighborhood childcare options. Kenyan will work to provide more District-supported early learning, and out-of-school-time programs. Programs that will consider working family schedules, including non-traditional hours.

Kenyan has always supported strong public traditional and charter schools, both essential to our children’s success, and to a thriving, inclusive, D.C. economy. He secured millions each year for school and recreation center modernizations, nonprofit youth sports programs, and ensured our children are able to have safe passage to and from school and recreational activities. He supports Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, which better align with workforce needs, industry demand, and good-paying career opportunities. He will expand access to these programs for students in every ward. As mayor, Kenyan is committed to expanding access to reliable out-of-school-time programming across all wards. Strengthening literacy, classroom quality, and responsible technology integration in Vocational training, CTE programs, and career academies for high-demand sector jobs. He is committed to programs to reduce chronic absenteeism with measurable public dashboards, and full access for children who need appropriate special education, mental health, and school health services. He believes while preparing students for college, schools must also help them prepare for good-paying careers should they choose not to go to college. Kenyan understands all this must happen if we are to close the large racial wealth gap in our city. 

Kenyan understands how dependent our city is on its “Arts, Culture, Nightlife, Sports, and Entertainment Economy” and will work to reinvigorate all of those sectors, making sure our residents are fully prepared for jobs in each of them.

Kenyan McDuffie is best able to defend Home Rule and shield residents from harmful federal overreach. As a Councilmember, he has always stood strong for civil rights and local autonomy. He understands how Donald Trump and the Republican led Congress, have repeatedly interfered in our self-governance. As a former prosecutor, and civil rights trial attorney, Kenyan is ready to fight for all DC and has said he will make clear on Day One: “Enough is Enough.” He understands how to do this without putting us in more jeopardy.  He has said he will issue a Day-One directive ending MPD cooperation with ICE. He will make sure there is a civil right-to-counsel protection program for immigrant families. Will bolster the Mayor’s Office of Legal Counsel for constitutional challenges, working closely with the District’s Attorney General. He will strengthen the Mayor’s office with regard to federal advocacy efforts, to fight for statehood. Until we win that fight Kenyan will work to expand legislative and budget autonomy and defend home-rule. Kenyan has authored pioneering laws that reformed DC’s juvenile justice system, created a public health framework for violence prevention and intervention, and improved police accountability. His record demonstrates accountability and opportunity go hand in hand. He will work to right-size MPD through smart recruitment, home purchase assistance, and he will invest in community safety programs. He will expand the cadet program to build a pipeline of DC residents who want to go into law enforcement. He will work to modernize 911 and 311 systems for faster response and transparency. And will add more neighborhood-based prevention pilots to take an “All hands-on deck” approach to crime. 

For all these reasons and more, I support Kenyan McDuffie. One of those more, is his response to the growing antisemitism in the District and the country. Kenyan said, “Leadership matters in moments like this. As your next mayor, I will bring people together across all lines of difference. I will engage with every community in this city, especially when it is not easy, or politically convenient. Washington must be a city where every resident — regardless of faith, race, gender, or identity — feels safe, respected, and heard.” That is the kind of city I want Washington D.C. to be, and why I urge everyone to cast their vote for Kenyan McDuffie for Mayor.