Five Public Servants Vie for Ward 7 D.C. Council Seat

Ward 7 residents, civic leaders, and business owners currently have their sights on the Fletcher-Johnson project, RFK campus, streetcar expansion, economic development, health equity, and school modernization as hot-button issues.   

How they weather the storm in these areas of concern depends, in large part, on who represents Ward 7 on the D.C. Council over the next few years. 

In recent weeks, Veda Rasheed, Ebbon Allen, Eboni-Rose Thompson, Ebony Payne and Kelvin Brown have thrown their hat in the ring for the Ward 7 seat, each of them with an eagerness to breathe new life into an office that many constituents felt has become stagnant.  

Veda Rasheed Gives It Another Go

Rasheed, an attorney, mother and lifelong Ward 7 resident, is in her second run for the Ward 7 council seat. In 2020, she accumulated 22.8% of the votes in an unsuccessful bid for Ward 7 D.C. Council member Vince Gray’s seat. 

Within two days of announcing her candidacy, Rasheed’s campaign reported 100 campaign contributions. She told The Informer that her message and experiences resonate with residents clamoring for a new beginning. 

“I’ve been in Ward 7 my whole life,” Rasheed said. “I’m collaborative and have worked with people on the D.C. Council. In the last race, we ran a strong campaign against a strong incumbent. The vote reflected that people wanted change. People are coming out to vote. Apathy can’t keep us from the ballot box.” 

Rasheed previously served as community engagement representative in the Office of the Attorney General under Karl Racine, and a clerk in D.C. Superior Court and the D.C. Commission on Human Rights. She also has experience as an advisory neighborhood commissioner, chair of the Ward 7 Young Democrats, Ward 7 parent leader for the My School DC Advisory Council, and Ward 7 representative in Parents Amplifying Voices in Education, also known as PAVE. 

Rasheed told The Informer her first priority upon entering the council seat would be addressing public safety. If elected, she pledges to take a “progressive and holistic” approach by pushing for federal judicial appointments, further supporting violence interrupters, and addressing root causes of crime. 

As it relates to budget season, Rasheed said she wants to direct more investments to Ward 7 schools, which she said would strengthen feeder patterns and encourage more parents to enroll their children in neighborhood schools. She highlighted Winston Education Campus, a shuttered D.C. public school on Erie Street in Southeast, as a building that needs to be developed with Ward 7 families in mind. 

When it comes to traffic infrastructure, Rasheed said that she would champion improvements that relieve congestion and make morning commutes safer for students traveling on foot.  For returning citizens, Rasheed is eyeing legislation focusing on record expungement. 

“We need resources and feeder schools,” Rasheed said. “When the budget comes, we want to make sure Ward 7 is funded. The issues are economic. We have to make sure we put money in our schools. We don’t want to be reactionary. While we’re seeing some progress, we can see more — and we deserve more.” 

Ebbon Allen: A Proponent of Workforce and Economic Development

Allen, another lifelong Ward 7 resident, touts public safety, development of key education pathways, and economic development as his legislative priorities. 

In 2021, Allen, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and other public officials broke ground on Woody Ward Recreation Center, formerly known as Benning Park Recreation Center. As advisory neighborhood commissioner for ANC 7E03, Allen collected petitions and testified before the D.C. Council in support of the new recreation center, which currently hosts a youth boxing program. 

Allen also served as a task force member for what will eventually become Fletcher-Johnson at the Park, a 15-acre site that hosts 817 units of condominiums, multi-family apartments, and affordable senior assisted living units. 

This project will exist on the grounds of Allen’s alma mater, the former Fletcher-Johnson Education Center, and the accompanying recreation center in Marshall Heights. 

Though no longer in his capacity as advisory neighborhood commissioner, Allen has maintained a presence in Ward 7 through an annual toy drive with the East River Family Strengthening Collaborative. He also hosts Morehouse Day, during which he and the Greater Washington D.C. Morehouse College Alumni Association conduct workshops in District public and public charter schools about literacy, conflict resolution and entrepreneurship.  

Allen, a full-time teacher, has more than two decades in the classroom. In recent years, that’s where he’s gained intimate knowledge of Ward 7’s public safety woes. During the 2021-2022 school year, he served as an English teacher at IDEA Public Charter School in Deanwood, where a student was involved in a shooting incident shortly after leaving school. 

That situation placed safe passage among Allen’s top public safety priorities. He also touts the need for school resource officers and career pathways in the middle and high schools. These focus areas, he said, will address chronic absenteeism that was exacerbated by the pandemic. 

Allen also said that he wants to strengthen Ward 7’s public schools, telling The Informer that H.D. Woodson High School and Ron Brown College Preparatory High School deserve the best and brightest graduates of Kelly Miller Middle School. He advocates for the infusion of additional programs at Woodson and Ron Brown. 

Additionally, the ideal middle school career pathways program, as Allen describes it, allows young people to explore barbering, cosmetology, and other vocations. He also spoke about pushing for a new public middle school with a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) focus.

In the realm of economic development, Allen told The Informer that Ward 7 deserves grocery stores, sit-down restaurants and other amenities. To achieve that goal, Allen said that he wants to organize community members around developer engagement, just as he has done for Woody Ward Recreation Center and Fletcher-Johnson at the Park. 

For Allen, time’s of the essence in improving the quality of life for Ward 7 residents. 

“Things feel stagnant,” Allen said. 

“There’s not enough movement and advocacy around education, public safety and economic development,” he added. “There’s an increase in crime and a lot of residents don’t want to leave their homes. Parents don’t want to send their children to school. We have to come up with solutions. A lot of  constituents feel that isn’t happening.” 

Eboni-Rose Thompson Looks to Continue Her Work for Ward 7

Thompson, the current Ward 7 representative and president of the D.C. State Board of Education (SBOE) announced her candidacy on Nov. 15 after much speculation about whether she would run. 

The fourth-generation Ward 7 resident called the council seat a natural progression in the work she’s done for more than a decade on behalf of residents on SBOE, Ward 7 Education Council, and as an advisory neighborhood commissioner. 

As Ward 7 SBOE representative, Thompson led her colleagues in crafting an Education Governance Report, chock full of recommendations that change SBOE’s relationship with District education agencies and better allow the state board to address students, parents, teachers and community members’ education-related concerns. 

Thompson also created a virtual attendance policy and eliminated what many considered an unfair 80/20 attendance rule that marked late students absent. She expanded community service opportunities through a policy that allows service hours to be counted from opportunities with community-based organizations and advisory neighborhood commissions among their 

In years past, Thompson counted among those who, during budget season, vied for infrastructural upgrades to Anne Beers Elementary School and Burrville Elementary School, among several others in Ward 7. Other priorities include safe passage and investment in post-pandemic mental health support for students and teachers. 

If elected, Thompson hopes to leverage her relationships in the Wilson Building to increase the quality of life in Ward 7. Her areas of focus are education, health and human services, and economic development — all of which she said directly affects public safety. 

Thompson told The Informer that the socioeconomic diversity of Ward 7 compels her to approach issues in a holistic and balanced fashion noting that white-collar professionals, police officers, and residents under court supervision coexist on several blocks throughout her ward. 

As such, she expressed a desire to build upon Council member Gray’s vision of a hospital and east-end health network with a focus on mental health. 

As it relates to economic development, Thompson told The Informer that she wants to ensure that Ward 7 entrepreneurs can establish storefronts along developing corridors. 

Thompson also said that she will continue to push for investments in Ward 7’s school feeder pattern so young people can be encouraged to complete their K-12 education close to home. Part of that, Thompson explained, includes providing courses that prepare young people for a 21st-century job market that allows them to make career pivots when necessary. She cites her mother, a retired teacher, as a source of inspiration in that regard because of how, upon her graduation from Eastern High School, she was an electrician before she pursued a career in education. 

When it comes to voter apathy, Thompson recognized it as a problem affecting Ward 7 residents, regardless of age. She told The Informer that she will continue to maintain an on-the-ground presence to boost people’s confidence that the Ward 7 D.C. Council office can respond to their needs.   

“I know how to represent Ward 7 well, as the state board representative, or when advocating for a budget increase,” Thompson said. “The Wilson Building is not a foreign place to me. The difference is that I would have an office and I would be the person who votes. It’s the job description: in order to get things done, you have to work with your colleagues and bring other people into that vision. I would already be able to do that.” 

Ebony Payne Wants to Engage Young People and Bring Fresh Food to Ward 7 

Ebony Payne, an advisory neighborhood commissioner, local business owner and third-generation Washingtonian, announced her campaign for the Ward 7 D.C. council seat on Nov. 20. She said she jumped into the race adamant about addressing carjackings and violent crime. 

Since stepping into her role as commissioner of ANC 7D05 this year, Payne has engaged violence interrupters about incidents that seriously injured young people in her single-member district. She also facilitated dialogue about the future of RFK campus, all while informing residents about the impending closure of Rosedale Neighborhood Library and launching a Benning Road Taskforce with the assistance of D.C. Council member Zachary Parker (D-Ward 5) and ANC 5D.  

Payne said, in the course of her work, she’s not only established relationships with Parker, but D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D), and D.C. Council members Robert White (D-At large) and Charles Allen (D-Ward 6). She cited those ties, as well as her experience as a two-term executive member of Friends of Kingman Park, as instrumental in serving as Ward 7 council member. 

While she dubbed public safety as her top priority, Payne told The Informer that attracting local grocers to Ward 7 and creating more enrichment activities for young people would, in fact, curb violent crime. As it relates to fresh food grocers, Payne said she’s been organizing SNAP users who frequent the farmers market on RFK campus so that they’re informed about what local control of the land means for the future of the market. 

Payne also expressed plans to reach out to the young skaters who asked D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) to preserve Maloof Skate Park in her revitalization plans for RFK campus. Payne spoke about a far-reaching youth listening tour and a gun buy-back program where young people would be incentivized to relinquish their weapons in exchange for scholarships and other resources. 

Other points that Payne brought up included a fully funded safe passage program and attracting high-performing teachers to Ward 7 schools. She also explained the importance of young people in Ward 7 learning civic engagement from a young age and having experiences that can inspire them to pursue college and career opportunities. 

Such additions, she said, could help address the chronic absenteeism plaguing the schools. 

While speaking about the public safety legislation currently making its way through the D.C. Council, Payne also emphasized the need for a balanced approach. 

While she agreed that young people need accountability, she called for more opportunities to understand why they’re committing crimes and legislate around meeting those needs. 

“Ignoring long-standing disparities and not being able to deliver is an issue. People east of the Anacostia River are often just forgotten about and we have to address the core root of the problem,” Payne told The Informer as she emphasized Kingman Park’s uniqueness as Ward 7’s only west-of-the-Anacostia River community for 20 years.   

“Otherwise, we’re addressing symptoms. If we can’t attract a big grocery chain, we have to look to the local community to find a solution,” Payne continued. “When you address crime, it makes it easier for small business owners to have more of a stake. Without any stake in the community, big retailers don’t really have an incentive to serve.”

Kelvin Brown Outlines His Plan for Public Safety, Economics and Housing

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Kelvin Brown (7B06) announced his candidacy for the Ward 7 D.C. Council seat during Thanksgiving break. He identified public safety, housing, and economic development as his top three issue areas. 

Earlier this year, Brown, a senior housing executive, started his second term as advisory neighborhood commissioner after accumulating all the votes in his reelection campaign. Key first-term successes he outlined to constituents included increased community and D.C. Council engagement, installation of speed bumps and other traffic safety mechanisms, upgrades to playground equipment, and the removal of abandoned cars from neighborhoods. 

If elected as the Ward 7 council member, Brown, a Hillcrest resident and chair of ANC7B, intends to host a listening tour across the ward to engage residents and D.C. Council members. Brown, a former police officer and teacher, said he wants to engage the community in discussion about balanced approaches to public safety. He also expressed plans to further solidify his relationships with Council members Robert White (D-At large), Brooke Pinto (D-Ward 2) and Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1), officials he’s spoken to about housing, public safety and veterans affairs, respectively. 

When it comes to expanding D.C.’s housing stock, Brown said he wants to push for a 30 to 45-day moratorium on the purchase of properties lost due to unpaid property taxes. He also expressed a desire to implement a “no housing loss” program for seniors, veterans and other vulnerable populations. The moratorium, Brown said, would prioritize D.C. residents and mission-focused organizations as potential homebuyers and allow them enough time to purchase at a bargain, just like developers have been able to do for years. 

Brown, who has nearly 11 years of experience in the housing industry, also wants to see the institutionalization of receivership and conservatorship. Through this system, Brown said that the D.C. government can acquire and fix blighted housing for purchase by D.C. residents. Such strategies, he said, will increase the supply of housing in Ward 7 and make some headway in driving down costs. 

In the realm of economic development, Brown proposes the launch of small business incubators along up-and-coming corridors in Ward 7 that can become tourist attractions. He also told The Informer that he wants to revisit current programs and fee structures and eliminate fees for small businesses within the first three years of their existence. 

As it relates to education, Brown also expressed plans to better engage Ward 7 parents and inform them about after-school programs. He criticized a funding structure he said leaves Ward 7 schools and after-school programs at a disadvantage. 

Part of his work as a council member, he said, would involve pushing for changes to that structure so that Ward 7 schools receive the funds necessary to boost programming, including language immersion and STEAM (science,technology, engineering, arts, and math). 

“I have a very thoughtful approach to developing legislation for Ward 7 residents and residents across the District,” Brown said. “I want to do what’s in the best interest of the people. I can have my thoughts and perspectives but I’m a servant of the people and want to include their voices in legislation. Residents can expect to see an overwhelming amount of dedication from me.”

Much at Stake This Election Season 

Democratic voters in Ward 7 will take to the polls on June 4, 2024, to vote for their council member. 

Ward 7 includes single-family homes, transit stations, Civil War forts, and vast amounts of greenspace, including Fort Dupont Park, D.C.’s largest city-owned park. 

Neighborhoods include Deanwood to the north. There’s also Capitol View, Benning Heights, Marshall Heights, known for its mix of single-family homes, garden apartments and apartment buildings. 

Further to the south, Hillcrest, Dupont Park, Penn Branch, and Randle Highlands have more of a suburban feel. Meanwhile, River Terrace, Parkside, Mayfair, Eastland Gardens, Kingman Park, and Hill East/Reservation 123 sit along the Anacostia River. 

A coalition of volunteers and professionals in the community development space in Ward 7 are organizing around D.C. Main Street programs aimed at revitalizing several corridors, including Minnesota Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue East. The Ward 7 Business Development Partnership also utilizes its Main Street Four-Point Approach to leverage historic, cultural and architectural resources to retain businesses and instill pride in Ward 7. 

After winning reelection in 2020, Council member Gray navigated his health committee assignment, successfully shepherding pandemic-era legislation that allowed qualified volunteer health practitioners to practice in the District. Another emergency bill of Gray’s that was approved, without the mayor’s signature, allowed qualified healthcare professionals and licensed healthcare providers to practice in the District without a local license for nearly a year. 

Other bills Gray championed in his current term designated streets in honor of Makiyah Wilson, Allen Y. Lew, and H.D. Woodson. He also focused on public safety, introducing bills to boost D.C. police recruitment and encouraging constituents to report ATV riders.  

After Gray suffered a stroke toward the end of last year, council colleagues and constituents alike called into question his ability to represent Ward 7 and fulfill committee assignments. 

Reelection also looms large. Gray’s office, responding to an Informer inquiry about his intentions, said the council member is focused on the current legislative session and his duties representing Ward 7 residents. 

Contemplation about a reelection bid would likely start toward the end of the year, a spokesperson said. 

Meanwhile, Lee Wilson, a Benning Ridge resident, said he made up his mind. 

Weeks before Thompson announced her candidacy, Wilson mentioned her as his top pick for the Ward 7 council seat. He described her as a public official who has a track record of consistently responding to constituent concerns. 

Lee said Thompson’s leadership will prove significant when it comes to public safety, transportation, economic development, and education, which he designates as Ward 7’s most pressing issues. For him, the Ward 7 council member should be exclusively focused on the ward, especially as it relates to eradicating food deserts, increasing job readiness opportunities, and strengthening schools. 

“It’s time we look at new representation,” Wilson said. “I think Eboni-Rose Thompson does a great job on the State Board of Education. It would be great to have a woman representing Ward 7.” 

Stacy Marsh-Sherrod, a retired educator and lifelong resident of Benning Ridge, said she’s going to the ballot box once again for Rasheed, her former advisory neighborhood commissioner who she believes can address crime, education and infrastructural redevelopment. 

In speaking about her experiences with Rasheed, Marsh-Sherrod said Rasheed quickly and consistently responded to neighbors’ concerns. With redevelopment coming to Ward 7, Marsh-Sherrod told The Informer that Rasheed stands the most likely to speak truthfully and vote effectively on behalf of Ward 7 residents. 

“If you needed something or you had questions, Veda Rasheed was right on it,” Marsh-Sherrod said. “If she needed to intercede, she was very helpful with that. She didn’t just stand back. I don’t see her standing back. I see her being at hearing, voting in the council [based] on how her constituents and the constituents of the city feel.” 

Ward 7 educator Stacey Williams called Allen the ideal candidate because of his longtime service to the youth. She deemed Allen’s experience necessary to tackle what she describes as the lack of socioeconomic and educational equity.  

In 2004, Williams met Allen when they were both teachers at Ideal Academy Public Charter School in Northwest. She said Allen, who was just stepping into the profession, taught her English class for several weeks while she was on maternity leave. 

As Williams recounted, Allen connected with the students and served as the perfect role model. That type of rapport building,  she said, translates into the Ward 7 council seat, where she sees Allen leveraging his deep ties to the community to demand socioeconomic equity. 

“I see Ebbon working with different stakeholders. He has a passion to see Ward 7 gets the same [as other neighborhoods],” Williams said. “There are resources that we don’t get on this side of the bridge, but they’re prevalent in Uptown neighborhoods where you see other races. Even though [the government] is trying to build up a grocery store, it’s not Whole Foods. There’s definitely no equity in that.” 

A Kingman Park resident who asked to be identified as K. Perry called Ebony Payne a “trustworthy, professional, strong advocate for the residents of Kingman Park.” She also told The Informer that Payne listens and acts upon residents’ ideas and concerns. 

Such qualities, Perry told The Informer, make Payne a shoo-in for the Ward 7 council seat. 

This year, Perry saw Payne out and about in the community addressing constituent concerns about rodent infestation and poorly working LED street lights. She also spoke fondly about what she called Payne’s timely response to emails she sent District agency leaders. 

Perry called Payne a consistent presence in Kingman Park, expressing confidence that she could serve Ward 7 well in all areas of concern, especially constituent services, public safety, and employment.  

“With how hard Ebony works for us as a community, I’m sure she would do the same for Ward 7 constituents,” Perry said. “There’s no separation or discrimination in her execution. [Regardless] of the socioeconomic [status] of the residents; homeowners or renters, everyone is a priority for Ebony. I’ve seen it firsthand.” 

Some Residents Focused on Issues, More So Than Candidates 

Though Michael Havlin, a Ward 7 resident of six years, hasn’t made up his mind just yet about his candidate, he designated transportation, and especially the streetcar extension, as the deciding factor in his choice for the next Ward 7 council member.  

Havlin recounted his disappointment earlier this year upon hearing that the D.C. Council defunded the Benning Road streetcar expansion project during budget season. Right now, Havlin’s less-than-two-mile commute from Benning Road to the H Street corridor takes nearly an hour because of a Metro ride and bus routes that get him to his destination in a roundabout manner. 

While the streetcar expansion would connect Havlin and other Benning Road residents to a bevy of opportunities, amenities, and activities, Havlin said he hasn’t seen much enthusiasm for this project as has been the case for preserving D.C. Circulator routes in more affluent parts of the District. 

That’s why he said that the next Ward 7 council member should remedy the inequitable transportation that further exacerbates inequity. 

“Things that should take 20 minutes with good transit end up taking hours. How can someone have a fulfilling life when they’re spending two to three hours a day commuting just to go four miles round trip,” Haviln questioned. “It’s like we live in the middle of nowhere even though we live in the nation’s capital. It’s not like Ward 6 or Ward 5 or Ward 2 where there is a bus available all the time.” 

Delonte Gholston, a millennial Ward 7 resident, hasn’t chosen a candidate just yet either. He said the ideal candidate will be able to spark excitement among new voters and yet-to-be-registered voters, particularly Ward 7 youth who are disillusioned about their socioeconomic well-being. 

Gholston, pastor of Peace Fellowship Church in Deanwood, tied Ward 7’s public safety woes to poverty and lack of gainful employment for youth. He told The Informer that while out and about on peace walks, he often encounters teenagers and adult adolescents who worry about their impoverished home conditions. 

Though he expressed excitement about meeting with council candidates, Gholston stressed that he needed to see someone passionate about making Ward 7 safer through the development of year-round programs that employ youth and provide them with skills training. 

“Government hasn’t been good at intergenerational leadership development,” Gholston said. “We need someone who can energize and mobilize new voters to get them excited about a vision for Ward 7. We need a vision for marginalized youth who have been left out.”