VISION
I am a district native, born and raised by a city that once felt like a tight‑knit village only with the operating budget of a small state. I grew up in a D.C. where opportunity felt accessible because public officials like Marion Barry and Congresswoman Norton made it so. Their initiatives didn’t just create jobs, they created pathways. Growing up, DC programs empowered young people, kept families afloat, and ensured that elderly residents saw themselves reflected in the city’s progress. It was the kind of city where no one got left behind.
But the D.C. I grew up in is very much not the D.C. we see today. For many, the pace of change has been unsettling. Economic development has accelerated far faster than salaries have risen. Home values have soared in some neighborhoods and remained stagnant in others. Opportunities for stable income haven’t kept up with the cost of simply existing here.
Layered on top of all this is a deeper challenge: the federal government’s unyielding encroachment on D.C.’s autonomy. It’s a pattern that undermines our ability to govern ourselves, to protect our residents, and to shape our own future. I feel a fervent responsibility to push back against that. My upbringing in D.C. combined with my congressional experience, gives me a unique vantage point to navigate the strained relationship between the District and the federal government, and it is a resource I want to extend to each and every resident of D.C.
My vision is simple: a D.C. where progress does not come at the expense of the people who built this city; a D.C. that honors its history while fighting for its right to determine its own destiny; a D.C. where policy is shaped by those who know this community because they are part of it. And we achieve that by putting people in place who prioritize the collective good over self-interest.
I want to be an advocate who bridges those worlds—homegrown understanding and federal insight—to help steer our city toward a future that is equitable, sustainable, and truly ours.
