Thanks to the extensive questionnaires done by Greater Greater Washington and DC YIMBYs, there is a wealth of information available to smart growth-minded voters in the 2026 Democratic primary.
The Cleveland Park Smart Growth Board based our endorsement on three factors which will have meaningful impact on the greater Cleveland Park/Woodley Park area, and which reflect our members’ views:Support for increased density near metro stationsSupport for gentle density in the neighborhoodSupport for the Connecticut Avenue bike laneWe also considered the candidates’ views on social housing programs, such as first-time homebuyer support, rental support, and other affordability tools.CPSG endorses the following:Mayor: Janeese Lewis George, as well as Gary Goodweather and Rini Sampath
Local Democratic Party Offices: Free DC Slate
We chose not to endorse a candidate for the Ward 3 Council election.
Mayor
The next mayor can direct improvements to the draft Future Land Use Map, fix the Board of Zoning Adjustment, and revitalize DDOT’s use of protected bike lanes, to name just a few examples. We found that Janeese Lewis George is the candidate most likely to reform city government to deliver on our priorities. She supports land-use policies which allow for more types of housing, including rowhomes and small apartments citywide. She noted a commitment to improve the zoning process and focus members of the Zoning Commission and Historic Preservation Review Board on housing production. And while not specifically focused on Connecticut Avenue, she supports strong leadership at DDOT to create a “clear master plan” for a citywide bike network which makes it a feasible means of transportation.
This year, DC has implemented ranked choice voting (see our note below for more information), and we think two other candidates deserve your ranking. We noted Gary Goodweather’s support for removing height and mass considerations from the purview of historic preservation review, above and beyond our endorsement criteria above. While Rini Sampath entered the race too late to participate in GGWash/DCYIMBY questionnaires, her responses to the Committee of 100 questionnaire noted that she would “support the Council’s single-stair reform and am in favor of allowing gentle density such as duplexes, triplexes, and in-law suites citywide.”
Ward 3 Council
Matt Frumin is running for reelection unopposed. Unfortunately, we cannot endorse his candidacy. His support for neighborhood housing is limited to Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), but he does not support re-legalizing the duplexes, triplexes, rowhomes, and other gentle density housing which already populate our neighborhood. We also noted the failure of the Connecticut Avenue Bike Lane on his watch.
Local Democratic Party Offices
In these low-turnout elections, your voice can really make a difference. Toward the bottom of the ballot lie the local political party offices. We endorse the Free DC Slate for those of our members who are registered Democrats. The Free DC Slate members support a policy to “build more without displacement: pair tenant protections with reforms to make it easier to build and significantly increase the supply of housing in DC.” The alternative slate, which selected a confusingly similar name, gestures vaguely toward “affordable housing,” but fails to commit to any specific reforms needed to advance sustainable density and housing equity.
The DC Democratic Party elections include the positions of National Committeeman (vote for Philip Pannell of the Free DC Slate), National Committeewoman (vote for Kelsye Adams of the Free DC Slate), At-Large Committeeman (vote for the seven Free DC Slate members), At-Large Committeewoman (vote for the seven Free DC Slate members), Ward 3 Committeeman (vote for the two Free DC Slate members), and Ward 3 Committeewoman (vote for the two Free DC Slate members). You will need to select each candidate for whom you wish to vote, as shown in the example below.
A Note on Ranked Choice Voting
This will be the District’s first time using Ranked Choice Voting (RCV). In District office races (not party committee races) for single positions with multiple candidates, you can rank your favorite candidate(s) 1-5. You don’t have to rank everyone. For example, if you really like one candidate and don’t like any others, you can rank that candidate first and not rank the remaining candidates.
Cleveland Park Smart Growth 