Meet The Candidate: Randy Downs For DC Council In Ward 2
WASHINGTON, DC — In addition to voting for president and vice president of the United States in the Nov. 3 general election, voters in Washington, D.C., will choose a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives; at-large member of the D.C. Council; member of the D.C. Council for wards 2, 4, 7 and 8; U.S. senator; U.S. representative; at-large member of the State Board of Education; member of the State Board of Education for wards 2, 4, 7, and 8; and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner.
Randy Downs, 34, is the operations manager at the Sierra Club. He is running to fill the Ward 2 seat on the D.C. Council.
As part of its coverage of the 2020 election, Patch has asked candidates in select races in D.C. to fill out a questionnaire to describe why they think they're the best person to fill the job they're running for.
Candidate
Randy Downs
Age (as of Election Day)
34
Please specify which DC City Council seat you are running for (Ward 1, At-large, etc.):
Ward 2
Party Affiliation
Independent
Family
Partner, Dylan and Cat, Truman
Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?
No
Education
Southeast Missouri State University
Bachelor of Science - Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies - Emphasis in Political Science and Communications- 2009
East Central College
Associate of Arts - General Studies
2008
Occupation
Operations Manager at Sierra Club, 9 years
Campaign website
RandyForWard2.Com
Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office
Commissioner, Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2B05 (2016-2018; 2018 - 2020)
Commissioner, Advisory Committee for the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs (2017-2020)
President, John Muir Local 100 (now Progressive Workers Union) (2016-2017)
Vice President, Trustee, Steward, John Muir Local 100 (now Progressive Workers Union) (2011-2017)
President, Franklin County, Missouri Democratic Club (2005-2006)
Franklin County, Missouri Democratic Central Committee (2004-2006)
The single most pressing issue facing Ward 2 is affordable housing, and this is what I intend to do about it.
I believe the most pressing issue facing Ward 2 is affordable housing. The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating this for many residents, as people experience unemployment and furloughs. As Councilmember, I intend to address this both for long-standing residents, who I believe must be able to remain in their homes, and for new neighbors, who shouldn’t be deterred from joining our community due to unaffordable housing. I will support investments in the Housing Production Trust Fund, the Preservation Trust Fund, and public housing, so that affordable housing is built and maintained in Ward 2 and District-wide. I will help individuals and families pay rent by supporting the Local Rent Supplement Program and the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. I will continue my long-standing work to fight for investments in LGBTQ senior and affordable housing. I will also review property taxes, as I know these sometimes can create affordability barriers, especially for some long standing residents and seniors. I will also look at how we are using our space in Ward 2, and how we can better use it to ensure affordable housing. For example, we have extensive office space that may be appropriate to convert to housing. This would expand our housing stock and create more affordability.
Do you support Black Lives Matter and what are your thoughts on the demonstrations held since the death of George Floyd and the shooting of Jacob Blake?
I support Black Lives Matter, as black lives have not been valued the same as white lives in our public safety infrastructure and so many other parts of our society. The demonstrations have been a call to action on racial justice issues that our city has been aware of for many years. In light of the demonstrations it has been good to see some initial action in the form of legislation to address issues of racism in our city’s policing practices. I look forward to continuing these efforts on the DC Council. As ANC Commissioner I partnered with local businesses to create and distribute Black Lives Matter signs in the district I represent and it has been incredibly rewarding to see those signs in businesses and homes throughout the Ward.
What are your thoughts on the campaign to "defund" the police?
I believe the District should approach public safety with policies that are based on evidence. We should not entrust the safety of our communities with purely reactive measures but instead, invest in preventing crime and violence before they start. Councilmembers must listen to residents and experts and explore innovative, public health approaches proven to interrupt the cycle of violence and crime.
As Councilmember I will reallocate resources from police to underfunded, highly needed services that are backed by evidence showing their effectiveness in reducing violence and crime. These include: mental health, social work, and crisis intervention services, violence interruption programs, and homelessness street outreach services to help people apply for housing and needed documentation. This will allow experts to focus on the situations for which they are best matched.
What are your thoughts on the state and national response to the coronavirus pandemic? Do you favor such measures as limiting operation of non-essential businesses or restricting indoor/outdoor dining? And do you favor a nationwide mask mandate?
While the national response to the coronavirus has put lives in jeopardy throughout the country, DC has generally acted responsibly. As Councilmember I would focus on ensuring we continue to respond responsibly and provide clear, consistent, and accurate data about the status of the virus among our residents.
Outdoor dining has proven to be a safe way for restaurants to maintain their viability. I am proud to have pioneered the development of streEATeries and other extended outdoor seating options with the restaurants in my ANC district, and proud to have seen this model extend through the District. As winter comes I am working with businesses to ensure they continue to have options to safely operate. I believe it is critical to consistently and accurately track any spread of coronavirus in our city’s businesses so we can respond appropriately. As Councilmember I would work to create a public database of workplace outbreaks and require employers to report COVID infections in their place of business. This would allow closing businesses as needed and based on data.
I support a nationwide mask mandate as well as additional precautions in the District. These include requiring employers to provide additional PPE appropriate and specific to each workplace and creating a workforce safety inspection task force to inspect and enforce the rules in the District’s workplaces. I also will work to ensure the District provides clear signage to businesses making face covering and social distancing orders clear. As Councilmember, I will work to ensure cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer are provided to employees in all workplaces and ensure training is available for all workers on how to properly use PPE, cleaning supplies, and sanitizer. Finally, I believe we must do more to protect workers from retaliation for protecting themselves from COVID risks at work.
What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?
As a two-term ANC commissioner, I have deep roots in our Ward 2 community and extensive knowledge of the people and issues that affect our Ward. My experience in DC government and the Ward 2 community is deeper and richer than any of my opponents. I’ve delivered for the Ward, from leading the development of our city’s very first streEATeries (on 17th street) during the COVID-19 pandemic, to spearheading efforts to build protected bike lanes on 17th, 20th, and 21st streets, to securing affordable housing for LGBTQ seniors. It’s these concrete accomplishments that have led numerous DC businesses like the Tabard Inn, Floriana Restaurant, and Annie’s Steakhouse, to elected officials like Ward 2 State Board of Education Member Jack Jacobson, to Community Activists like Tyrone Hanley of the National Center for Lesbian Rights and Monika Nemeth, DC’s first transgender elected official, to endorse me for Ward 2 Councilmember.
I am also a participant in DC’s Fair Elections program, accepting donations of no more than $50 from individual donors. I have more contributors from the District and more contributors from Ward 2 than any other candidate in the race. Over 78 percent of donors to my campaign are from DC. As for the sitting Councilmember, a whopping 71 percent of her donors are from out-of-state, and their contributions can be as large as $500. Unlike my opponent, I am running a people-powered campaign driven by local residents.
If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)
I entered this race because Ward 2 residents approached me with concerns about the sitting Councilmember’s ethics, values, and votes on various issues and asked me to challenge her. Since she took office a mere three months ago, the Councilmember has been under investigation by the Office of Campaign Finance and journalists have reported on her visits to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago and her acceptance of donations from powerful anti-LGBTQ Republicans.
Residents have expressed concern that the Councilmember was the only candidate in the primary who refused to oppose the racist policing tactic of stop and frisk. Her vote to continue the DCPS security contract with MPD upset many of my ANC constituents and other Ward 2 residents. I seek to address public safety with evidence-based solutions that get results so we can stop crime and violence before they start. Our mental health and substance use systems are chronically under resourced and under performing and I aim to address that. I am also wholly committed to banning the overly invasive, racist policy of stop and frisk.
Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform
As Councilmember, I will ensure that Ward 2 and the District stay resilient through COVID-19 and recover strong. Ward 2 is the center of DC’s economy and hospitality industry and I am dedicated to supporting our businesses and workers through the pandemic. I will work to ensure businesses receive additional grants and eliminate barriers to necessary permits so that businesses can adapt and stay open through this trying time. I will also support workers by ensuring all those continuing to work have access to additional PPE and safety training. For those who have lost jobs or experienced reduced hours, I will ensure that our broken unemployment insurance system is modernized and held accountable for the workers who experienced delayed benefits. This includes ensuring workers receive retroactive benefits and bringing unemployment applications online and in mobile formats.
In addition to COVID resilience and recovery, my campaign is focused on the need for affordable and deeply affordable housing in Ward 2, evidence-based public safety, affordable and accessible transportation, and education that eliminates DC’s outcomes gap between different DC public schools and brings students successfully through COVID-19.
If elected, I will be the only openly LGBTQ member of the DC Council and the first LGBTQ member elected as the Ward 2 Councilmember. I will always fight for the needs and rights of the LGBTQ community.
What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?
In my two-terms as an ANC commissioner I have gained extensive experience working with DC agencies and Councilmembers, businesses, and residents to achieve positive change for Ward 2. I have listened deeply to the unique concerns of residents, businesses, and non-profits, and learned the processes of government stakeholders, bringing everyone together to achieve change. I am proud of the outcomes I have achieved, like widening sidewalks in the community for safe social distancing during COVID-19 and expanding outdoor dining space so that restaurants could grow their customer base while ensuring the safety of diners during the pandemic.
I’ve also served as the national union president at the Sierra Club, which provided me extensive experience understanding the needs of workers and employers and gave me firsthand experience in intensive negotiations not unlike the experience of negotiating legislation.
In Missouri, I held multiple positions in the Democratic party and worked on many issue and electoral campaigns, gaining the experience of moving progressive policies forward in a very difficult political climate. My skills at working with people who hold diverse viewpoints are very strong due to this experience.
If you win this position, what accomplishment would make your term in office as a success?
I would judge the success of my term in office by keeping businesses open through the COVID-19 pandemic, easing the process of accessing unemployment benefits in DC, making affordable housing more accessible in Ward 2 and DC, and ensuring that the top needs of the LGBTQ community are met on DC Council due to my leadership.
Why should voters trust you?
I lead with authenticity, always being honest about who I am and where I come from. When I don’t agree with someone I am not afraid to say so, but I am always willing to listen and learn from diverse perspectives. It is this authenticity that has allowed me to gain incredibly diverse endorsements, from a large number of business owners, to elected officials, to organizations that represent progressive causes.
What are your views on fiscal policy, government spending and the use of taxpayer dollars in the office you are seeking?
I believe that the way our government spends its money is a reflection of our values. The District is an incredibly wealthy city overall, but huge inequities exist. It will be my priority to ensure we can address inequities through our government spending. However, if we spend our budget ineffectively, on programs and projects that are not proven to have an impact, we are harming everyone in our community. I therefore will be a careful steward of taxpayer dollars, always seeking evidence, oversight, and evaluation of government spending.
Is there any reason you would not serve your full term of office, other than those of health or family?
Absolutely not. I have served two terms as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner with dedication and look forward to dedicating myself fully to the role of Ward 2 Councilmember.
The best advice ever shared with me was:
“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” I have faced a great deal of adversity in my life, from growing up poor in rural Missouri, a place that is not accepting to LGBTQ folks, to facing a cancer diagnosis in my twenties just as my career and relationship were blossoming. There were many times I could have given in to a feeling that the world was crashing down around me. However, I truly believed the advice that I could face adversity with strength, along with the support of my loved ones. The adversity I faced has made me stronger, along with more empathetic and better able to understand and therefore serve the needs of others.
What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?
As the only openly LGBTQ councilmember I will be focused on ensuring the LGBTQ community is never left behind, including in the District’s budget. With LGBTQ individuals disproportionately represented among residents experiencing homelessness and a whopping 40% of youth experiencing homelessness in the District identifying as LGBTQ, we must do more to address the housing needs of our LGBTQ community.
I have spent my entire career working for climate action. As Councilmember, I will be a leader in the District’s efforts to expand our climate commitment. I will bring additional accountability and oversight to ensure the District meets its renewable energy goals. As part of my work with the Sierra Club, I have advocated and led coalitions for policies to improve air and water quality and sustainable energy initiatives. This experience will be paramount in promoting our energy performance standards and reducing emissions.
As ANC Commissioner, I have led initiatives to improve Ward 2’s streets for pedestrians, bicyclists, scooter users, and drivers. Together with residents, businesses, community leaders, and the District Department of Transportation (DDOT), I was able to get plans approved for new construction of dedicated bike lanes on 17th and 20th Streets. As the Covid-19 pandemic emerged, I partnered with DDOT to expand public spaces for residents to social distance.
As Councilmember, I will lead on progressive transportation infrastructure initiatives to achieve zero traffic deaths and injuries, and focus on more accessible transportation and public space initiatives for all residents.
As Councilmember, I will:
Make sure the city keeps its commitment to expand the protected bike lane network by 20 miles.
Lead on legislation to construct a bike lane on 9th Street, or a different parallel street, in the eastern area of Downtown and Penn Quarter.
Install dedicated bus lanes on the District’s corridors with major traffic congestion.
Fight to make sure the K Street Transitway, a project to reconfigure traffic and safety on K Street from 12th Street to 21st Street NW, is completed by 2025 or earlier.
Advocate for lower fares for riders on Metro rail and bus and free rides for low-income earners.
Make sure bus service is accessible and affordable for Ward 2 residents, including by eliminating the Metro-to-bus transfer fee.
This article originally appeared on the Washington DC Patch
