GLAA rates 2022 Primary Electoral Candidates 

GLAA rates 2022 Primary Electoral Candidates 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 10, 2022

Contact: Tyrone Hanley, GLAA President 

Email: equal@glaa.org 

GLAA releases its candidate ratings for the 2022 DC primary election today. The ratings are based solely on the issues and may not be interpreted as endorsements. Founded in 1971, GLAA is an all-volunteer, non-partisan, non-profit civic organization. GLAA serves as a network of people committed to defending human rights and advocates for the advancement of LGBTQ+ people in the District of Columbia. GLAA is the nation’s oldest continuously active LGBTQ+ civil rights organization.

Ratings are based on a candidate’s response to the GLAA questionnaire, their record on issues included in GLAA’s Leave No One Behind: 2022 Election Guide, and support of the LGBTQ+ community in Washington, DC. The guide outlines key priorities for addressing the needs of LGBTQ+ residents while focusing on housing, workers’ rights, health, and policing and incarceration. 

Highlights include: 

  • Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau earned the highest rating of any candidate, with +9.5. 
  • Among Mayoral candidates, Robert White earned the top rating of +9. 
  • Among Council Chair candidates, Erin Palmer earned the top rating of +8.5. 
  • Among the Attorney General candidates, Bruce Spiva earned the top rating of +7. 
  • Among the At-Large Council candidates, Lisa Gore earned the top rating of +8.5. 
  • Among the Ward 3 Council candidates, Beau Finley earned the top rating of +7. 
  • Among the Ward 5 Council candidates, Faith Gibson Hubbard earned the top rating with +7.5. 
  • The average score among candidates who returned questionnaires is 5.9, which is a -0.8 point difference when compared to the 2020 election year, and +0.1 point difference from the 2018 election year. 

GLAA President Tyrone Hanley (he/him) states: “Following 50 years of GLAA activism in the District, the 2022 candidate ratings reflect GLAA’s decision to deepen its focus on racial and economic justice. GLAA understands racial and economic justice are LGBTQ+ issues. LGBTQ+ people, like all people, are harmed by poverty and racism. Far too often, politicians leverage the LGBTQ+ community to divide groups across race and class lines. This primarily benefits those with political and economic power. By emphasizing housing, health, safety, and workers’ rights, GLAA is choosing to prioritize issues that impact people of all sexualities, genders, races, and backgrounds, particularly those who are living on the margins. GLAA’s vision is to help forge a political movement that is built on solidarity with all people. None of us is free until all of us are free. This means we cannot leave anyone behind in our pursuit for justice and liberation.” 

Ratings are on a scale of +/-10 points: yes/no responses on questionnaire (+/-2); substance of response (+/-4); and candidate’s public record (+/-4). Candidates earned some credit for the yes/no category if they partially agreed with the question. The substance rating was based on the depth, thoughtfulness, and familiarity with the issues in their responses. When rating a candidate’s record, GLAA gave up to 3 points for a candidate’s past support of the issues included in GLAA’s policy brief and up to 1 point for a candidate’s record of LGBTQ+ community support through legislation, policy, advocacy, volunteerism or in other professional capacities. Candidates who did not respond to the questionnaire were rated zero.

GLAA believes that elected officials are stewards of the public trust and therefore must hold themselves accountable to the highest ethical standards. GLAA, therefore, will not issue any rating for candidates who, in their capacity as elected officials, were expelled from any elected post, or resigned, for ethics violations that include, but are not limited to, conflicts of interest, self-dealing, and malfeasance.

Candidate responses, ratings breakdowns, and the 2022 election guide can be found online at glaa.org. 

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The ratings are as follows:

Mayor

Candidate Robert White (+9) supports GLAA’s policy brief on all issues but divesting from the Metropolitan Police Department, and his responses have a significant level of detail. He has been a champion of LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition priorities, opposed repealing Initiative 77, and voted to fund housing and other critical services for the low-income residents with an increase in taxes on the most wealthy in 2020. He has also been a strong supporter of the Office of Human Rights (OHR) and has led the push to increase OHR’s funding. He loses points for his waffling on support for full decriminalization of sex work (as opposed to the so-called Nordic Model).

Incumbent Muriel E. Bowser (+6) supports GLAA’s policy brief on most issues, and her responses have a slightly above average level of detail. Mayor Bowser has given general support to the LGBTQ+ community. Unfortunately, her record on the issues is more mixed, even as she has advocated to expand healthcare access to East of the River residents. While she included key LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition priorities in her FY23 budget, this has not been the case in prior years. Her positions on many issues cost her points, including past opposition to sex work decriminalization; the elimination of the tipped minimum wage; a tax increase for wealthy residents to help support affordable housing; destruction of homeless encampments; mismanagement of the Housing Production Trust Fund; her overreliance on policing; and the lack of funding for a 24/7 harm reduction center in her FY23 budget.

Candidate James Butler (+3) supports GLAA’s policy brief on many issues, and his responses have an average level of detail. His history of working to address HIV among the LGBTQ+ community contributed to his score, while his lack of support for the decriminalization of sex work or personal drug use went against him. 

Candidate Trayon White (0*) did not submit a questionnaire.

Attorney General

Candidate Bruce Spiva (+6.5) supports GLAA’s policy brief on most issues, and his responses have a significant level of detail. His record as a labor rights attorney, helping residents of public housing, and addressing displacement earns him points. His opposition to decriminalizing sex work and divesting from MPD costs him points.

Candidate Brian Schwalb (+6) supports GLAA’s policy brief on many issues, and his responses have comprehensive and thoughtful details. His pro bono legal work with Us Helping Us, People into Living Inc. bolsters his record. Disappointingly, he opposes decriminalization of sex work and drugs, establishing overdose prevention centers, and divesting from the Metropolitan Police Department. 

Candidate Ryan Jones (+2.5) supports GLAA’s policy brief on some issues, but his responses would have benefited from greater substance. He is enthusiastic and creative in his support of certain issues, such as drug decriminalization, and his firm has worked on housing and labor issues.

Council Chair

Candidate Erin Palmer (+8.5) was one of the few candidates to support GLAA’s policy brief on every issue, and her responses have excellent depth, thinking about the problems facing LGBTQ+ communities holistically. Her leadership record as an ANC member bolsters her score, though a stronger demonstration of how her past work impacts LGBTQ+ people specifically is needed.

Incumbent Phil Mendelson (+6) supports GLAA’s policy brief on many issues, and his responses have significant detail. He has historically been a champion for the LGBTQ+ community, and GLAA values his support of decriminalizing drug possession. However, he loses points for his more recent record opposing key issues, such as a tax increase for wealthy residents to support affordable housing for LGBTQ+ residents, Initiative 77 after DC residents voted in favor of ending the tipped minimum wage, sex work decriminalization, and his failure to champion LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition priorities. 

At-Large Councilmember

Candidate Lisa Gore (+8.5) was one of the few candidates to support GLAA’s policy brief on every issue, and her responses show a deep familiarity with issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community and the priorities of the LGBTQ+ Budget Coalition. She earns points for her previous work as a federal investigator holding accountable housing law violators in DC and across the United States and for her work supporting kids and families experiencing addiction issues and homelessness.

Incumbent Anita Bonds (+6) supports GLAA’s policy brief on almost all issues, but her responses have little substance. She has a record of supporting some LGBTQ+ issues, such as co-introducting the sex work decriminalization bill, and GLAA values her support. However, she loses points for her more recent record of opposing a tax increase for wealthy residents to support affordable housing for LGBTQ+ resident and overturning Initiative 77 after DC residents voted in favor of ending the tipped minimum wage. Bolder and more creative leadership on addressing the urgent housing crisis would have scored Councilmember Bonds, Chair of the Committee on Housing and Executive Administration, more points. 

Candidate Nate Fleming (+5.5) was one of the few candidates to support GLAA’s policy brief on every issue, and his responses have an average level of detail. GLAA appreciates his record of philanthropic support for the LGBTQ+ community, specifically the Wanda Alston Foundation. However, his responses were generally lacking in depth, and he did not provide much information about his record.

Candidate Dexter Williams (+4.5) supports GLAA’s policy brief on most issues, and his responses have an average level of detail. GLAA values his leadership with a clear call for divesting from the Metropolitan Police Department and investing in services. His record working on LGBTQ+ housing and returning citizens issues bolster his score, though more details on this work and more substance in his answers is needed.

Ward 1 Councilmember

Incumbent Brianne K. Nadeau (+9.5) supports GLAA’s policy brief on all issues but divesting from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), and her responses have excellent substance. She provides thorough details on her record, which is extensive on the issues in GLAA’s policy brief, particularly on housing and homelessness issues. While she does not explicitly agree to divest from the MPD, she has shown leadership on police reform by focusing on non-policing solutions to address community-based harassment, ensuring better oversight of MPD spending on officers’ overtime pay, authoring legislation banning MPD’s use of chemical weapons, and supporting efforts to reallocate MPD money to fund supportive services. She also co-introduced the bill to decriminalize sex work and authored legislation to decriminalize street vending. 

Candidate Sabel Harris (+6) was one of the few candidates to support GLAA’s policy brief on every issue, and her responses have excellent substance and demonstrate empathy for the LGBTQ+ community. GLAA did not receive enough details about her track record on the policy brief priorities, and a stronger demonstration of how her past work impacts LGBTQ+ people specifically is needed.

Candidate Salah Czapary (+4) supports GLAA’s policy brief on all issues but divesting from the Metropolitan Police Department, and his responses have an average level of substance. GLAA did not receive enough details about his track record on the policy brief priorities, and a stronger demonstration of how his past work impacts LGBTQ+ people specifically is needed. GLAA values him running for office as an out member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Ward 3 Councilmember

Candidate Beau Finley (+7) supports GLAA’s policy brief on all issues but divesting from the Metropolitan Police Department, and his responses have significant substance and demonstrate empathy for the LGBTQ+ community. He prioritizes LGBTQ+ issues on his website and has a record as a union leader. GLAA did not receive enough details about his track record on the policy brief priorities.

Candidate Deirdre Brown (+6.5) supports GLAA’s policy brief on all issues but divesting from the Metropolitan Police Department, and her responses have significant substance and demonstrate empathy for the LGBTQ+ community. GLAA values her position that housing is a human right. GLAA did not receive enough details about her track record on the policy brief priorities. 

Candidate Phil Thomas (+5) supports GLAA’s policy brief on most issues, and his responses have an average level of detail. He earned points for his record working on the Ward 3 family shelter and for his support of drug decriminalization, but he lost points for his opposition to divesting from MPD and changing the tipped minimum wage.

Candidate Ben Bergmann (+4.5) supports GLAA’s policy brief on most issues, and his responses have an average level of detail. His record includes work with tenants navigating Section 8 housing. 

Candidate Tricia Duncan (+4) was one of the few candidates to support GLAA’s policy brief on every issue, and her responses have an average level of substance. GLAA did not receive enough details about her track record on the policy brief priorities, and a stronger demonstration of how her past work impacts LGBTQ+ people specifically is needed. 

Candidate Matt Frumin (+4) supports GLAA’s policy brief on all issues but the decriminalization of sex work, and his responses have an average level of detail. He is notable as one of the few candidates who support divesting from the Metropolitan Police Department and investing more in other approaches to public safety. GLAA did not receive enough details about her track record on the policy brief priorities, and a stronger demonstration of how her past work impacts LGBTQ+ people specifically is needed. 

Candidate Henry Z. Cohen (0*) did not submit a questionnaire.

Candidate Eric Goulet (0*) did not submit a questionnaire.

Candidate Monte Monash (0*) did not submit a questionnaire.

Ward 5 Councilmember

Candidate Faith Gibson Hubbard (+7.5) supports GLAA’s policy brief on most issues, and her responses have excellent substance. She earns points for her record incorporating LGBTQ+ families into her early childhood work, but she loses points for her opposition to sex workers’ stated goal of sex work decriminalization.

Candidate Zachary Parker (+6.5) supports GLAA’s policy brief on most issues, and his responses have an average level of detail. GLAA did not receive enough details about his track record on the policy brief priorities, and a stronger demonstration of how his past work impacts LGBTQ+ people specifically is needed. GLAA appreciates him coming out as gay while running for office. 

Candidate Gordon Fletcher (0*) did not submit a questionnaire. 

Candidate Gary To-To Johnson (0*) did not submit a questionnaire. 

Candidate Kathy Henderson (0*) did not submit a questionnaire.

Candidate Art Lloyd (0*) did not submit a questionnaire.

Candidate Vincent Orange submitted a questionnaire but GLAA declined to rate him, per GLAA’s ethics policy, due to his 2016 resignation from the D.C. Council for a conflict of interest.

Ward 6 Councilmember
Incumbent Charles Allen (+8.5) supports GLAA’s policy brief on most issues, and his responses have excellent substance. He showed creativity and leadership by funding a trans youth workforce development training program using MPD funds, as well as voting to fund housing and services for low-income residents by increasing taxes on the most wealthy. However, as chair of the Judiciary Committee, which is one of the most powerful committees at the Council, he could show greater leadership on moving bills that would dramatically improve LGBTQ+ residents’ lives.

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Comments (1)

  • Thank you for sharing this information. Noting that “Candidate responses … can be found online at glaa.org,” would you please highlight the link to the candidates’ responses? A simple number may satisfy some voters, but others will want to make their own analysis.

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