- ElectED DC Endorses Six Candidates in 2026 DC Council Races
calendar_month Posted April 27, 2026
Endorsements include the Council Chairman, four at-large candidates, and the Ward 5 incumbent. The endorsement comes ahead of the June 16 Democratic primary and the November general election.
WASHINGTON, DC, April 22, 2026
ElectED DC, the Wards 7 and 8 education organizing group, today announced its endorsements for the 2026 DC Council elections. The organization is backing six candidates whose records align with the priorities of families east of the Anacostia River. Those priorities surface through ElectED DC’s Community Activation Cohort, get translated into electoral muscle through its political power building program, and become Council action through its policy advancement work. These endorsements are where the three connect.
All six candidates were vetted on two bars: alignment with the policy priorities Ward 7 and Ward 8 families set, and the campaign infrastructure to deliver on those priorities once elected.
THE ENDORSED CANDIDATES
Phil Mendelson | DC Council Chairman
Mendelson has served as Chairman since 2013 and on the Council since 1999. From the Chairman’s seat, he sets the Council’s legislative agenda and shapes the city’s annual budget, including funding for DC Public Schools, the DC Public Charter School Board, and OSSE. ElectED DC endorses Mendelson for his record on protecting and growing equitable school funding, school facility modernization, and early childhood expansion.
Gregory Jackson | DC Council, At-Large (D)
Jackson is a Ward 8 resident and co-founder of the Community Justice Reform Coalition. He brings a data-driven approach to systemic reform paired with deep grassroots roots in DC. ElectED DC endorses Jackson for his ability to represent DC families with credibility and his record of building local solutions to citywide problems.
Kevin Chavous | DC Council, At-Large (D)
Chavous is a Ward 7 resident and a parent raising children in the city. As a former Committee and Policy Director for a sitting Councilmember, he brings four years of legislative strategy experience. ElectED DC endorses Chavous for his focus on early childhood readiness, school accountability, and aligning education spending with measurable outcomes for students.
Lisa Raymond | DC Council, At-Large (D)
Raymond was born and raised in DC. Her platform centers on closing achievement gaps and ensuring equitable resource distribution across all DC wards. ElectED DC endorses Raymond for her focus on early childhood education investment, teacher retention through competitive compensation and professional development, and her record of building inclusive coalitions with parents, teachers, and school leaders to advance data-driven reforms.
Jacque Patterson | DC Council, At-Large (I)
Patterson is a Ward 8 resident with governance experience on the State Board of Education and a long record of community engagement. ElectED DC endorses Patterson for his work closing achievement gaps, supporting teachers, and advancing equitable school funding, along with his established relationships across community leaders and the DC Council.
Zachary Parker | DC Council, Ward 5 (Incumbent)
As the sitting Ward 5 Councilmember, Parker has consistently championed equitable resource allocation, including increases to citywide school funding and to At-Risk funding for students who need more support. ElectED DC endorses Parker for his focus on Wards 7 and 8 students and students with disabilities, and for his accessibility to parents, teachers, and advisory groups across the city.
STATEMENT FROM ELECTED DC
“The residents we organize in Wards 7 and 8 have been clear about what they want this cycle. They want schools that work and leaders who actually fight for their kids. These six candidates have shown up on those issues. We are proud to back them, and we are putting our organizing power behind their campaigns this year.”