Elissa Silverman

Elissa Silverman
Member of the Council of the District of Columbia, At-Large
Incumbent
Assumed office January 2, 2015
Preceded by	David Catania
Personal details
Political party	Independent
Alma mater	Brown University, (B.A.)

Elissa Silverman is an American politician who is an independent at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia.

Early life and professional career

Elissa Silverman was born to parents Jack and Ruth Silverman in Baltimore, Maryland, where she attended the public schools.^[1] She majored in economics and history at Brown University.^[2] She has worked as a reporter for The Washington Post and, earlier, the Washington City Paper where she wrote the Loose Lips column.^{[3] [4]} She also helped the D.C. Public Trust in its attempt to prohibit direct corporate contributions in local politics.^[3] In April 2009, she was hired as a policy analyst and communications director at the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute,^[3] a position she held until resigning to run for public office in April 2014.^[5] She has attended University of Maryland, pursuing a master's degree in urban studies and planning.^[6]

Political career

2013 election

When At-large Council Member Phil Mendelson was elected council chairman in 2012, his former seat on the Council was declared vacant.^[3] Silverman filed to run as a Democratic candidate for the at-large seat.^[3] Silverman ran against incumbent Anita Bonds,^[7] and Board of Education member Patrick Mara.^[8] Silverman said she would not accept campaign contributions from corporations.^[9]

Silverman supported increasing funding to government programs that subsidize affordable housing,^[10][11] and expanding the minimum wage law to cover restaurant workers.^[12] Silverman said it is a problem that a quarter of District students attend their zoned neighborhood schools, saying more governmental resources should improve schools.^[13]

Following a $440 million budget surplus in 2012, Bonds and Mara supported tax cuts, while Silverman said she would prioritize helping people in other ways before cutting taxes.^[10] A political action committee criticized Silverman when she said she did not think residents minded paying taxes and minded poor city services more.^[14]

Silverman and her campaign tried to negotiate a deal with rival candidate Matthew Frumin, asking him to drop out of the election in exchange for her supporting him in a future election.^[15][16] Frumin declined the offer, saying he felt he still had a chance to win.^[15] Frumin said Silverman's offer may contradict her case for being a reformer.^[15]

"It was explicit that she would support me in a Ward 3 race, including against Mary Cheh," said Frumin, who has consistently said he has no interest in running against Cheh next year. "The idea of an attempted deal, maybe that is what happens in politics, but when you are claiming a whole new politics, that is something of an issue."

Silverman's candidacy was endorsed by Council Member David Grosso^[17] former Council Member Sharon Ambrose,^[18] and former Council Member Kathy Patterson.^[11] She was also endorsed by the editorial board of the Washington City Paper,^[19] Democracy for America, and the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 2.^[11]

Silverman finished second to Anita Bonds,^[20] by a margin of 31% to 28%.^[21]

2014 election

Promotional sign for Silverman's 2014 campaign.

When independent Council Member David Catania decided to run for mayor rather than reelection in 2014, Silverman decided to change her official political status to independent and leave her position at the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute to consider another candidacy.^[22] Silverman publicly declared her candidacy for Council the next month.^[23]

Silverman emphasized accountability of elected officials, accountability of public schools, quality education, affordable housing, and good public transportation.^[23] Silverman said she would not accept campaign contributions from corporations.^[23] She was proud of helping increase the District's minimum wage to $11.50 per hour and expand the mandatory paid sick leave law to restaurant employees.^[24]

Silverman's candidacy was endorsed by Ward 8 Council Member Marion Barry,^[25] Ward 6 Council candidate Charles Allen, the D.C. Chapter of the National Organization for Women, D.C. Working Families, Jews United for Justice,^[26] and the D.C. Muslim Caucus,^[27] Metro Washington Council AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union 32BJ and 1199, DC for Democracy, the Sierra Club, the DC Police Union,^[28] the United Food and Commercial Workers local,^[29] and the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 36.^[30] She was also endorsed by the editorial board of the Washington City Paper.^[31]

Silverman was elected to the at-large seat in the 2014 general election^[32] with 12% of the total votes.^[1][33]

Positions

In 2016, Silverman introduced legislation to limit public spending on a proposed practice facility for the Washington Wizards. The law would cap public expenditures at $50 million dollars and hold Ted Leonsis' company, which owns the team, responsible for any cost overruns. ^[34]

Committees

Silverman was appointed to the following committees for Council Period 21 (January 2015 to December 2016).^[35]

• Committee on Business, Consumer and Regulatory Affairs
• Committee on Housing and Community Development
• Committee on Finance and Revenue

Personal life

Silverman lives in Capitol Hill.^[3] She is Jewish.^[36]

Electoral Results

2013 Special Election, Council of the District of Columbia, At-Large Seat[21]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Anita Bonds	18,027	31
	Democratic	Elissa Silverman	15,228	27
	Republican	Patrick Mara	13,698	24
	Democratic	Matthew Frumin	6,307	11
	Democratic	Paul Zuckerberg	1,195	2
	Democratic	Michael A. Brown	1,100	2
	D.C. Statehood Green	Perry Redd	1,090	2
		write-in	187	0

2014 General Election, Council of the District of Columbia, At-Large Seats[33]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Anita Bonds	85,575	24
	Independent	Elissa Silverman	41,300	12
	Independent	Michael D. Brown	28,614	8
	Independent	Robert White	22,198	6
	Independent	Courtney R. Snowden	19,551	5
	D.C. Statehood Green	Eugene Puryear	12,525	4
	Independent	Graylan Scott Hagler	10,539	3
	Independent	Khalid Pitts	10,392	3
	Republican	Marc Morgan	9,947	3
	Independent	Brian Hart	8,933	3
	Independent	Kishan Putta	6,135	2
	Independent	Calvin Gurley	4,553	1
	Independent	Eric J. Jones	4,405	1
	Libertarian	Frederick Steiner	3,766	1
	Independent	Wendell Felder	2,964	1
		write-in	1,472	0

References

1. Rausnitz, Zach (November 5, 2014). "Ex-Reporter Elissa Silverman Heads to the D.C. Council". Washington City Paper.
2. D.C. Council bio of Elissa Silverman
3. Haines, Errin (December 20, 2012). "Former reporter seeks at-large D.C. Council seat: Elissa Silverman covered DC government, politics". The Washington Post.
4. Haslam, Maggie (January 24, 2005). ""Taking Note ... : Quieted Lips"". The Common Denominator.
5. Sommer, Will (April 4, 2014). "Hagler Declares for At-Large Seat, Silverman Almost Does". Washington City Paper.
6. Haslam, Maggie (February 6, 2015). "URSP Student Elissa Silverman Elected to At-Large Seat of Washington, D.C. City Council". School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. University of Maryland.
7. Craig, Tim (January 16, 2013). "A.J. Cooper drops council bid, endorses Silverman: A.J. Cooper cites fears of splitting the vote in a crowded Democratic field and helping Republican Patrick Mara". The Washington Post.
8. Craig, Tim (January 23, 2013). "Eight candidates remain in D.C. Council race: At-large contest features six Democrats, a Republican and a Statehood Green Party candidate". The Washington Post.
9. Craig, Tim (February 1, 2013). "Matthew Frumin has big fundraising lead in race for at-large seat: The Ward 3 advisory neighborhood commissioner reported raising $82,000 for his campaign". The Washington Post.
10. Craig, Tim (April 9, 2013). "Candidates' debate touches on city's racial divisions". The Washington Post. p. B5.
11. Wright, James (April 18, 2013). "D.C. Political Roundup". Washington Informer: 2013 Sustainable Living Supplement. p. 5.
12. Craig, Tim (April 17, 2013). "D.C. Council candidate Mara opposes mandatory restaurant sick leave, minimum wage hike: Republican council candidate is viewed as leading contender in April 23 election". The Washington Post.
13. Craig, Tim (April 20, 2013). "D.C. Council candidates answer questions on schools, bikes, and more: Six people running in special election for an at-large council seat offer opinions on city's major issues". The Washington Post.
14. Craig, Tim; DeBonis, Mike (April 19, 2013). "Challenges abound for 6 D.C. Council candidates". The Washington Post. p. B1.
15. Craig, Tim (April 22, 2013). "Hopeful asked rival to quit race". The Washington Post. p. B1.
16. Craig, Tim (April 23, 2013). "D.C. Council candidate Silverman releases e-mails to Frumin: E-mails show she asked fellow candidate to drop out of the race". The Washington Post.
17. Craig, Tim (April 12, 2013). "Kenyan McDuffie endorses Anita Bonds: This may help solidify support in Ward 5 behind Bonds ahead of the Sept. 23 special election". The Washington Post.
18. Craig, Tim (April 17, 2013). "Ambrose endorses Silverman; Bonds wins straw poll as D.C. council race heats up: The seven candidates in the April 23 council race are increasing efforts to line up support". The Washington Post.
19. DeBonis, Mike (April 18, 2013). "D.C. test cheating: Time to move on?". The Washington Post.
20. Craig, Tim; DeBonis, Mike (April 24, 2013). "Bonds retains D.C. Council seat". The Washington Post. p. B1.
21. "Special Election Certified Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. May 10, 2013.
22. DeBonis, Mike (April 10, 2014). "Democrats consider independent runs for council". The Washington Post. p. B2.
23. DeBonis, Mike (May 20, 2014). "Elissa Silverman in, Tommy Wells out of D.C. Council at-large race". The Washington Post.
24. DeBonis, Mike (October 27, 2014). "Large and varied slate scrambles for Catania's seat". The Washington Post. p. B1.
25. Brown, Stacy M. (October 30, 2014). "Silverman Confident of Election Night Victory". Washington Informer. p. 5.
26. Wright, James (September 20, 2014). "Silverman, White Loom as Top Council At-Large Candidates". Afro-American Red Star. p. A5.
27. DeBonis, Mike (October 30, 2014). "Muslims are 'obligated' to vote for Bowser and other endorsees, D.C. caucus says". The Washington Post.
28. Brown, Stacy M. (November 6, 2014). "Bonds, Silverman Claim At-large Council Seats". Washington Informer. p. 20.
29. Sommer, Will (September 24, 2014). "Silverman, Hagler Land Union Endorsements in At-Large Race". Washington City Paper.
30. Sommer, Will (October 13, 2014). "Firefighters Stay Out of Attorney General Race, Back Silverman for At-Large". Washington City Paper.
31. "Vote Like This: Washington City Paper’s 2014 General Election Endorsements" (editorial). Washington City Paper. October 29, 2014.
32. DeBonis, Mike (November 5, 2014). "3 to replace veteran members: Silverman to succeed Catania". The Washington Post. p. A29.
33. "General Election Certified Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. December 3, 2014.
34. O'Connell, Jonathan (March 1, 2016). "D.C. Council member proposes spending cap for Wizards facility". Washington Post.
35. "Elissa Silverman". Council of the District of Columbia. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
36. Marks, Josh (October 7, 2015). "Silverman, Nadeau bring 'fresh energy' to D.C. Council". Washington Jewish Week.