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Zachary Parker is an educator, public servant and community leader committed to building a more equitable District. A graduate of Northwestern University and Teachers College, Columbia University, he began his career as a 7th-grade math teacher before spending nearly a decade supporting D.C. school leaders to improve student outcomes.

In 2018, Ward 5 residents elected Parker to the D.C. State Board of Education, where he was unanimously selected as President in 2021. In 2022, he was elected to the D.C. Council, becoming the only openly gay member and the first Black openly gay Council member in District history.

Since taking office, Parker has focused on responsive constituent services, major budget investments and transformative legislation, including the District Child Tax Credit and the creation of the State Superintendent鈥檚 School Support Office.

A proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, Parker is known as a bridge builder committed to expanding opportunity and improving quality of life for residents across the District.

My top three priorities are expanding affordable housing, protecting home rule and driving equitable development along corridors like Rhode Island Avenue and 12th Street. I鈥檝e worked with Metro and other landowners to turn vacant lots into housing while pushing for affordable and deeply affordable units. Protecting home rule means defending the District against Congressional interference through litigation, advocacy, and laws that reflect residents鈥� values, including preventing MPD from collaborating with ICE. I鈥檓 also focused on revitalizing commercial corridors through planning studies, grants and partnerships to bring more restaurants, retail and amenities closer to residents.

I鈥檓 proud of the work we鈥檝e done to help drive down crime in Ward 5, which saw the steepest decline in the city. But there is still more work to do, especially around traffic violence and juvenile crime.

Ward 5 has too many roads treated like highways or cut-through streets, leaving residents feeling unsafe and unheard. That鈥檚 why I supported the STEER Act to hold reckless drivers accountable, and early results show it is helping. But we need stronger enforcement and safer street design.

As Chair of the Council鈥檚 Committee on Youth Affairs, I鈥檓 especially focused on juvenile delinquency. We cannot arrest our way out of this problem. We need prevention, rehabilitation and real intervention strategies. That includes expanding mental health supports through a Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF), strengthening re-entry services, and creating pathways to opportunity through programs like the pre-apprenticeship initiative I helped stand up.

We should measure success through clear outcomes: reductions in violent crime and traffic fatalities, lower recidivism, improved school attendance and stronger engagement of young people in education and workforce programs.

The Council must approach youth-involved crime through prevention, intervention, rehabilitation and accountability together, not as competing ideas.

I originally supported the youth curfew emergency because it gave the Executive time to stabilize the situation and pursue alternatives. But it is not a durable long-term solution. Curfews do not solve the underlying problem, which is why I鈥檝e advanced dozens of alternative proposals and continue calling for a comprehensive citywide youth agenda.

We also have to confront the reality that youth recidivism is believed to hover around 50%, which tells us detention alone is not working. I’ve introduced legislation to require DYRS to more formally track recidivism. As Chair of the Committee on Youth Affairs, I鈥檝e focused on strengthening rehabilitation at DYRS, where we鈥檝e seen modest improvements in reducing the number of detained youth, shortening placement delays and moving away from problematic confinement practices.There is much, much more to do to stabilize the agency.

Another major focus is truancy. I introduced legislation to move truancy operations from CFSA to the Department of Human Services because if kids are not in school, they are not learning and are more likely to become involved in the justice system. DHS is a better-equipped agency to provide case management support to get our youth back on track.

The Council may not run schools directly, but it has significant power through funding, oversight and accountability, and I will continue to use that authority to improve outcomes.

First, I support maintaining and strengthening equitable funding across both sectors through the UPSFF so that students are funded based on need, not governance structure. We should be cautious about diverting resources away from the formula, even for important priorities like facilities or compensation, because it risks undermining predictability and equity in school funding.

Second, I would double down on oversight and support through OSSE to ensure that dollars are translating into measurable improvements in student outcomes, including attendance, literacy and graduation rates. That is why I introduced legislation to bolster OSSE’s School Support Division.

Finally, I we must continue to focus Council oversight on chronic challenges like absenteeism, special education services, and school quality disparities across wards. The goal is not just to fund schools equally, but to ensure that funding leads to real, consistent improvements for students across both DCPS and charter schools. I’ve introduced legislation to redirect truancy operations to DHS; I’ve supported the DHS Truancy Pilot; and I continue to call on my colleagues to treat chronic truancy with the urgency it deserves.

Rising land prices, construction costs and interest rates in D.C. make it difficult for projects to pencil without gap financing, even when ongoing operating subsidies are not required. To address this, we need predictable gap financing mechanisms, strategic use of public land, streamlined approvals to reduce carrying costs and policies that align additional density with affordability requirements so workforce housing can be delivered at scale across D.C.

In Ward 5, new housing should continue to be concentrated in areas well served by transit, major corridors and publicly owned land suitable for mixed income development. That includes the Rhode Island Avenue corridor near the Metro station, Brookland and Edgewood, the New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road corridors and areas surrounding Fort Totten. These locations can support additional density because they already have strong transportation access and infrastructure. At the same time, Ward 5 has absorbed a significant share of recent development. We should continue thoughtful growth here, including gentle density through accessory dwelling units and small multifamily buildings. But housing production must be more equitable across D.C. High opportunity neighborhoods in every ward must help expand housing supply and affordability.

Oversight is essential, and my constituent services team has helped thousands of residents resolve issues ranging from trash removal to leaf pickup. But constituent services alone cannot replace strong, effective management of District agencies. That is the job of the Mayor and the Executive Office.

As a Council member, my role is to ensure agencies are accountable for responsiveness, follow-through and results. That means using oversight hearings, budget authority and legislation to set clear expectations and track performance.

My oversight of DLCP, for example, has helped strengthen enforcement against neighborhood stores in North Michigan Park selling illegal products like flavored tobacco. I鈥檝e also pushed for improved responsiveness at DDOT and supported investments to the Metropolitan Branch Trail.

Going forward, I will continue pushing for consistent follow-through from agencies, improved interagency coordination and requiring transparent reporting on service response times and outcomes.

Residents should not have to repeatedly escalate basic service requests to get action. The goal is a District government that responds quickly, follows through consistently and delivers high-quality services across all neighborhoods.

We do not always spend our money as wisely as we should. When the budget is tight, the first step should be to identify and eliminate waste: Duplicative programs, underperforming offices and contracts that do not clearly benefit residents. We should rein in inefficiencies in the procurement process and end 鈥渏unk鈥� contracts that don鈥檛 deliver measurable value.

Every dollar should be tied to clear outcomes and transparent performance metrics. At the same time, core responsibilities that directly affect residents鈥� stability and well-being must be protected. That includes investments in homelessness services, housing stability, public safety, education and efforts to reduce poverty and improve quality of life across every neighborhood.

Budget decisions should be guided by evidence: What works, what reaches residents effectively and what produces measurable improvements. We should be willing to cut programs that don鈥檛 perform, but equally committed to protecting and strengthening those that do.

With a $22 billion budget, we can do better at supporting residents鈥� quality of life across the board. Each year, I鈥檝e worked to identify waste and inefficiency in government, strengthen programs that are proven to deliver results and ensure taxpayer dollars are used responsibly and effectively.

The Council has a responsibility to be both thoughtful and strategic in how we legislate, while also firmly protecting the District鈥檚 right to self-governance.

Because Congress retains authority to review and overturn D.C. laws, we must be mindful in crafting legislation and proactive in anticipating federal scrutiny. That includes maintaining strong working relationships with members of Congress, including our delegate, and making the case for the District鈥檚 decisions in a clear, consistent and factual way.

At the same time, home rule is fundamental. Council members should be assertive in defending the District鈥檚 autonomy when it is threatened or undermined. That means organizing, advocating and, when necessary, pushing back against congressional interference that does not reflect the will of D.C. residents. That is why I am unequivocal in my support D.C. statehood and local autonomy and why I organized Ward 5 neighbors to lobby on the Hill this past summer.

I support continued investment in WMATA, which has expanded ridership, improved reliability and earned stronger trust from residents. A well-funded Metro system is essential to getting people across the city efficiently and sustainably.

On buses, I鈥檝e worked to ensure that service changes reflect community needs. During WMATA鈥檚 Better Bus Network redesign, I advocated for the replacement of two key routes serving Ward 5 seniors鈥攖he C63 and D36鈥攁nd I鈥檓 glad WMATA plans to restore service. That kind of behind-the-scenes advocacy is a core part of Council work that often goes unseen, but directly impacts residents.

Beyond transit service, we also need to improve street safety and conditions. That means safer road design, better maintenance, and stronger enforcement against dangerous driving behaviors that put other drivers, pedestrians and cyclists at risk.

My approach is to ensure residents have a meaningful voice while the city continues to grow responsibly.

That鈥檚 the work I鈥檝e already done. I鈥檝e fought for a Langdon Recreation Center redesign that reflects community needs, stood with neighbors to ensure the Crummell School was redeveloped in a way that serves the public, fought for more affordable housing and a grocery store at the old McMillan site and helped secure an agreement to bring urgent care to the former Providence Center site. I also worked with Burroughs parents to ensure students can learn closer to home.

My approach is simple: Early and consistent community engagement, transparency in decision-making and ensuring development delivers tangible benefits for existing residents, not just future ones.

The Council and the Mayor must have a relationship grounded in stronger collaboration, clearer communication and mutual respect. We are one city government, but we have not always operated that way, and too often the Council is unfairly blamed or sidelined. That is not productive for residents.

We can accomplish far more when we work together, especially on complex challenges like housing, public safety and economic development. We鈥檝e seen the value of alignment when we stood united to keep Monumental Sports in D.C. and when we worked together to defend the District against congressional interference.

At the same time, collaboration does not mean the Council abandons its oversight role. We have a responsibility to independently evaluate performance, hold agencies accountable and ensure transparency in how the city is run. At times there will be tension, but we must always be willing to cooperate where we can to deliver results, providing firm, independent oversight where we must.

The Council has a direct responsibility to ensure D.C.’s 911 system is reliable, responsive, and adequately staffed. When residents call in emergencies, they need confidence that help will come quickly and consistently.

A key priority is strengthening the Office of Unified Communications (OUC) by improving training, reducing burnout, and treating call takers and dispatchers as the frontline public safety professionals they are. That also means increasing pay and support to improve recruitment and retention in a high-stress environment.

In addition, we need better staffing models, modernized technology and clearer performance benchmarks so we can identify bottlenecks and hold the system accountable for response times.

Rebuilding public trust in the Council starts with transparency, consistency and accountability. Residents need to see that decisions are made in the public interest, with clear explanations of how and why policies are adopted and full disclosure of potential conflicts of interest.

As a Councilmember, I support strengthening ethics rules where needed, ensuring timely and meaningful disclosure requirements and making Council processes more open and accessible to the public. When ethical standards are violated, there must be real consequences. That includes independent investigation, clear due process and enforcement that is consistent, regardless of position or seniority.

Balancing growth with stability for longtime and lower-income residents in Ward 5 requires a two-track approach: Building more housing while actively preventing displacement.

On the supply side, I support new development along key corridors and transit areas, with a mix of market-rate, affordable and deeply affordable units. Increasing housing overall is essential to easing long-term cost pressures.

At the same time, we must protect existing residents. That means strengthening tenant protections, expanding access to housing assistance, providing tax relief for seniors and others, and ensuring redevelopment includes meaningful affordability requirements so residents can remain in their communities as they change.

We also need to invest in workforce development and small business support so longtime residents benefit economically from neighborhood growth, not just face rising costs.

That is the work I have done鈥攈elping bring online hundreds of affordable housing units and amenities like grocery stores. It鈥檚 also why I fought for union jobs in the RFK deal and supported the Child Tax Credit to directly reduce costs for working families.

One thing that makes D.C. feel like home to me is our tradition of community festivals and street activations. We鈥檝e lost some of those over time, which is why I revived Ward 5 Day, originally started under Harry Thomas Sr. I hear constantly from residents who love H Street Festival or miss events like the Georgia Avenue Festival. I strongly support bringing back and expanding these kinds of gatherings: Live music, local culture and community connection that bring our neighborhoods to life.

For much of my life, I鈥檝e played the alto saxophone, and music has been an important part of who I am. I love live music, and one of the things I enjoy most about living in D.C. is the ability to experience it throughout the city, from local venues to larger performances.