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I am excited to announce my campaign for the Democratic nomination for At-Large Councilmember – to represent all eight wards of the District of Columbia.

When I ran my successful campaign for the DC Board of Education in 2006, my twins were two and a half years old, preparing to enter the very first PreK3 class at the Peabody early childhood campus on Capitol Hill.

Today, that PreK3 class is still going strong, and my children are now 21-year-old adults preparing to launch their lives here. I worry about them now just as I did back then, though the questions have changed. Instead of “Will they adjust to school?” and “Who will care for them while I’m at work?” I now ask, “Will they be able to build a life here in DC?” and “Will they be able to raise families and careers here?”

I ran for office back then because I wanted to help smooth the journey for my kids and all DC public school students.

Twenty years later I’m running again because life here in DC is anything but smooth. Through my public service career, I’ve seen how many DC families still struggle with inadequate schools and access to childcare and health care. Too many feel unsafe on our streets. It’s too hard to open and run a business.

Too many young people face a shrinking job market, rising housing costs, and limited access to the training needed to compete in a changing economy and grow our city.

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Lisa’s Priorities

Aggressively defend DC’s right to self-government
Protect DC’s Right to Self-Government
  • Oppose congressional interference in DC laws and policies.
  • Defend the authority of the DC Council, Mayor, and Attorney General.
  • Fight for DC residents to have equal representation in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.
Defend DC’s Budget and Fiscal Autonomy
  • Protect locally raised dollars from congressional delays and riders.
  • Ensure timely budgets so city services function without disruption.
Responsible Local Governance
  • Use oversight and data to improve outcomes.
  • Focus on laws that are workable and enforceable.
Support students at every stage of learning
Support students at every stage of learning
  • Expand quality PreK3 and PreK4 seats and fully fund pay raises for early childhood educators.
  • Prepare students for well-paying, in-demand careers through high-quality career and technical education, including paid apprenticeships.
Improve Teaching Quality Through Investments in Educators
  • Advocate for competitive pay, strong retention incentives, and quality professional development to support teaching effectiveness citywide.
  • Ensure every classroom is staffed on day one of the school year, with faster hiring processes to fill vacancies when they arise.
Safe, Modern Schools
  • Ensure safe water, reliable HVAC, and functional 21st-century learning spaces.
  • Accelerate school modernization and address critical facility needs.
Make housing more affordable and accessible
Build More Homes, Faster
  • Streamline permitting, zoning, and approvals to cut red tape and speed construction.
  • Use public land and smart incentives to increase housing supply across all eight wards.
Protect Tenants and Prevent Displacement
  • Defend rent stabilization, fair leases, and protections against unjust evictions while ensuring buildings are well maintained.
  • Ensure new development strengthens neighborhoods and helps longtime residents stay.
Expand Opportunity and Stability
  • Fully fund workforce and middle-income housing for teachers, nurses, and first responders.
  • Invest in the Housing Production Trust Fund with strong oversight.
Build safer communities and support crime survivors
Target Violent Crime and Support Survivors
  • Focus resources on the most serious violence, including armed carjackings and illegal guns.
  • Hold federal partners accountable for effective prosecutions and qualified judicial appointments.
  • Fully fund survivor-centered, low-barrier services for crime victims.
Accountable Policing
  • Support a well-trained, adequately staffed police force.
  • Strengthen transparency, oversight, and community engagement.
Safe Streets for Everyone
  • Design streets that move people safely whether walking, biking, using transit, or driving.
  • Invest in safe routes to school and child-centered street design.
Prevention and Second Chances
  • Expand youth programs, mental health supports, and job opportunities.
  • Target resources to youth involved in child welfare or juvenile justice systems and those at risk of dropping out.
Make it easier to start and grow a business in DC
Make it Easier to Start, Run, and Grow a DC Business
  • Streamline licensing, permitting, and inspections.
  • Improve agency coordination to eliminate duplicative paperwork.
Fair Taxes and Predictable Costs
  • Reduce excessive fees and taxes that fall hardest on small businesses.
  • Support targeted tax relief for neighborhood-serving businesses.
Stronger Commercial Corridors
  • Support flexible use of commercial space.
  • Back local retail, restaurants, arts, and service businesses

I have always been a problem solver, motivated by a deep commitment to equity and a belief that government has a critical role to play in achieving it. My family’s dedication to philanthropy, my Jewish faith, and my passion for justice guide my approach to government through a single question: How can we build the most effective government that improves life for all residents?

It’s the approach I’ve brought to my 30 years in DC as an elected official, school leader, advocate, community leader, nonprofit leader, and fierce defender of DC Home Rule.

If elected, I will continue to approach the job this way—but more importantly, I will listen to residents before formulating the answers. As a long-time District resident and former Council staff member, I have ideas of my own. But building a better District is not the responsibility of one person; it takes many voices.

We need someone who knows this city, knows its families, and knows how to bring people together to get big things done. I’m ready to bring that collaborative leadership and deep commitment to the people of the District to the Council so that every resident, in every ward, feels seen, heard, supported, and proud of the city we are building together.

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What they are saying

I had the privilege of working with Lisa when she served as President of the DC State Board of Education. Her leadership stood out at every step. She brought people together, asked tough questions, and kept the needs of the community at the center of every decision.

-Laura Slover, Former President and Ward 3 Representative, DC State Board of Education and Campaign Chair, Lisa Raymond for DC Council 

Lisa Raymond has the experience, integrity and leadership our city needs. I am proud to support her campaign for DC council..

-Mary Cheh, former Ward 3 Councilmembermber

Lisa has the unparalleled ability to get the job done, and will be unafraid to make difficult decisions. 

-Charles Allen, DC Ward 6 Councilmember

About Me

I began my career in the District working at a halfway house off Dupont Circle supporting formerly incarcerated women who needed dignity and a path forward. That experience grounded me in the belief that public service is human, urgent, and personal.

I went on to help start and run one of the District’s first charter schools, serving families from every ward and seeing firsthand how great teachers and strong leadership can change a child’s future. Later, the people of Wards 5 and 6 elected me to the DC State Board of Education, where I served as Board President and helped expand quality PreK and strengthen graduation standards.

Later, I ran education policy for the DC Council, managing and overseeing DCPS budgets and helping shape key reforms. I drafted and helped pass legislation to ensure every student could take the SAT and apply to college or technical programs, expanded career and technical education funding, and strengthened enforcement against residency fraud to protect opportunities meant for DC students.

Read More About Lisa’s Qualifications

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