Update 7/25/2022: The Greater Greater Washington ANC training is available online at https://ggwash.org/view/86058/so-you-might-want-to-run-for-anc-our-training-is-here-to-help.

If you call yourself a reasonable, respectful person interested in improving where you live, consider running for a seat on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC). Nominating petitions to run for the ANC in the November general election are available at the DC Board of Elections. They are due at 5:00 pm on August 10, 2022. Information about how to run for the ANC is available on the Board of Election website at https://dcboe.org/Candidates/ANC-Commissioners. Greater Greater Washington is hosting a training on how to run for ANC tonight July 21 at 6:00 pm. Register at the link.

Each ANC commissioner represents approximately 2,000 residents who make up a single member district (SMD). Redistricting following the 2020 Census adjusted the boundaries of ANC single member districts. These new boundaries will become effective in January 2023. ANC redistricting opens the door for new ANC commissioners in ANC 4B and ANC 5A, the two commissions that cover Riggs Park. You can double check your SMD to make sure you are running in the correct SMD with the Office of Planning 2023 ANC/SMD locator.

ANC 4B Boundaries, Effective January 2023

In the redrawn ANC 4B09, there will not be an incumbent commissioner so if you are a reasonable person interested in representing the area covering the Riggs-LaSalle Recreation Center, LaSalle-Backus Elementary School, and Fort Totten Square, go ahead and pick up a nominating petition.

ANC 5A Boundaries, Effective January 2023

In ANC 5A, current ANC Commissioners Charles Lockett (5A02) and Gordon Fletcher (5A08) will be in the same SMD beginning January 2023 (5A08). Current ANC Commissioners Derrick Holloway (5A06) and Sandi Washington (5A07) will both be in the redrawn ANC 5A06. Finally, current ANC 5A Chair Ronnie Edwards (5A05) will be in an entirely different commission (ANC 5E) beginning in January 2023. So all that means that even if the current commissioners were inclined to run for re-election, there would still be a few SMDs without an incumbent commissioner, specifically newly drawn ANC 5A02, 5A05, 5A07, and 5A09 (I think I have that right).

I always like to put in a little plug for my SMD, ANC 5A01. I do not know just yet if ANC Commissioner Damion McDuffie (5A01) plans to run for re-election. I hope he does, but if he decides not to, someone pleasant should run. It is a nice manageable area with the Lamond-Riggs Library and UDC-CC Backus campus (the latter will see some small and large changes in the next couple of years, post on that to come). I think the residents in this pocket of the neighborhood are pretty low-key, nice folks.

We really do need good folks to run for ANC seats. ANCs can weigh in on all sorts of matters that affect residents (think planning and development projects, services by District agencies, etc.) so it really can make a difference to have proactive, reasonable people in these positions. If you are a reasonable, respectful person who would not mind doing some unpaid community work and would enjoy interacting with residents, District agencies, and neighborhood businesses to make our neighborhood a bit better, go ahead and run. We all thank you in advance.