Aparna Raj

Social Services Aparna will fight to win free, publicly funded, and high-quality early childhood education for every family in DC, from three months to three years. Housing Hold landlords accountable for inhumane living conditions, for unconscionable rent increases, and for intentionally keeping units vacant. Government Reform Many of Ward 1’s prized public parks don’t live up to their potential because they are maintained by the federal government, instead of the DC Department of Parks and Recreation. Aparna will advocate to bring these public spaces back under local control, so they can be maintained to the standard that D.C. Residents deserve. Education Aparna supports the Universal Free School Meals Amendment Act of 2025, which would provide school meals and after school snacks for all DC students. Wages / Job Benefits Aparna will support all workers organizing for better conditions — from restaurants and hotels to government jobs, construction public transit, and beyond. Arts / Culture When in office, Aparna will work to make sure the PLAZA Act leads to a pedestrian plaza in Ward 1 and the holding of more open street events and block parties. Wages / Job Benefits Aparna will introduce new legislation, modeled after the California Private Attorneys General Act, that will give workers back their right to challenge wage theft, discrimination, and violations of other workers’ rights laws in court. Wages / Job Benefits Aparna will also fight to raise child care workers’ wages, which will reduce turnover and help expand child care spots across the city. Housing Fully support the vision for publicly owned, tenant-controlled homes in the Green New Deal for Social Housing. Education Raising teacher pay ensures that teachers and staff can work sustainably to provide quality instruction and support to all students in the classroom. Aparna also supports expanding other benefits that will improve retention, including providing teachers more flexibility and more planning time, and extending policies to support international educators in DC. Infrastructure / Transportation Aparna will work with the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) to make it faster and easier to install projects that will slow down traffic to improve public safety. Aparna will also work with ANCs in Ward 1 to more quickly green-light small localized pilots that meet DDOT’s requirements. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Aparna supports improving our emergency response services; strengthening our community responder program; ensuring that residents have access to steady, good-paying jobs; investing in youth engagement; and improving the quality of our streets. Environment / Energy Aparna will fight to increase the number of street trees that shade Ward 1 sidewalks, helping protect us from the summer heat. Infrastructure / Transportation Aparna also supports building more public restrooms in the city, especially in or around public parks. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Aparna will push for the creation of a DC Rat Czar who will be tasked with leading a multi-agency rat response and coordinating the work of DPW, DC Health, and other agencies to control the rat population and address the conditions that have allowed it to grow. Housing Expand and strengthen tenant protections, like rent stabilization, eviction protections, and the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act. Infrastructure / Transportation Aparna will work with DDOT and Capital Bikeshare to ensure that network operation expansion costs are not passed down to riders. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Aparna will fight to ensure that DC agencies have the resources and staff needed to control rats—and to make sure they use those resources efficiently.