Elissa Silverman

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = Elissa Silverman

| image = Elissa Silverman, District 14 Legislative Breakfast (cropped).jpg

| office = Member of the Council of the District of Columbia
from the at-large district

| term_start = January 2, 2015

| term_end = January 2, 2023

| predecessor = David Catania

| successor = Kenyan McDuffie

| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|41|2014|10|23}}

| birth_place = Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| party = Democratic {{small|(Before 2014)}}
Independent {{small|(2014–present)}}

| education = Brown University (BA)
University of Maryland, College Park

}}

Elissa Silverman (born 1972/1973){{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/mike-debonis/wp/2014/10/23/meet-an-at-large-d-c-council-candidate-elissa-silverman |title=Meet an at-large D.C. Council candidate: Elissa Silverman |first=Mike |last=DeBonis |newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=June 3, 2020}} is an American politician and reporter from Washington, D.C., the United States capital. She served as an independent at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 2015 to 2023. Before 2015, she was a journalist at The Washington Post and Washington City Paper covering D.C. politics, and a policy analyst at the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute. She was re-elected in November 2018 for a four-year term, but lost her re-election bid in 2022.{{cite news|last=Zauzmer |first=Julie |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2022/11/09/dc-at-large-council-results-bonds-mcduffie/ |title=Shape of D.C. Council takes place, as longtime member Silverman ousted |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=2022-11-09 |accessdate=2023-02-03}}

Early life and professional career

Elissa Silverman was born to parents Jack and Ruth Silverman in Baltimore, Maryland, where she attended public school.{{cite news|title=Meet an at-large D.C. Council candidate: Elissa Silverman|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=2014-10-23|author=DeBonis, Mike|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/debonis/wp/2014/10/23/meet-an-at-large-d-c-council-candidate-elissa-silverman/|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190108045914/https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/debonis/wp/2014/10/23/meet-an-at-large-d-c-council-candidate-elissa-silverman/|url-status= dead|archive-date= 2019-01-08}} She majored in economics and history at Brown University.{{cite web|url=http://dccouncil.us/council/elissa-silverman/|title=At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman • Council of the District of Columbia|author=|date=|website=Council of the District of Columbia|access-date=March 4, 2019}} She has worked as a reporter for The Washington Post and, earlier, the Washington City Paper where she wrote the Loose Lips column.{{cite web |title= Taking Note ... : Quieted Lips |work= The Common Denominator |date= January 24, 2005 |first= Maggie |last= Haslam |url= http://www.thecommondenominator.com/012405_taking.html }} She also helped the D.C. Public Trust in its attempt to prohibit direct corporate contributions in local politics. In April 2009, she was hired as a policy analyst and communications director at the D.C. Fiscal Policy Institute, a position she held until resigning to run for public office in April 2014.{{cite news |title= Hagler Declares for At-Large Seat, Silverman Almost Does |work= Washington City Paper |first= Will |last= Sommer |date= April 4, 2014 |url= http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2014/04/04/hagler-declares-for-at-large-seat-silverman-almost-does/ }} She attended the University of Maryland, pursuing a master's degree in urban studies and planning.{{cite web |title= URSP Student Elissa Silverman Elected to At-Large Seat of Washington, D.C. City Council |work= School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation |publisher= University of Maryland |date= February 6, 2015 |first= Maggie |last= Haslam |url= http://www.arch.umd.edu/mapp/news/ursp-student-elissa-silverman-elected-large-seat-washington-dc-city-council }}

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. Silverman filed to run as a Democratic candidate for the at-large seat.{{cite news |title= Former reporter seeks at-large D.C. Council seat: Elissa Silverman covered DC government, politics |last= Haines |first= Errin |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= December 20, 2012 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1241048525/ }} Silverman ran against incumbent Anita Bonds,{{cite news |title= 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 |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= January 16, 2013 |first= Tim |last= Craig |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1269761201/ }} and Board of Education member Patrick Mara.{{cite news |title= Eight candidates remain in D.C. Council race: At-large contest features six Democrats, a Republican and a Statehood Green Party candidate |last= Craig |first= Tim |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= January 23, 2013 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1272148595/ }} Silverman said she would not accept campaign contributions from corporations.{{cite news |title= 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 |last= Craig |first= Tim |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= February 1, 2013 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1283382975/ }}

Silverman supported increasing funding to government programs that subsidize affordable housing,{{cite news |title= Candidates' debate touches on city's racial divisions |last= Craig |first= Tim |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= April 9, 2013 |page= B5 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1324492357/ }} and expanding the minimum wage law to cover restaurant workers.{{cite news |title= 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 |last= Craig |first= Tim |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= April 17, 2013 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1328191202/ }} Silverman said it is a problem that a quarter of District students attend their zoned neighborhood schools, saying more governmental resources should improve schools.{{cite news |title= 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 |last= Craig |first= Tim |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= April 20, 2013 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1330816280/ }}

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. A political action committee criticized Silverman when she said she did not think residents minded paying taxes and minded poor city services more.{{cite news |title= Challenges abound for 6 D.C. Council candidates |last1= Craig |first1= Tim |last2= DeBonis |first2= Mike |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= April 19, 2013 |page= B1 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1328433699/ }}

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.{{cite news |title= Hopeful asked rival to quit race |last= Craig |first= Tim |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= April 22, 2013 |page= B1 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1331009925/ }}{{cite news |title= D.C. Council candidate Silverman releases e-mails to Frumin: E-mails show she asked fellow candidate to drop out of the race |last= Craig |first= Tim |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= April 23, 2013 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1334973066/ }} Frumin declined the offer, saying he felt he still had a chance to win. Frumin said Silverman's offer may contradict her case for being a reformer.

"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{{cite news |title= Kenyan McDuffie endorses Anita Bonds: This may help solidify support in Ward 5 behind Bonds ahead of the Sept. 23 special election |last= Craig |first= Tim |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= April 12, 2013 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1326441657/}} former Council Member Sharon Ambrose,{{cite news |title= 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 |last= Craig |first= Tim |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= April 17, 2013 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1328185477/ }} and former Council Member Kathy Patterson.{{cite news |title= D.C. Political Roundup |last= Wright |first= James |work= Washington Informer: 2013 Sustainable Living Supplement |date= April 18, 2013 |page= 5 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1349945046/ }} She was also endorsed by the editorial board of the Washington City Paper,{{cite news |title= D.C. test cheating: Time to move on? |last= DeBonis |first= Mike |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= April 18, 2013 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1328433510/}} Democracy for America, and the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 2.

Silverman finished second to Anita Bonds,{{cite news |title= Bonds retains D.C. Council seat |last1= Craig |first1= Tim |last2= DeBonis |first2= Mike |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= April 24, 2013 |page= B1 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/1337248714/ }} by a margin of 31% to 28%.

=2014 election=

File:Silverman for DC Council .jpg

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.{{cite news |title=Democrats consider independent runs for council |last=DeBonis |first=Mike |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 10, 2014 |page=B2 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1514127058/}} Silverman publicly declared her candidacy for Council the next month.{{cite news |title=Elissa Silverman in, Tommy Wells out of D.C. Council at-large race |last=DeBonis |first=Mike |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=May 20, 2014 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1525883920/}}

Silverman emphasized accountability of elected officials, accountability of public schools, quality education, affordable housing, and good public transportation. Silverman said she would not accept campaign contributions from corporations. 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.{{cite news |title=Large and varied slate scrambles for Catania's seat |last=DeBonis |first=Mike |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 27, 2014 |page=B1 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1616417968/}}

Silverman's candidacy was endorsed by Ward 8 Council Member Marion Barry,{{cite news |title=Silverman Confident of Election Night Victory |last=Brown |first=Stacy M. |work=Washington Informer |date=October 30, 2014 |page=5 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1629988047/}} Ward 6 Council candidate Charles Allen, the D.C. Chapter of the National Organization for Women, D.C. Working Families, Jews United for Justice,{{cite news |title=Silverman, White Loom as Top Council At-Large Candidates |last=Wright |first=James |work=Afro-American Red Star |date=September 20, 2014 |page=A5 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1610106960/}} and the D.C. Muslim Caucus,{{cite news |title=Muslims are 'obligated' to vote for Bowser and other endorsees, D.C. caucus says |last=DeBonis |first=Mike |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=October 30, 2014 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1621662803/}} Metro Washington Council AFL–CIO, Service Employees International Union 32BJ and 1199, DC for Democracy, the Sierra Club, the DC Police Union,{{cite news |title=Bonds, Silverman Claim At-large Council Seats |last=Brown |first=Stacy M. |work=Washington Informer |date=November 6, 2014 |page=20 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1630010245/}} the United Food and Commercial Workers local,{{cite news |title=Silverman, Hagler Land Union Endorsements in At-Large Race |work=Washington City Paper |first=Will |last=Sommer |date=September 24, 2014 |url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2014/09/24/silverman-hagler-land-union-endorsements-in-at-large-race/}} and the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 36.{{cite news |title=Firefighters Stay Out of Attorney General Race, Back Silverman for At-Large |work=Washington City Paper |first=Will |last=Sommer |date=October 13, 2014 |url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2014/10/13/firefighters-stay-out-of-attorney-general-race-back-silverman-for-at-large/}} She was also endorsed by the editorial board of the Washington City Paper.{{cite news |title=Vote Like This: Washington City Paper's 2014 General Election Endorsements |work=Washington City Paper |format=editorial |date=October 29, 2014 |url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2014/10/29/vote-like-this-washington-city-papers-2014-general-election-endorsements/}}

Silverman was elected to the at-large seat in the 2014 general election{{cite news |title=3 to replace veteran members: Silverman to succeed Catania |last=DeBonis |first=Mike |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 5, 2014 |page=A29 |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/1619804668/}} with 12% of the total votes.{{cite news |title=Ex-Reporter Elissa Silverman Heads to the D.C. Council |first=Zach |last=Rausnitz |date=November 5, 2014 |work=Washington City Paper |url=http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/looselips/2014/11/05/ex-reporter-elissa-silverman-heads-to-the-d-c-council/}}

= 2018 election =

Silverman stood for re-election in the 2018 general election. Among her challengers were S. Kathryn Allen, a business-backed challenger who was a former insurance agent and banking commissioner. Allen, who was endorsed by former mayor Anthony Williams and former D.C. Councilmember David Catania, had specifically challenged Silverman over the latter's support of a comprehensive paid leave proposal which was passed into law by the council in 2016.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/progressive-dc-lawmaker-outraised-by-business-backed-challenger-reports-show/2018/08/13/af971308-9f2d-11e8-8e87-c869fe70a721_story.html|title=Progressive D.C. lawmaker outraised by business-backed challenger, reports show|last=Nirappel|first=Fenit|date=August 13, 2016|newspaper=The Washington Post}} Allen and other opponents of the paid leave bill argued that it imposes a costly tax on DC businesses and that the benefits will primarily accrue to residents of Maryland and Virginia who commute into the city.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/a-progressive-dc-lawmaker-in-the-cross-hairs/2018/06/29/6179b3e4-7988-11e8-80be-6d32e182a3bc_story.html|title=Why a progressive D.C. lawmaker is suddenly facing opposition|last=Schwartzman|first=Paul|date=June 29, 2018|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=June 29, 2018}} Allen was disqualified from the 2018 ballot as a result of signature fraud on her nominating petitions.{{cite news|url=https://wtop.com/local-politics-elections-news/2018/09/fraud-findings-derail-s-kathryn-allens-bid-for-dc-council/|title=Fraud findings derail S. Kathryn Allen's bid for DC Council/|last=Howell|first=Melissa|date=September 18, 2018|work=WTOP}} Dionne Reeder, a candidate backed by Mayor Muriel Bowser, entered the race to replace Silverman, though was not successful in the November 2018 general election.{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/bowser-rallies-for-dionne-reeder-latest-in-her-push-to-oust-elissa-silverman/2018/10/14/836342d2-ce4b-11e8-a3e6-44daa3d35ede_story.html|title=D.C. mayor rallies for Reeder in effort to oust Silverman|newspaper=The Washington Post|accessdate=June 3, 2020}}

= 2022 election =

Silverman lost her re-election bid in November 2022 to Anita Bonds and Kenyan McDuffie, where two seats were up for election.{{cite web|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Elissa_Silverman|title=Elissa Silverman|website=Ballotpedia}}

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 and hold Ted Leonsis's company, which owns the team, responsible for any cost overruns.{{cite news |title= D.C. Council member proposes spending cap for Wizards facility |first= Jonathan |last= O'Connell |date= March 1, 2016 |newspaper=The Washington Post |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/digger/wp/2016/03/01/d-c-council-member-proposes-spending-cap-for-wizards-facility/}}

Committees

Silverman was appointed to the following committees for Council Period 21 (January 2015 to December 2016).{{cite web |title= Elissa Silverman |work= Council of the District of Columbia |accessdate= October 3, 2015 |url= http://dccouncil.us/council/elissa-silverman }}

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. She is Jewish.{{cite news |title= Silverman, Nadeau bring 'fresh energy' to D.C. Council

|work= Washington Jewish Week |date= October 7, 2015 |first= Josh |last= Marks |url= http://infoweb.newsbank.com/iw-search/we/InfoWeb?p_product=AWNB&p_theme=aggregated5&p_action=doc&p_docid=1585A28A91A34A10&p_docnum=1&p_queryname=2 }}

Electoral results

{{Election box begin no change

| title = 2013 Special Election, Council of the District of Columbia, At-Large Seat{{cite web |title= Special Election Certified Results |work= District of Columbia Board of Elections |date= May 10, 2013 |url= https://www.dcboee.org/election_info/election_results/2013/April-23-Special-Election |access-date= January 3, 2015 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150121151738/https://www.dcboee.org/election_info/election_results/2013/April-23-Special-Election |archive-date= January 21, 2015 |url-status= dead }}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Anita Bonds

|votes = 18,027

|percentage = 31

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Elissa Silverman

|votes = 15,228

|percentage = 27

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Patrick Mara

|votes = 13,698

|percentage = 24

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Matthew Frumin

|votes = 6,307

|percentage = 11

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Paul Zukerberg

|votes = 1,195

|percentage = 2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Michael A. Brown

|votes = 1,100

|percentage = 2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = D.C. Statehood Green Party

|candidate = Perry Redd

|votes = 1,090

|percentage = 2

}}

{{Election box candidate no change

|party =

|candidate = write-in

|votes = 187

|percentage = 0

}}{{Election box end}}

{{Election box begin no change

| title = 2014 General Election, Council of the District of Columbia, At-Large Seats{{cite web |title= General Election Certified Results |work= District of Columbia Board of Elections |date= December 3, 2014 |url= https://www.dcboee.org/election_info/election_results/2014/November-4-General-Election |access-date= November 23, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151220165436/https://www.dcboee.org/election_info/election_results/2014/November-4-General-Election |archive-date= December 20, 2015 |url-status= dead }}}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Democratic Party (United States)

|candidate = Anita Bonds

|votes = 85,575

|percentage = 24

}}

{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Elissa Silverman

|votes = 41,300

|percentage = 12

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Michael D. Brown

|votes = 28,614

|percentage = 8

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Robert White

|votes = 22,198

|percentage = 6

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Courtney R. Snowden

|votes = 19,551

|percentage = 5

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = D.C. Statehood Green Party

|candidate = Eugene Puryear

|votes = 12,525

|percentage = 4

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Graylan Scott Hagler

|votes = 10,539

|percentage = 3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Khalid Pitts

|votes = 10,392

|percentage = 3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Republican Party (United States)

|candidate = Marc Morgan

|votes = 9,947

|percentage = 3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Brian Hart

|votes = 8,933

|percentage = 3

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Kishan Putta

|votes = 6,135

|percentage = 2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Calvin Gurley

|votes = 4,553

|percentage = 1

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Eric J. Jones

|votes = 4,405

|percentage = 1

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Libertarian Party (United States)

|candidate = Frederick Steiner

|votes = 3,766

|percentage = 1

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

|party = Independent (politician)

|candidate = Wendell Felder

|votes = 2,964

|percentage = 1

}}

{{Election box candidate no change

|party =

|candidate = write-in

|votes = 1,472

|percentage = 0

}}

References

External links

{{URL|http://dccouncil.us/council/elissa-silverman|Council web site}}
{{URL|http://www.elissasilverman.com/|Campaign web site}}

{{s-ttl|title=Member of the Council of the District of Columbia
from the at-large district|years=2015–2023}}

Category:21st-century American women politicians

Category:Brown University alumni

Category:Jewish American people in Washington, D.C., politics

Category:Living people

Category:Members of the Council of the District of Columbia

Category:The Washington Post journalists

Category:University of Maryland, College Park alumni

Category:Washington, D.C., independents

Category:Women city councillors in the District of Columbia

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)

Category:Jewish American women in politics

Category:21st-century American Jews

Category:21st-century American women journalists

Category:21st-century American journalists

Category:21st-century Washington, D.C., politicians