Ward 3 Democratic Candidates Introduce Themselves

The race to replace Councilmember Mary Cheh is on! On Tuesday, May 3^rd at 7pm, the nine candidates running for the Ward 3 City Council seat participated in a zoom Forum, sponsored by the Chevy Chase Citizens Association (CCCA) and the Palisades Community Association.The candidate who wins the June 21 Democratic Party Primary will square off against Republican David Krucoff in the November 8 general election.

The event was moderated by Robert Gordon, president of CCCA and Spence Spencer of the PCA. Anne Ourand, PCA Administrator, kept time. Given the large number of candidates and limited time, candidates were encouraged to be brief and civil. The purpose of the Forum was to introduce the candidates. Over 140 residents

Each candidate was invited to give a minute and a half opening statement. The candidates were then asked seven questions and allotted 1 minute to respond. The Forum ended with one minute closing statements. Over 140 residents participated in the live Forum.

The nine candidates span a broad range of backgrounds and offer in alphabetical order are:

Ben Bergmann

Deirdre Brown

Henry Cohen

Tricia Duncan

Beau Finlay

Matthew Frumin

Eric Goulet

Monte Monash

Phil Thomas

Candidates were asked to respond to the following questions:

Question 1:

Small area plan for Chevy Chase is highly controversial.  How would you work to resolve concerns regarding the called for increase in density in Chevy Chase’s residential streets?

Question 2:

Do you think there should be a new DC public school built in the recently renovated Hardy Park? Do you think the Lab School’s current lease for old

Hardy school building should be rescinded?  How would you address overcrowding in schools?

Question 3:

Since January there has been a series of violent and deadly incidents on upper Connecticut Ave in apartment buildings and hotels.  These are compounding residents’ concerns about safety that were already running high because of an increase in car jackings and broad daylight robberies. Have you examined the violent incidents?  Do you see a trend and what do you propose the City do in response to these events?

Question 4:

What would you do about the Trolley Trail? Do you think the City should upgrade it?  What other solutions do you think the City could do to mitigate the impacts of transportation with schools?

Question 5:

Where do you stand on the issue of protected bike lanes along Connecticut Ave and across Ward 3? How do you balance the safety requirements of bikers with the loss of parking and traffic lanes?

Question 6:

What initiatives would you sponsor to reduce aircraft noise over Ward 3?

Question 7:

Ward 3 does not have a senior wellness center.  Would you support building one?

To hear how the candidates responded, watch the taped event: CCCA YouTube Channel