Oughtta Be Otten || Election Wrap Up 2022

Oughtta Be Otten || Election Wrap Up 2022

[public report published after sending congratulations to ms. nadeau]

Chris Otten, 20+year Adams Morgan resident, threw his hat into the general election for Ward One City Council with the Statehood Green Party after witnessing the incumbent win the June primary with less than the majority of votes and a fraction of the total Ward One population.

Before the outset of an all-out campaign, Otten came down with Covid soon after the Mayor lifted pandemic protections over the summer. Piling onto the after effects of long-Covid and going into the fall, Chris was compelled to address emergency family health issues while simultaneously contending with ongoing severely adverse housing conditions in a DC Housing Authority (DCHA) unit. It was clear, the remaining election calendar would only allow for a minimal campaign, one that ultimately spent less than .05 cents a vote.

Despite the many barriers to running for a Council seat as a low income DC resident displaced by terrible housing conditions, the Oughtta Be Otten campaign showed:

• Nearly one in five Ward One voters want to move past the PR spin to truly contend with the realities of harm under the status quo city officials’ behavior, wayward policies, and nonsensical budgeting that has altogether put substantial hurt on longtime DC neighborhoods and families;

• Almost 20% of Ward One voters were moved from the party line towards a vote for true equity and real justice, showing they will no longer tolerate the abject displacement of longstanding Ward One communities and the witnessing of our neighbors unnecessarily dying on our sidewalks. The fact that folks are still on the streets while the city conservatively has 15K vacant units is a crime.

• The numbers show there is a deep thirst to get beyond the status quo planning ignorance that has resulted in 60k Black folks made gone from the city over the past 20 years directly by “build-baby-build” dogma.

• Ward One wants to see prioritization of the people and their career outcomes put above the well-connected developers’ bottom line and we are fed up with the broken job promises and privatization of our land and services.

• Voters are demanding that any city policy regarding “affordability” results in density and construction of housing units for families (3+ bedrooms) and focused on those making the living wage or less (the existing definition of “Affordable housing” has almost exclusively resulted in expensive studio/1 bedroom units benefitting single professionals making $65K/yr);

• Further, Ward One redevelopment projects must center those who are affected like the longtime Black families living at Park Morton who have been so far denied the equity and compensation for the upheaval of their Ward One community;

• Voters are pointing to solutions to Ward One’s affordable housing crisis by demanding a social housing model, a key component of the Green New Deal legislation that just had a 9-hour marathon hearing overwhelmingly in support of pursuing social housing at locations like 17th and U Street, the Reeves Center, and the Wardman Hotel.

• Voters want to see real support for our Ward One small businesses – the true economic engines of our communities – including the banning of triple net leases.  And, we collectively want an end to tax gifts and giveaways of public assets & development entitlements.

• Ward One voters and those citywide are saying no more subsidizing luxury play time (new hotels, stadiums, and condos). We want to put community needs over corporate greed.

• Many Ward One residents seek the end of the gatekeeping by city officials. We want active & open facilitation of many more public forums and engagement opportunities for all residents, including limited english proficient neighbors so to encourage the sharing of community thoughts and experiences of all backgrounds and perspectives so that we archive lessons learned from our past to better understand how to plan for the future.

Ward One had another choice this election cycle and many voters took it, sending a message of protest of the things we are highly disappointed about but also as a signal to find real solutions beyond spin that truly help our people. 

Now that the election is over, we will continue to organize and can do so together. Chris encourages you to reach out to stay connected and to join the “Undoing the Damage” mailing list.   

. . . Contact Chris Otten . . .

Phone: 202-810-2768
Email: crotten2@gmail.com
Socials: @rotten4eva
www.chrisotten.one

Thanks ~~Chris Otten

* ANC Commissioner (2008-2010); Mayoral Candidate (2006)

* Homeless services advocate, Public property advocate, DC Zoning expert

* District resident since April 2000