ANC6C – Another Ward 6 “No Contest” Election
by Larry Janezich
Posted October 20, 2022
This is the third in a series of profiles of ANC candidates from Single Member Districts on or near Capitol Hill.
ANC6A includes Union Station, NOMA, the H Street NE corridor between 1st and 5th Streets NE, and the Stanton Park neighborhood – all lying between its East Capitol and Florida Avenue boundaries.
Redistricting reduced the size of ANC6C but all of the above components remain (NOMA shrinks to the part east of the railroad tracks). An increase in population requires adding another single member district and a new commissioner, up from six to seven. Early on, one seat (ANC6C01) was contested until Lauren Kuritz dropped out and endorsed Christy Kwan, leaving the seven races uncontested (barring the success of an unlikely write-in effort). ANC6B, likewise, has a “no contest” ANC election this year.
The turnover in candidates marks the retirement of long serving ANC6C02 commissioner and Commission Chair Karen Wirt, as well as ANC6C01 Christine Healey and ANC6C06 Drew Courtney.
If you are not sure if redistricting changed which single member district you’re in, go here: https://bit.ly/3V3002Z
Here’s a list of ANC6C candidates and profiles supplied by the candidate – incumbents are designated by an asterisk:
6C01 CHRISTY KWAN says “(she/her) has been serving as an appointed citizen member of ANC6C’s Transportation and Public Space Committee since 2017 and chaired the committee for two years during the pandemic. This experience has given her a deeper appreciation and understanding for ANCs and their roles in community engagement and input on proposed projects and legislation. Christy first moved to the region over 13 years ago and has worked professionally as a city planner on a number of issues, including transportation, land conversation, and healthy food access. She lives with her husband, teen, and rescue cat in the Near Northeast neighborhood, and is an active volunteer with DC Families for Safe Streets and Casey Trees.”
6C02 LESLIE MERKLE (Did not submit profile information)
*6C03 JAY ADELSTEIN says he “is running uncontested to represent SMD6C03, seeking the position that he has held since 2019. Adelstein has lived on the Hill since 1979, where he and his wife Patricia have raised their two daughters, Rose and Lily. Adelstein retired from the Federal government in 2018, having devoted his career in the field of civil rights to the U.S. Departments of Justice and Labor. With a particular distaste for the use of single-occupancy vehicles, Adelstein hopes to respond timely to constituent concerns with a concentration on transportation, accessibility to housing, and preventative crime measures. He plans to focus on representing the concerns of the neighborhood with District and federal officials, including those concerns related to recovering from the pandemic, pushing for improvements in the proposed massive Union Station Expansion Project, advocating for transportation safety, especially for pedestrians and bicyclists and seeking to preserve residential properties for residential purposes. Adelstein was a former head of Stanton Park Neighborhood Association and is currently active in the Friends of Northeast Library.”
*6C04 MARK ECKENWILER says, “For the past ten years, I’ve had the honor of representing the residents of single-member district 6C04. In that time, I’ve pursued three main objectives: 1) Constituent service. I’ve cajoled and badgered DC agencies into repaving alleys, fixing sidewalks, replacing missing or damaged street signs and traffic signals, and much more. District agencies are more responsive today than when I moved here 26 years ago, but there is still room for improvement. If you’re not receiving basic services or answers to inquiries, I’m happy to intercede on your behalf. 2) ANC 6C transparency. Along with my colleagues, I’ve worked to make ANC 6C itself responsive and transparent. Our meetings and agendas are posted in advance, and our minutes, reports, and correspondence posted afterward. As chair of 6C’s Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee, I aim to run informative, efficient meetings in addressing the important public business before us. 3) Good government/DC agency effectiveness. I’ve been proactive in demanding better performance from DC agencies and have testified at scores of DC Council hearings on agency performance and proposed legislation. Years ago, I and others began advocating for major reform of DCRA, an effort that culminated on October 1, in the breakup of that agency into two separate departments (and eventually new agency leadership). Because of population growth and the resulting redistricting, 6C04 is losing a few blocks (north of H Street & east of 5th) but remains largely unchanged. I look forward to serving these long-time constituents, as well as new neighbors recently arriving in this great neighborhood.”
*6C05 JOEL KELTY says “I’m running for re-election for Commissioner of ANC 6C05. A resident of ANC 6C for the past 22 years, I’ve served both as a Commissioner and also as a member of the Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee. The role of Commissioner is to represent constituents at the most local level, including being available, receptive and responsive to community input. I will advocate on local concerns, including refocusing District government on quality of life issues that directly impact our neighborhood: 1) Crime. The recent increase in crime in our ANC requires a coordinated multi-agency response that includes enhanced law enforcement and prosecution for quality of life crimes, many of which currently go un-prosecuted. nI support transferring responsibility for criminal prosecutions to a locally accountable, elected prosecutor. 2) Sidewalks, rats and trash. Maintenance and repair of public space, collection of refuse and rat control are core government functions with which the District must do better. 3) Illegal construction. The city must improve its processes for identifying and addressing illegal construction and zoning violations, particularly by house flippers working in residential districts. 4) A vibrant H Street Corridor. Poor streetscape maintenance, lax regulatory oversight and inattention to the needs of local residents and businesses have contributed to a decline in the H Street experience. We need to develop a renewed vision of how our neighborhood commercial corridor can best serve the residents and businesses of ANCs 6C and 6A. 5) Homelessness. The ANC should continue to advocate for additional assistance for encampment residents while simultaneously working to prevent establishment of new encampments.”
6C06 PATRICIA EGUINO says “Unlike many politicians, I actually have guts. I’ve faced off white supremacist groups throughout the years, like yelling at the Proud Boys to get the hell out, and did not back down from protesting the January 6 rioters outside the Capitol, even when armed men assaulted me and one took out a knife. I will use that energy to fight tooth and nail on behalf of my constituents.”
6C07 TONY T. GOODMAN says “I look forward to serving my Near Northeast/NoMa neighborhood, where I have volunteered on ANC committees and as a previous Commissioner for the past 12 years. I am a professional emergency manager, with a background in sustainability and construction, and previously was a DC Councilmember’s Chief of Staff. I am also the former Chair of DC’s Pedestrian Advisory Council, and currently serve in leadership roles for trail advocacy and green building organizations. Our neighborhood has experienced tremendous growth over the past decade, and new apartment buildings continue to be built in our area. I plan to support our new and existing neighbors and businesses in particular by continuing to advocate for more places for people to gather, including public benches, and for improved transit and bike lanes to ensure that residents and visitors don’t need to drive to reach their jobs, activities, or services.”
Correction: An earlier version of this post incorrectly stated ANC6C01 would be part of ANC6B after redistricting.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 