Three students, Eric Lashner (CAS ‘05), Mike Griffin (CAS ‘05) and Michael Glick (CAS ‘05), have declared their candidacy for the Nov. 5 Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E elections.
Lashner and Griffin will submit paperwork by this Friday’s deadline in order to be placed on the ballot, while Glick is running as a write-in candidate and will not submit paperwork.
The redistricting process completed in April 2001 will take effect this November. The number of districts has been reduced from eight to seven. One district is almost entirely populated by students and two others include student residences.
Glick will campaign for the seat in district 2E04, which encompasses most of Georgetown’s campus. Griffin has applied to run for the 2E03 seat in the district that runs between N Street north to Volta Place and 36th Street east to Wisconsin Avenue. Lashner is running in district 2E02, which runs between O Street north to Reservoir Road and from 38th Street east to 32nd Sreet.
Two non-student residents, Robert King “Bo” Blair and Jason Hurdle have applied for candidacy in 2E02 along with Lashner. Non-student resident William Skelsey has taken out a petition in 2E03 where Griffin is running, creating a total of two contested positions involving students.
Lashner stated that the mix of student and non-student residents is part of the reason he decided to run for ANC commissioner.
“The Georgetown community has a special nature, since it is composed of students and non-students. By running for ANC commissioner, I have the opportunity to make a difference in the community as a whole, not just on campus,” Lashner said.
Griffin said that the opportunity to run for public office at a young age motivated his candidacy.
“I was involved in Campaign Georgetown my freshman year, so I saw the need for student representatives on the ANC. It’s also an invaluable opportunity to learn about grassroots politics,” he said.
According to ANC Commissioner Justin Wagner (CAS ‘03), the relationship between students and residents has improved markedly since the beginning of his term.
“There has been a real improvement in the adversarial relationship between students and residents. Instead of working against each other, we now have a positive working relationship based on mutual respect and understanding,” Wagner said.
The campaigns of all three candidates will center on the rights of both residents and non-residents.
Lashner stated his campaign will focus on preserving the history of the Georgetown community while ensuring growth and development for the future. Glick, who will run unopposed in the all-student district, said he will look to promote all student ideals and continue to work on public safety issues in the community.
The most challenging part of Griffin’s campaign will be raising awareness about his candidacy and voting in general, he said.
“The districts are just small enough so meeting everyone is a possibility. On campus, I will focus on voter registration and off campus. I am going to go door to door, talking to people and listening to their concerns,” Griffin said.
Wagner said that the one of the more difficult aspects of the race will be creating an incentive for students to vote.
“The candidates will have two major challenges: convincing students how important it is to vote in D.C. and then conveying their vision for the future of the community,” Wagner said.
Student representation on the ANC is essential, Wagner said.
“For our local government to be responsive to the needs of students and to continue the progress we have made in the community, it is crucial that there is student representation on the ANC,” he said.
