Wash staffBy Daniel Herrera Benitez
For the first time in 44 years, the election for Ward 1鈥檚 Council seat will not include the incumbent council member after Brianne Nadeau announced she would not be seeking reelection last year. Several candidates have entered the race to represent one of the city’s most densely populated and progressive wards and are ramping up their campaigns for the primary election in June.
Among these candidates is Aparna Raj, who has volunteered with the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter and has been endorsed by 11 unions. Raj is the child of Indian immigrants, is a nonprofit worker, has organized for tenant and workers rights, and is a member of the Washington-Baltimore News Guild union, which represents news, information, and nonprofit workers.
Raj鈥檚 platform consists of free childcare, rent caps, and expanding workers rights. Her platform and proposed policies have led to endorsements from workers and unions in D.C., including Teamsters Local 639, United Food and Social Workers Local 400, and the Washington-Baltimore News Guild, which Raj is a member of.
鈥淚 think sometimes people view political endorsements as just a logo that鈥檚 in literature or on a mailer,鈥� Raj said 鈥淚t really means that the members and the workers who form these unions put their faith and trust in me. They see this campaign as one that will fight for them.鈥�
Raj says her labor platform seeks to expand D.C. worker鈥檚 power. She supports the increasing of the minimum wage to $25 from $17.95 and the restoration of Initiative 82 which would increase tipped minimum wage. As well as the protection and expansion of the Pay Equity Fund which would raise childcare workers wages, and the strengthening the right to organize for workers in the public sector.
鈥淚 know that in the Wilson Building [D.C. Council Building], I will be able to collaborate with them [unions] and I know that labor has got my back, that workers have got my back, and I will always have theirs,鈥� Raj said.
The Trump administration hasthe National Labor Relations Board, and has rolled back the Biden administration鈥檚 pro-Union positions and replaced officials placed by the former administration. As a result, Raj plans to propose a D.C. Right to Organize Act, similar to legislation seen elsewhere in the country and on the national level, including the proposed .
If the Trump administration were to dismantle the NLRB, the D.C. Right to Organize Act would protect workers rights in the city and expand on labor protections for workers who are not currently protected by federal labor law. A key element of this proposed legislation includes allowing workers to unionize through majority card check.
鈥淚t is a way for us to try to preempt some of the big federal antilabor legislation we anticipate,鈥� said Raj.
Recently, Raj hosted an event in collaboration with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union and Unite Here Local 25, which is the union which represents hotel, casino, and restaurant workers. Both of the unions have endorsed Raj.
Raj spoke to the attendees of the event about her reasons for running for office. Her parents’ experiences as immigrants and laborers, her own experiences with others while organizing, and disappointment with the current city government were all reasons she stated.
鈥淚 have organized alongside tenants who are living in terrible conditions. People who have to deal with mold, with rodents, with water leakages, with the heat going out in the winter, so they have to use their ovens to stay warm,鈥� Raj told the audience 鈥淚 have organized alongside workers who are working two or three jobs to get by, or people who are forced to leave D.C. entirely, because they can鈥檛 afford rent, groceries, childcare, and utilities. And I have seen our Council let this happen.鈥�
Hannah Stephens, the vice president of organizing at the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union Local, said that the union represents and fights for the best interests of its members while being politically engaged through legislative work and political education events. Stephens described the decision to endorse Raj as an easy one for herself and the members of NPEU.
鈥淲e did a poll for our members and our D.C. members voted 96% in favor of endorsing Aparna and a lot of that is because she鈥檚 a union member herself. She is unapologetically pro-worker,鈥� Stephens said 鈥淲e are a huge part of the DC community, and we feel seen in her campaign.鈥�
Raj has hosted events with DC mayoral candidate front-runner Janeese Lewis George, including a tenant rally at The Woodner Apartments in late March. Raj said that she is a big supporter of her mayoral campaign and was involved in her reelection campaign for Council in 2024. Raj and Lewis George are running on similar progressive, affordability focused, and worker oriented platforms.
鈥淚 think if we both get elected it will shift government in a way that we haven鈥檛 seen before and really give power to renters and workers in developing policy,鈥� Raj said 鈥淚 think on the council side, having a friendly mayor is huge.鈥�
In her speech at the event, Raj spoke about her disapproval of the current Mayor Muriel Bowser, who is not seeking reelection.
鈥淚 have seen our mayor give billions of dollars to a billionaire sports stadium owner, while our schools are crumbling, while our libraries and our rec centers and our parks are falling apart. And I am tired of us always having to be on defense for emergency rental assistance, or to protect our wages, to protect the things that belong to us. And I think it’s time that we had a government that fought for us.鈥�
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