Zach Israel
@zachisrael.bsky.social
Former ANC 4D commissioner | Advocacy professional | Nats fan | Dad to Elliot & Milo | Opinions are my own https://x.com/zachbisrael
The last remaining local FY26 budget bill, the “Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Support Act of 2025”, will be enacted into law effective *Thursday, December 18*. The DC Council passed the FY26 BSA back on July 28 and it was signed by the Mayor on Sept. 4: lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/...
December 8, 2025 at 9:17 PM
The last remaining local FY26 budget bill, the “Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Support Act of 2025”, will be enacted into law effective *Thursday, December 18*. The DC Council passed the FY26 BSA back on July 28 and it was signed by the Mayor on Sept. 4: lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/...
Reposted by Zach Israel
Update: A proposed ballot initiative would increase D.C.’s minimum wage to $25 by 2029 and get rid of the tipped wage by 2031. It would also require that service charges go to employees. The initiative is being pushed by same groups behind I-82, which was partially repealed.
December 8, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Update: A proposed ballot initiative would increase D.C.’s minimum wage to $25 by 2029 and get rid of the tipped wage by 2031. It would also require that service charges go to employees. The initiative is being pushed by same groups behind I-82, which was partially repealed.
Just a reminder that the DC Council voted 13-0 on November 7, 2023 for Pamela Smith to serve a *4-year term* as Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (i.e., through Nov. 7, 2027), so she’s departing a full 23 months early… lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/...
December 8, 2025 at 1:12 PM
Just a reminder that the DC Council voted 13-0 on November 7, 2023 for Pamela Smith to serve a *4-year term* as Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (i.e., through Nov. 7, 2027), so she’s departing a full 23 months early… lims.dccouncil.gov/Legislation/...
The DC Council’s Committee on Public Works is holding an oversight roundtable tomorrow on “A Deep Dive Into DPW Trash and Recycling Collections, Public Litter Can Installation & Removal, & Residential Street Sweeping”; 8 current/former ANCs are testifying: lims.dccouncil.gov/Hearings/hea...
December 8, 2025 at 1:52 AM
The DC Council’s Committee on Public Works is holding an oversight roundtable tomorrow on “A Deep Dive Into DPW Trash and Recycling Collections, Public Litter Can Installation & Removal, & Residential Street Sweeping”; 8 current/former ANCs are testifying: lims.dccouncil.gov/Hearings/hea...
Looks like there’ll be a DC Council public oversight roundtable from 11am-3pm, Wed., Dec. 17 on “Transit Planning for the RFK Campus Redevelopment” - “Participation in the roundtable will be limited by invitation.” lims.dccouncil.gov/Hearings/hea...
December 7, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Looks like there’ll be a DC Council public oversight roundtable from 11am-3pm, Wed., Dec. 17 on “Transit Planning for the RFK Campus Redevelopment” - “Participation in the roundtable will be limited by invitation.” lims.dccouncil.gov/Hearings/hea...
I’m sure the failure of the DC Council to delay ranked-choice voting earlier this week had absolutely nothing to do with the longtime incumbent At-Large CM deciding to finally call it quits today
RCV is already having an impact, and we’re still 6 months from the primary ;)
RCV is already having an impact, and we’re still 6 months from the primary ;)
And with that, Felder's withdrawn the bill. He says he'll bring it up at the next meeting, but if there's a cost attached it's probably sunk. He can try moving this as a normal bill, without the emergency's requirements, but that starts to get very tricky timing-wise...
This bill is up for a vote today, but a wrinkle: The CFO may rule it will cost the elections board money to implement so it would be ineligible to move as an emergency bill. Felder told me just now he’s not sure what will happen. Stay tuned…
December 7, 2025 at 12:35 AM
I’m sure the failure of the DC Council to delay ranked-choice voting earlier this week had absolutely nothing to do with the longtime incumbent At-Large CM deciding to finally call it quits today
RCV is already having an impact, and we’re still 6 months from the primary ;)
RCV is already having an impact, and we’re still 6 months from the primary ;)
Now that CM Bonds is officially not running for reelection, I think the probability of her and McDuffie doing a party registration switcheroo within the next couple of weeks is significantly higher now… This would allow McDuffie to keep his At-Large CM seat through Jan. 2, 2027.
McDuffie is out with a statement: "At no point have I discussed, nor asked anyone on my behalf to discuss" the party switch idea. Says my story is "premised on an unfounded rumor."
Though I disagree it "lacks factual basis," considering Bonds' spox admitted this has come up...
Though I disagree it "lacks factual basis," considering Bonds' spox admitted this has come up...
December 6, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Now that CM Bonds is officially not running for reelection, I think the probability of her and McDuffie doing a party registration switcheroo within the next couple of weeks is significantly higher now… This would allow McDuffie to keep his At-Large CM seat through Jan. 2, 2027.
You know who’d make an excellent At-Large Councilmember: @erinpalmerdc.bsky.social! The last time this particular At-Large CM seat was truly open in a Democratic primary was way back on *September 15, 1998*! A 10-way race that Phil Mendelson won with 17% of the vote.
Run Erin run!
Run Erin run!
December 6, 2025 at 6:17 PM
You know who’d make an excellent At-Large Councilmember: @erinpalmerdc.bsky.social! The last time this particular At-Large CM seat was truly open in a Democratic primary was way back on *September 15, 1998*! A 10-way race that Phil Mendelson won with 17% of the vote.
Run Erin run!
Run Erin run!
It’s a Christmas miracle! washingtoncitypaper.com/article/7754...
Anita Bonds Will Not Seek Re-election, Adding To The Already-Chaotic 2026 Campaign Season
By 2027, D.C. will have a new mayor and could get as many as six new councilmembers.
washingtoncitypaper.com
December 6, 2025 at 5:27 PM
It’s a Christmas miracle! washingtoncitypaper.com/article/7754...
Reposted by Zach Israel
As a parent of a now middle-schooler, I'm really hoping and expecting that by the time she hits 8th grade she's reading novels in school. But that's not happening everywhere in D.C., as I learned from this informative op-ed in @51st.news: 51st.news/opinion-dcps...
Opinion: DCPS middle-schoolers should be reading novels
Many parents like myself were shocked by a recent change to the English curriculum at Alice Deal Middle School.
51st.news
December 5, 2025 at 2:41 PM
As a parent of a now middle-schooler, I'm really hoping and expecting that by the time she hits 8th grade she's reading novels in school. But that's not happening everywhere in D.C., as I learned from this informative op-ed in @51st.news: 51st.news/opinion-dcps...
Reposted by Zach Israel
After her Politics Hour appearance @janeese4dc.bsky.social tells me she's now up to 2,200 DC donors, blowing past records.
She got in a dig at the big-money donors surely gearing up to run ads against her too: "They've raked in a lot of dollars over the years from the maintaining of the status quo"
She got in a dig at the big-money donors surely gearing up to run ads against her too: "They've raked in a lot of dollars over the years from the maintaining of the status quo"
December 5, 2025 at 6:15 PM
After her Politics Hour appearance @janeese4dc.bsky.social tells me she's now up to 2,200 DC donors, blowing past records.
She got in a dig at the big-money donors surely gearing up to run ads against her too: "They've raked in a lot of dollars over the years from the maintaining of the status quo"
She got in a dig at the big-money donors surely gearing up to run ads against her too: "They've raked in a lot of dollars over the years from the maintaining of the status quo"
Reposted by Zach Israel
New: Ranked choice voting looks like it's coming to DC next year. What will that mean for 2026?
Candidates are changing their strategies, with more willing to jump into these races if RCV will be in place. Could we see cross-endorsements as we did in NYC? It's on the table:
wamu.org/story/25/12/...
Candidates are changing their strategies, with more willing to jump into these races if RCV will be in place. Could we see cross-endorsements as we did in NYC? It's on the table:
wamu.org/story/25/12/...
D.C. is poised to use ranked choice voting next year. It’s already reshaping local races
D.C. officials now need to find a way to educate voters on ballots that allow them to select multiple candidates in order of preference.
wamu.org
December 5, 2025 at 3:20 PM
New: Ranked choice voting looks like it's coming to DC next year. What will that mean for 2026?
Candidates are changing their strategies, with more willing to jump into these races if RCV will be in place. Could we see cross-endorsements as we did in NYC? It's on the table:
wamu.org/story/25/12/...
Candidates are changing their strategies, with more willing to jump into these races if RCV will be in place. Could we see cross-endorsements as we did in NYC? It's on the table:
wamu.org/story/25/12/...
DOT is “interested in design concepts and construction and financing proposals for the development of completely new terminals and concourses to replace or build upon the existing main terminal and satellite concourses at Washington Dulles International Airport.” Due by Jan. 20:
December 5, 2025 at 12:53 PM
DOT is “interested in design concepts and construction and financing proposals for the development of completely new terminals and concourses to replace or build upon the existing main terminal and satellite concourses at Washington Dulles International Airport.” Due by Jan. 20:
On Dec. 1, a DC Superior Court judicial nomination was made: Christopher De Bono, currently serving as Senior Counsel in DOJ’s Office of Legal Policy. De Bono will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Heidi Pasichow on June 27. There are 8 remaining vacancies…
December 3, 2025 at 3:17 PM
On Dec. 1, a DC Superior Court judicial nomination was made: Christopher De Bono, currently serving as Senior Counsel in DOJ’s Office of Legal Policy. De Bono will fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Heidi Pasichow on June 27. There are 8 remaining vacancies…
This didn’t get much (if any coverage), but the “Robert F. Kennedy Campus Redevelopment Act of 2025” was officially enacted into law effective Friday, November 21 (D.C. Law 26-54).
In the span of 19 months, Congress and the DC Council passed their respective RFK stadium bills.
In the span of 19 months, Congress and the DC Council passed their respective RFK stadium bills.
December 3, 2025 at 3:08 AM
This didn’t get much (if any coverage), but the “Robert F. Kennedy Campus Redevelopment Act of 2025” was officially enacted into law effective Friday, November 21 (D.C. Law 26-54).
In the span of 19 months, Congress and the DC Council passed their respective RFK stadium bills.
In the span of 19 months, Congress and the DC Council passed their respective RFK stadium bills.
Reposted by Zach Israel
NEW: Republican-led states, in a new filing at the D.C. Circuit, say D.C. residents are irrelevant, D.C. belongs to everyone else. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
The filing is led by the South Carolina and West Virginia attorneys general. Both states sent troops to DC.
The filing is led by the South Carolina and West Virginia attorneys general. Both states sent troops to DC.
December 2, 2025 at 8:50 PM
NEW: Republican-led states, in a new filing at the D.C. Circuit, say D.C. residents are irrelevant, D.C. belongs to everyone else. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
The filing is led by the South Carolina and West Virginia attorneys general. Both states sent troops to DC.
The filing is led by the South Carolina and West Virginia attorneys general. Both states sent troops to DC.
Thank you to the 12 CMs who just voted in favor of @janeese4dc.bsky.social’s “Porchfest Permitting Emergency Amendment Act of 2025” (B26-501) - the lone no vote was from CM McDuffie. I look forward to seeing this be enacted into law soon (even if the Mayor is opposed):
December 2, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Thank you to the 12 CMs who just voted in favor of @janeese4dc.bsky.social’s “Porchfest Permitting Emergency Amendment Act of 2025” (B26-501) - the lone no vote was from CM McDuffie. I look forward to seeing this be enacted into law soon (even if the Mayor is opposed):
Some good polling numbers for Robert White in the Delegate race:
Undecided: 31%
Robert White: 29%
Eleanor Holmes Norton: 16%
Brooke Pinto: 14%
Other unnamed candidates: 5%
Deidre Brown: 2%
Kinney Zalesne: 1%
Jacque Patterson: 1%
Undecided: 31%
Robert White: 29%
Eleanor Holmes Norton: 16%
Brooke Pinto: 14%
Other unnamed candidates: 5%
Deidre Brown: 2%
Kinney Zalesne: 1%
Jacque Patterson: 1%
In the delegate race, Robert White's campaign is out with its first poll, by longtime Dem pollster Celinda Lake.
It has him up 29-16 over EHN, with Pinto at 14%. In a one-on-one race with Pinto, it has him up 44-21 (with 27% undecided).
www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
It has him up 29-16 over EHN, with Pinto at 14%. In a one-on-one race with Pinto, it has him up 44-21 (with 27% undecided).
www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...
December 2, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Some good polling numbers for Robert White in the Delegate race:
Undecided: 31%
Robert White: 29%
Eleanor Holmes Norton: 16%
Brooke Pinto: 14%
Other unnamed candidates: 5%
Deidre Brown: 2%
Kinney Zalesne: 1%
Jacque Patterson: 1%
Undecided: 31%
Robert White: 29%
Eleanor Holmes Norton: 16%
Brooke Pinto: 14%
Other unnamed candidates: 5%
Deidre Brown: 2%
Kinney Zalesne: 1%
Jacque Patterson: 1%
Reposted by Zach Israel
DDOT continues to publish before/after analyses of safety projects. The numbers for the 9th street NW bike lanes suggest that we should be doing these projects everywhere we can. Crashes plummeted, pedestrian and bike traffic skyrocketed, and vehicle travel times dropped.
December 2, 2025 at 2:39 PM
DDOT continues to publish before/after analyses of safety projects. The numbers for the 9th street NW bike lanes suggest that we should be doing these projects everywhere we can. Crashes plummeted, pedestrian and bike traffic skyrocketed, and vehicle travel times dropped.
Looks like the U.S. Senate will soon consider a package of 88 nominees, including John Truong, Elana Suttenberg, & Stephen Rickard to serve as DC Superior Court Associate Judges for 15-year terms—this would fill 3 of the 12 existing vacancies on the court. punchbowl.news/wp-content/u...
December 2, 2025 at 3:56 AM
Looks like the U.S. Senate will soon consider a package of 88 nominees, including John Truong, Elana Suttenberg, & Stephen Rickard to serve as DC Superior Court Associate Judges for 15-year terms—this would fill 3 of the 12 existing vacancies on the court. punchbowl.news/wp-content/u...
By my math, JLG raised $760,000+ today in DC donations + FE base and matching funds!
December 2, 2025 at 1:21 AM
By my math, JLG raised $760,000+ today in DC donations + FE base and matching funds!
Some big Fair Elections (FE) $$$ up for grabs for JLG’s mayoral campaign!
$160,000 base amount + up to $3,443,855 in matching funds
JLG needs to hit 1,000 DC donors contributing a total of $40,000+ to qualify for FE - $200 max contribution/individual: secure.actblue.com/donate/jlg-d...
$160,000 base amount + up to $3,443,855 in matching funds
JLG needs to hit 1,000 DC donors contributing a total of $40,000+ to qualify for FE - $200 max contribution/individual: secure.actblue.com/donate/jlg-d...
December 1, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Some big Fair Elections (FE) $$$ up for grabs for JLG’s mayoral campaign!
$160,000 base amount + up to $3,443,855 in matching funds
JLG needs to hit 1,000 DC donors contributing a total of $40,000+ to qualify for FE - $200 max contribution/individual: secure.actblue.com/donate/jlg-d...
$160,000 base amount + up to $3,443,855 in matching funds
JLG needs to hit 1,000 DC donors contributing a total of $40,000+ to qualify for FE - $200 max contribution/individual: secure.actblue.com/donate/jlg-d...
The DC Council should vote in favor of @janeese4dc.bsky.social’s “Porchfest Permitting Emergency Amendment Act of 2025” & “Porchfest Permitting Temporary Amendment Act of 2025” on Dec. 2! We need to make sure Petworth Porchfest is able to operate via Neighborhood Block Parties in April 2026!
November 30, 2025 at 6:24 PM
The DC Council should vote in favor of @janeese4dc.bsky.social’s “Porchfest Permitting Emergency Amendment Act of 2025” & “Porchfest Permitting Temporary Amendment Act of 2025” on Dec. 2! We need to make sure Petworth Porchfest is able to operate via Neighborhood Block Parties in April 2026!
Reposted by Zach Israel
Get me a mayor whose achievements are making DC more equitable, affordable, inclusive, safe, & just. A mayor who can say all public schools improved. A mayor who can demonstrate historic environmental protections & investments. Get me a mayor who we end up calling Governor. #DCStatehood
Muriel Bowser, who helped make DC the vibrant city it is, kept the Capitals and Wizards from leaving, lured back the Commanders, navigated Trump's attacks and offered steady leadership in turbulent times, opts not to run for a fourth term. @campbellnyt.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/11/25/u...
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser Says She Won’t Run for a Fourth Term
www.nytimes.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:34 PM
Get me a mayor whose achievements are making DC more equitable, affordable, inclusive, safe, & just. A mayor who can say all public schools improved. A mayor who can demonstrate historic environmental protections & investments. Get me a mayor who we end up calling Governor. #DCStatehood
Reposted by Zach Israel
Trump doesn't care that his deployment of the National Guard is dangerous — but the governors deploying these Guard members should.
We're calling on Governors Ivey, Kemp, Landry, Reeves, DeWine, Lee, and Morrisey to recall their Guard members from DC. Email all seven: bit.ly/seven-governors
We're calling on Governors Ivey, Kemp, Landry, Reeves, DeWine, Lee, and Morrisey to recall their Guard members from DC. Email all seven: bit.ly/seven-governors
November 27, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Trump doesn't care that his deployment of the National Guard is dangerous — but the governors deploying these Guard members should.
We're calling on Governors Ivey, Kemp, Landry, Reeves, DeWine, Lee, and Morrisey to recall their Guard members from DC. Email all seven: bit.ly/seven-governors
We're calling on Governors Ivey, Kemp, Landry, Reeves, DeWine, Lee, and Morrisey to recall their Guard members from DC. Email all seven: bit.ly/seven-governors