Scoop: Ward 5 candidate Zachary Parker endorsed by council member

Ward 4 council member Janeese Lewis George is endorsing Ward 5 candidate Zachary Parker, the second lawmaker to back a hopeful in the hotly contested race. 

Why it matters: Ward 5 is the second-fastest-growing ward, and this latest endorsement shows progressives are coalescing around Parker as some other candidates seek the moderate lane in the race. 

What they’re saying: “I know that Zachary Parker is going to be ready on day one to serve the residents of Ward 5,” Lewis George says in a campaign video announcing her endorsement. 

• She cites areas of collaboration including education, traffic safety, and seniors aging in place. Parker is the Ward 5 representative on the State Board of Education. 

Flashback: In March, another Ward 5 candidate, former D.C. government official Faith Gibson Hubbard, won the endorsement of At-large council member Christina Henderson. She had praised Hubbard's “desire to craft equitable solutions and build consensus.” 

• Henderson won her seat in a crowded contest in 2020, running as a “pragmatic progressive” without the support of top progressive activists who were supporting a different candidate. 

State of play: Former council member Vincent Orange and neighborhood commissioner Gordon Fletcher are also among those running for the seat.

🗳 What’s next: Voting in the Democratic primary begins later this month, with mail-in ballots being sent out to all registered voters starting next Monday. 

• Mail ballot drop boxes will be open from May 27 until Election Day on June 21. Early vote centers will also open on June 10.