Ward 3 D.C. Council race tightens as Matt Frumin gains momentum
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Editor's note: This story has been updated to include details about Ben Bergmann dropping out of the Ward 3 council race.
The crowded Ward 3 D.C. Council race is shaping up to be a slugfest between candidates Matt Frumin and Eric Goulet one week from Election Day.
Driving the news: Palisades community leader Tricia Duncan dropped out of the race late Monday, and neighborhood commissioner Ben Bergmann followed suit on Tuesday. They both coalesced behind Frumin, a progressive favorite and public schools advocate, calling it a two-way race between him and Goulet, a D.C. government budget expert.
- Both candidates exiting the race say Frumin has the best shot at defeating Goulet, seen as a more moderate Democrat. They blasted the influx of campaign spending in favor of Goulet coming from outside groups, namely from the campaign arm of D.C. Democrats for Education Reform, which supports charter-friendly candidates.
- Frumin on Monday also gained the coveted endorsement of Attorney General Karl Racine, who lives in the Ward 3 neighborhood of Palisades. Outgoing Ward 3 council member Mary Cheh, who previously said she would vote for Duncan, announced she now supports Frumin.
What they're saying: Frumin "is deeply rooted in the community and has worked, often quietly and without fanfare, on many W3 issues such as affordable housing and school reform," Cheh said in a statement released by Frumin.
The big picture: The next council member for the affluent ward will need to tackle student overcrowding at highly sought-after public schools, a lack of affordable housing, and expanding transit and bicycle access.
- The ward stretches from quiet Foxhall Village to the busy Connecticut Avenue corridor — constituencies ranging from two college campuses to senior centers and the District’s richest ZIP codes.
Goulet did not return a request from Axios seeking comment.