We pushed candidates to define what they stand for. We made our process transparent and we made every answer from every candidate public. We created a space where leadership was tested in the open and we let our members decide in a free and fair endorsement election. Because of that, we are confident that our endorsements reflect the priorities of Democrats who call Ward 1 home.

In December 2025, we invited our members to help us build our candidate questionnaires and to determine what we should ask candidates and how we should evaluate them. Our members were clear:

• 87% wanted the focus to be on candidates’ positions on key public policy issues;

• 68.5% wanted to understand how candidates would use the powers of their office to get things done; and,

• 66.7% emphasized candidates’ records and accomplishments.

Affordability and cost of living emerged as the leading concern (72.2%), and nearly nine in 10 of respondents (90.8%) supported legislation-specific questions so candidates address real governing decisions, not generalities.

Using that guidance, our endorsements subcommittee, led by Ward One Democrats Vice Chair Gabrielle Rogoff, drafted the questionnaire and developed it in consultation with the Ward 1 Democratic Committee.

Candidates submitted their questionnaire by midnight ET on March 14, 2026. Only those candidates who submitted a questionnaire by the deadline were eligible to be considered for endorsement.

Responses were used to publish the Ward 1 Voter Guide at Ward1Democrats.org/voterguide, which guided members’ endorsement consideration process.

The Ward 1 Democratic Committee guided our endorsement process beginning with member input in the fall of 2025. We held a candidate meet-and-greet on March 19, 2026, and hosted a candidate forum on March 21, 2026 for certain eligible candidates. Finally, members voted by secret ballot at our candidate endorsement meeting on April 11, 2026. Only those candidates who secured a two-thirds majority were endorsed. You may view the tabulated results of that election by clicking here.

Ward One Democrats is proud to put our full organizational weight behind our candidates, communicating our support broadly to Democratic primary voters across the ward.

Questions or concerns? Please click here to contact us and send us a message!