YOUR PRECINCT

REPRESENTATIVES

Precinct representatives are elected every odd-numbered year through open caucuses in each Ward 1 precinct, as outlined in Article IV of the Ward One Democrats’ Bylaws. They serve as voting members of the Ward 1 Democratic Committee and help organize neighbors, share information, and strengthen our ward’s voice. Click here for a map of the Ward 1 Precincts and find yours!

2025-2027 PRECINCT REPS
ROSTER & DIRECTORY

Only those contact details, if any, authorized by each representative are published here. If your representative’s contact information is not listed below, click here and we will connect you. Precinct Reps are listed in alphabetical order by last name.

Precinct 20

  • Rep #1: vacant

Precinct 22

  • Rep #1: Alex Busbee — He/Him — U Street

  • Rep #2: Karen Gaal — 202.854.1620 (text only please) — The Heart of Ward One. Read more about Karen here.

  • Rep #3: Geraldine Thompson-Mayes

  • Rep #4: David Seidman

  • Rep #5: vacant

Precinct 23

  • Rep #1: Miguel Trindade Deramo — He/Him — Meridian Hill

  • Rep #2: Kalyani Hawaldar

  • Rep #3: J. Swiderski — They/He — Columbia Heights

Precinct 24

  • Rep #1: Jacquelynne “Jackie” Buchinger

  • Rep #2: Harrison Mann

  • Rep #3: Patricia Quintero — She/Her

Precinct 25

  • Rep #1: Tara Vassefi

  • Rep #2: Ben Williams

  • Rep #3: vacant

  • Rep #4: vacant

  • Rep #5: vacant

Precinct 35

  • Rep #1: Ezra Deutsch-Feldman

  • Rep #2: Roger Lee

  • Rep #3: Laura Whitaker — She/Her — Adams Morgan (executive committee member)

  • Rep #4: Pat Woodward — He/Him/Any — Lanier Heights

Precinct 36

  • Rep #1: Stuart Karaffa

  • Rep #2: Priscilla Phelps

  • Rep #3: Niccole Rivero (executive committee member)

  • Rep. #4: vacant

Precinct 37

  • Rep #1: Ethan Arnheim

  • Rep #2: Isabella Heyden

  • Rep #3: Brian Footer — 202.580.5490 — He/Him — North Shaw

Precinct 38

  • Rep #1: Vida Rangel, JD — she/they — Columbia Heights (executive committee member)

  • Rep #2: Gary Zottoli

  • Rep #3: Brianne Nadeau

Precinct 39

  • Rep #1: Max Broad — 202.926.5739 — He — Columbia Heights

  • Rep #2: Arthur Pescan — 949.275.0180 — Mt Pleasant‍ ‍

  • Rep #3: Becca Rogers — 520.240.7567 — She/Her

  • Rep #4: Nora Toiv

Precinct 40

  • Rep #1: Vanessa Lopez

  • Rep #2: Tyler Sylvester

  • Rep #3: Michael Triebwasser

  • Rep #4: Rachel Williams

Precinct 41

  • Rep #1: Jaqueline Castaneda

  • Rep #2: Dieter Lehmann Morales — 202.780.7198 — He/Him/His — Columbia Heights

  • Rep #3: Christine Miller

Precinct 42

  • Rep #1: Rami Jackson

  • Rep #2: Jeremy S. Sherman

Precinct 43

  • Rep #1: Michelle Chappell (executive committee member)

  • Rep #2: David Meni

Precinct 137

CONTACT US

About Our Precinct Representatives

  • Precinct Representatives are the neighborhood-level leaders of the Ward One Democrats. They serve as elected members of the Ward 1 Democratic Committee, the governing body of the Ward One Democrats. They organize Ward 1 Democrats within their precinct to advance the purposes of the Ward One Democrats. Precinct Representatives also elect four of their membership to serve on the Executive Committee, which carries out the business of the Ward One Democrats.

  • Ward 1 is too big to run only from the top down. Precinct Representatives uniquely exist so the Ward One Democrats has real, neighborhood-level leadership.

    They help by:

    • Making sure every part of Ward 1 has a voice in the organization

    • Keeping the Ward 1 Democratic Committee connected to what neighbors care about

    • Helping share information and get people involved at the local level

  • Precinct Representatives are the “eyes and ears” of the Ward One Democrats at the neighborhood level. They surface local priorities, flag emerging issues, and share what Ward 1 Democrats are saying and doing in their precinct so the Ward 1 Democratic Committee can respond in an informed way.

  • Precinct Representatives serve two-year terms, elected every odd-numbered year at precinct caucuses held in the few weeks leading up to the Ward One Democrats Convention. People vote within their own precinct, and winners become that precinct’s representatives on the Ward 1 Democratic Committee.

  • Precinct Representatives are not just volunteers helping out on a task. They are elected members of the Ward 1 Democratic Committee, which means they:

    • Represent a specific precinct

    • Vote on organizational decisions

    • Help set priorities and direction for the Ward One Democrats

    Other volunteer roles (like helping with an event or joining a one-time project) matter, but Precinct Representative is the role designed to make sure the organization stays democratic, local, and connected to every neighborhood in Ward 1.

  • If a seat becomes vacant:

    • The vacancy can stay vacant until it is filled, but the Ward One Democrats can also hold a special election to fill it.

    • When a vacancy happens well before the next Convention, the bylaws provide a process to run a special election on a short timeline.

    Either way, vacancies are tracked publicly on the roster so Ward 1 Democrats can see which precincts are fully represented and which ones need people to step up.

  • Only the contact details, if any, authorized by each Precinct Representative are published above. If your Precinct Representative’s contact information is not listed on this page, click here and we will help connect you.

What Precinct Reps Do

  • As a precinct organizer, each Precinct Representative works hard to:

    • Get to know their precinct

    • Collaborate with fellow Precinct Representatives if their precinct has more than one Precinct Representative

    • Recruit candidates whenever there are vacancies among their precinct representatives

    • Engage with and report on political, social, cultural, and other organizational activities within the precinct

    • Help publicize Ward One Democrats meetings and activities

    • Get neighbors to join the Democratic Party and participate in the political process

  • As an elected member of the Ward 1 Democratic Committee, each Precinct Representative should:

    • Attend and participate in all meetings of the Ward 1 Democratic Committee

    • Volunteer to serve on any Ward One Democrats committees they would like to help make decisions

    • Volunteer to serve on any working groups they would like to help get business done

    • Make regular financial contributions to the organization, as appropriate

  • The Ward 1 Democratic Committee is the governing body of the Ward One Democrats. It meets to set priorities, adopt plans and policies, and oversee the work of the organization through its officers, committees, and working groups.

  • Precinct Representatives elect four of their membership to serve on the Executive Committee, which is responsible for carrying out the business of the Ward One Democrats.

  • Precinct Representatives are not expected to do this work alone. Ward One Democrats provides official updates, meeting notices, voter education materials when available, and information about ways to get involved in committees, events, and volunteer opportunities. Some tools and resources, including voter contact tools or trainings, depend on Committee approval, funding, and availability.

  • Committee service is one of the main ways Precinct Representatives influence the work of Ward One Democrats between meetings. Committees do much of the early work: they study issues, plan programs, raise resources, review rules, and recommend actions for the Ward 1 Democratic Committee to consider. This gives representatives a practical way to help shape decisions before they come to the full Committee. Current committees include Finance & Funding, Issues, ByLaws, and, when needed, a special Elections Committee to help fill precinct representative vacancies. To read more about our committees and their functions, please click here.

  • Precinct Representatives are encouraged to stay connected through Ward One Democrats’ official communications so they can receive meeting notices, committee updates, and opportunities to participate in the organization’s work.

About Precincts

  • A precinct is basically your “mini-neighborhood” on the election map. It’s the area the District uses to run elections, so it affects things like which ballot you get and where you vote.

  • The District’s election officials set precinct boundaries and precinct numbers, not the Ward One Democrats. The Ward One Democrats uses the official precinct map so the organization’s neighborhood representation lines up with how elections are organized in Ward 1.

  • Because some precincts are larger. The goal is fair representation. Bigger precincts should not have the same number of representatives as smaller precincts, because that would dilute the voice of voters in larger areas.

    So the number of precinct representative seats is based on an objective formula that reflects precinct size and Democratic voting strength, with a baseline so every precinct has at least one representative.

  • Find your precinct by visiting the DC Board of Elections website here.

  • Yes! Click here to view a map of the precincts in Ward 1.