Lagging behind her rivals in a new poll, mayoral hopeful Carol Schwartz didn’t go for subtlety in her choice of location today for a speech on building bridges. Instead, she stood in front of an actual bridge.

“I wanted that to be the backdrop for talking about bridging the divide,” Schwartz said this morning in Anacostia Park, gesturing to the 11th Street bridge behind her.

Joined by four supporters, Schwartz expounded on her plan for a cabinet-level “Mayor’s Office of Disparity Solutions” to focus on inequities in health, education, and jobs. Mayor Schwartz would put designated liasons for the new office in other District agencies. She even has an acronym ready for it: MODS.

According to polling, though, Schwartz won’t get the chance to create her new office, much less think of acronyms for it. A poll commissioned by pro-business Economic Growth D.C. yesterday put Schwartz’s support at 12 percent of the vote—-33 points behind frontrunner Muriel Bowser. Bowser also has a 20:1 cash advantage over Schwartz.

Despite these enormous disadvantages, Schwartz continues to claim that she can see herself winning on Nov. 4.

“We may not be rich in money, but we’re rich in enthusiasm and volunteers,” Schwartz said.

Schwartz also engaged in a District political tradition: implying that her opponents are tampering with her signs. Schwartz stopped short of outright saying that David Catania supporters pull down her signs, but intimated as much anyway.

“My signs are coming down as soon as my volunteers put them up,” Schwartz said. “They’re coming down, and I’m seeing certain signs up more than others when mine come down, and they’re Catania signs.”

Disadvantages in support and organization aside, though, the former councilmember keeps trying. As three young men half a block away biked by, Schwartz cupped her hands to yell at them to vote for her. They agreed.

Photo by Will Sommer