We just have 19 more days until Election Day. 

The stakes are high. If the primary was a fight for the soul of the D.C. Council, then the general is the sequel. The Council could get more progressive or moderate, more labor friendly or business friendly, depending on who wins the two open at-large seats in November. 

23 candidates are vying for the opportunity to stay (Robert White) or be (the rest of them) on the Council. (There are 24 candidates on the ballot, but Rick Murphree dropped out of the race after ballots were printed.) Due to the city’s new campaign finance program, along with the lowered signature threshold to run, voters have a ridiculous number of candidates to choose from. But voters, you get two picks.      

City Paper staff spoke with 22 of the 23 candidates running. We asked them about housing, education, policing, and the coronavirus pandemic. A few may have been unamused when we asked whether they believe Mayor Muriel Bowser or Police Chief Peter Newsham is doing a good job, but nonetheless they answered.  

Read the voter guide, this month’s cover story here. 

And here is where you can pick up a print version of our guide.      

For the fifth consecutive year, local newsrooms are publishing articles and resources about our city’s homelessness crisis. The DC Homeless Crisis Reporting Project, led by Street Sense, underscores the severity of the crisis—at least 6,300 Washingtonians are living in a state of emergency—but also offers solutions for what to do about it.   

Make sure to check DCHomelessCrisis.press, as content will be published on the website throughout the day. Might I recommend Street Sense’s voter guide on the at-large race, outlining which candidates actually have a plan to address homelessness. 

—Amanda Michelle Gomez (tips? agomez@washingtoncitypaper.com)