Ward 1 Candidates Announce Historic First Cross-Endorsement
Rashida Brown and Miguel Trindade Deramo are the first candidates in DC history to cross endorse in the same race, made possible by the city's new ranked choice voting
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Ward 1 Council candidates Rashida Brown and Miguel Trindade Deramo announced Thursday that they are cross-endorsing each other — a historic first made possible by D.C.’s new ranked choice voting system.
Brown and Trindade Deramo, who both serve as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners, are asking each asking their supporters to rank them #1 on the ballot, and the other as #2. They will be the first candidates in the same race in D.C. to cross-endorse.
“I organized to bring ranked choice voting to the district to make sure every voter’s voice matters and they have a true say in who represents them in the Wilson Building” Trindade Deramo said.
“We believe our democracy works best when it gives voters real choices,” said Brown. “Ranked choice voting lets us model that by collaborating, not tearing each other down.”
Voting for either candidate would set another historic first. If he wins, Trindade Deramo would be the first Latino to serve on the Council; if Brown wins, she would be the first Black woman to represent Ward 1 on the Council.
The two candidates are deeply invested in creating a Ward 1 that is affordable for everyone, and making sure neighbors feel safe on our streets, whether walking, biking, rolling, or taking public transit. ’
They’ve both committed to creating more affordable housing and fighting for a free DC by protecting our immigrant communities and standing up to Trump.
“These are just some of our shared progressive values,” Brown said.
“We both have years of hands-on experience as elected leaders, and we know how to turn ideas into action,” Trindade Deramo said.
With ranked choice voting, voters can rank up to five candidates in a race in the order of their preference. If no candidate gets a majority, the lowest-ranked candidate is eliminated and those votes are redistributed, based on voters’ next choices.
Brown, a social worker, has lived in Ward 1 for 20 years, since she first came here to attend Howard University, and she’s served on her Advisory Neighborhood Commission since 2015.
Trindade Deramo is the former lead organizer for the ranked choice voting (Initiative 83) campaign in D.C. He is the elected Chairman of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1B.
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