Candidate Profile: Tricia Duncan For DC City Council In Ward 3​

WASHINGTON, DC — Tricia Duncan, 51, is a full-time community activist and a stay-at-home mom, who lives with her husband and two children in Palisades.

Duncan is on the ballot for the June 21 Democratic Party Primary. She's running against eight other candidates to fill the vacant Ward 3 seat on the D.C. City Council: Henry Z Cohen, Beau Finley, Matthew Frumin, Eric Goulet, Ben Bergmann, Deirdre Brown, Monte Monash and Phil Thomas. The winner will square off against Republican David Krucoff in the Nov. 8 general election.

Patch has asked each of the candidates running in select races to fill out a questionnaire, sharing facts about themselves and why voters should choose them to represent their party in November.

Name

Tricia Duncan

Campaign website

Tricia for Ward 3

DC Neighborhood

Palisades

Office sought

DC Council, Ward 3

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

Duncan received a BS in Chemistry from James Madison University in 1993

Occupation

Duncan is a full-time community activist and a stay-at-home mom

Family

Duncan is a mother to two children, Christopher (17) and Spencer (14). Her children attend DC public and independent schools. She has been married to her husband Gary for 21 years.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No

Age

51

Previous public office, appointive or elective

No

Why are you seeking this office?

I’ve been a successful leader and advocate for my neighborhood and beyond for years and I want to bring my inclusive, civic activist approach to the entire Ward.

I first got involved in the Ward 3 community as a parent, not a politician. As a mom of students in DC public and charter schools, I learned that school involvement is the gateway to making our communities the best they can be. I took that involvement to the next level by leading the Palisades Community Association (PCA) of 1,800 members. I learn, listen, and build coalitions around issues affecting Ward 3.

Please complete this statement: The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is ___, and this is what I intend to do about it.

The single most pressing issue facing my constituents is education. As the mother of two children in city schools, I know that each and every student needs caring, professional teachers, top-quality facilities and a broad curriculum to achieve the child’s fullest potential in life. As a two-term PTO President, I understand our schools and believe they can be among the best in the nation. But, to do that, and offer equal opportunity for all, we have to overcome some challenges.

My plan includes:

• relieving school overcrowding
• retaining our teachers
• fully funding programs for at-risk and special education students
• improving oversight of schools

What is your position on DC statehood?

I am a strong supporter of DC Statehood and will not stop working until we all have voting representation in Congress and full legislative autonomy. I have participated in many statehood related events and will continue my tireless advocacy as Councilmember.

How would you address the problem of gun violence in the District?

Keeping our residents safe from crime is essential, and as President of the Palisades Community Organization, I’ve worked with our local Second District police officers. There are many different avenues for preventing crime: working with offenders and victims, violence interrupters and social workers, prosecutors and public defenders, judges and prisons. We need to improve all parts of the system.

My plan to keep residents safe includes strengthening and diversifying our police force. It should have larger BIPOC and women populations to ensure that they reflect the communities they serve. Additionally, I support diversion programs to support at-risk teens and prevent them from ever becoming violent. Finally I am focused on creating a corps of trained behavioral health providers that can respond to certain 911 calls. This will allow difficult situations to be more effectively deescalated and lead to better care for those experiencing mental health crises.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

I'm not a politician. Unlike many of my opponents, I have never run for public office. Instead, I have been a community organizer focused on delivering results for my neighbors. I've done more than talk about my plans – I have put them in action. As the president of the Palisades Community Association, I negotiated with developers and helped secure new sidewalks and a small grocery store for neighbors. I was also instrumental in securing over $150 million of investments in much-needed new schools in Ward 3.

If you are challenging an incumbent, in what way has the current officeholder failed the community?

I am not challenging an incumbent. In fact, the incumbent recently stated that she was supporting me for the job.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

I'm focused on transportation safety and access, democratic expansion, community health, public safety, and improving neighborhood amenities. Voters can read my detailed policy platform at Tricia for Ward 3

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

• As President of the Palisades Community Association, I negotiated with developers and helped secure new sidewalks and a small grocery store
• I was instrumental in securing over $150 million of investments in much needed new schools
• I organized weekly protests outside of the Department of Homeland Security for 16 weeks in response to the separation of children at the border. And when the March for Our Lives came to DC, Tricia organized housing for dozens of the students and families so they could march for commonsense gun safety.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

The best advice I have received is "be sure to give others credit, because nobody does anything or gets where they are without help.“ As a community leader, I know that progress cannot be achieved alone. I won't be a Councilmember focused on photo-ops or media attention: my only priority is delivering tangible results for our neighbors.

Related:

Candidate Profile: Ben Bergmann For Ward 3 DC City Council Seat

Candidate Profile: Deirdre Brown For Ward 3 DC City Council Seat

Candidate Profile: Beau Finley For DC City Council In Ward 3

Candidate Profile: Matthew Frumin For DC City Council In Ward 3

Candidate Profile: Monte Monash For City Council In Ward 3

Candidate Profile: Phil Thomas For Ward 3 DC City Council Seat