Today we are continuing our profiles of our favorite Progressive candidates who are running to represent their communities at the state, federal, local, and (for today’s candidate) district levels, to move the country forward and continue to ensure that all Americans are equally represented in government.

Christina Henderson (she/her) is one of four At-large members of the Council of the District of Columbia. The Council comprises a representative from each of DC’s 8 wards, as well as a chairperson and four representatives who represent the whole city, including Christina. A political independent, Christina identifies herself as a “pragmatic progressive,” championing causes such as reproductive and maternal health (she chairs the Health Committee of the Council), early childhood education, transportation equity and safety, and higher education access and student loan forgiveness.

© Office of Christina Henderson, At-Large D.C. Councilmember

Where are you based?
Washington, DC.

What is your position/what position are you running for?
At-Large member of the Council of the District of Columbia.

How would you briefly summarize your platform?
With a second term as a Councilmember, I will continue to fight to radically improve our delivery of health care, especially for Black and brown women in DC. I will focus on affordable housing, not just new production but also preservation, helping families who’ve been in DC for generations stay in DC. I will continue to promote good government and strong oversight to ensure our tax dollars are being spent effectively and government services are truly serving all Washingtonians. And I will continue to fight for safe streets for our communities and young people, while ensuring their schools are welcoming environments for learning and success. My life’s work has been guided by the principle that your zip code should not determine your opportunity for success, and as a Councilmember I fight each and every day to make that a reality. With four more years, I get to expand on that work.

What inspired you to run? What change are you hoping to bring to your district and country?
I ran to serve on the DC Council because I believed we need more leaders who were focused on policies to make DC more equitable and sustainable for us all.

How long have you been in office? What do you consider to be your major accomplishments so far?
This is my fourth year in office. I’ve been fortunate to get a lot of things done, here are a few major accomplishments:

Passed legislation to require doulas and transportation services for perinatal appointments be covered by Medicaid
Passed legislation to require children eligible for Medicaid have continuous coverage until age 5, which will ensure kids maintain insurance coverage
Passed legislation to expand access to fertility treatments by requiring insurance companies to cover infertility diagnosis and treatment
Established the Perinatal Mental Health Task Force which developed a set of recommendations to help the District bolster services to better serve expecting and new mothers
Worked to establish the Pay Equity Fund to provide early childhood educators a pay raise and healthcare
Passed legislation to limit the fees landlords can charge renters for applications and other related costs, and also extend the notification timeline for rent increases
Passed legislation to ensure that students have access to emergency medications, particularly if they have an asthma attack or low blood sugar due to diabetes
Passed legislation to increase the local contribution to benefits received by SNAP recipients (Give SNAP a Raise Amendment Act of 2022)
Passed legislation to provide critical infrastructure updates and implement other programs to help students get safely to and from school (Safe Passage to School Expansion Act of 2021)

What do you feel are the most important issues right now, why, and how do you plan to tackle them?
One issue that has been a top priority while a Councilmember and would be if re- elected is improving the health outcomes of District residents. Although DC ranks number 2 in the country in terms of health insurance coverage, you wouldn’t know that looking at data on health care disparities from maternal health to diabetes to asthma to opioid use disorder and so much more. As a Councilmember and now as chair of the Council’s Committee on Health, I’ve been working on solutions to help improve outcomes and overall wellness of District residents. Here are a few examples – the very first bill I introduced was the Maternal Health Resources and Access Act of 2021, which led to the District now covering doulas and transportation services under Medicaid. We passed prior authorization reform to help residents get access to medications and treatments faster. As chair of the committee, we’ve increase investments to food access programs to deliver more fresh fruits and vegetables to communities, and worked to increase the purchasing power of SNAP recipients by increasing their benefits through the Give SNAP a Raise Amendment Act. Through oversight, we’ve pushed the Executive to give more attention to the ongoing opioid epidemic in the District, and we’ve ensured the that construction of the new Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center stays on track for opening in 2025. I look forward to continuing this important work to improve health outcomes for District residents.

Another priority of mine has been and will continue to be is transit safety. I never want to attend another ghost bike ceremony for a child ever again. I’ve been diligent about ensuring our streets are safe for pedestrians, cyclists, mass transit users, and other vehicle operators. I currently chair the regional Transportation Planning Board and I’ve made traffic safety one of my priorities for my tenure. We need to be focused on getting dangerous drivers off of our streets, and ensuring that those who violate our laws pay their debts. Transit safety also extends to our bus and rail systems and ensuring that both operators and passengers are safe using the system. That not only means putting systems and infrastructure in place to protect individuals from threat actors, but also making sure our fleet is modern and well maintained to alleviate harmful incidents. That’s why I support additional revenue for WMATA to ensure we do not sacrifice safety in the name of saving money, and also want to see reforms that puts the finances of the system on more stable footing. Our residents and workers should be able to safely travel to and from work, school, and home everyday.

Another issue I’ve worked on as a Councilmember and will continue to do, if re-elected, is around good government. Most Washingtonians aren’t looking for hundreds of new government programs; they want the services we already have to work well and work for everyone. I’ve learned in my time working in government that legislation is not always required for this kind of work, but rather dogged oversight, continuous communication with agencies, and a problem-solving mindset. One example of where I’ve been impactful in this way was improving the sign-up process for summer camp and seasonal programs for the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR). Parents always lamented that summer camp sign-ups were akin to the Hunger Games. Sign-ups started at noon on a single day and if you weren’t on the site within seconds of it opening, you were often out of luck. I worked with a former Director of DPR to reimagine this system, and also enable families who truly need this low-cost care option to have advanced access to the system. I’m proud to report DPR just completed its second summer camp lottery process where families have two-weeks to make selections. Families have praised the ease of use for the system and I’m looking forward to DPR rolling this out for sign-up for other popular programs like aquatics lessons.

Finally, a top priority for me has been and will continue to be public safety. I share in residents’ frustration about the rise in crime and gun violence in the District. There is not a singular action or event that led to this moment, and so I’ve been working to address crime through a variety of different approaches via funding, legislation, and oversight of agencies charged with public safety. In the three years since I’ve been a Councilmember we’ve done things like establish a new hospital-based violence interruption program to intercede immediately following an incident and try to stop the cycles of retaliation. I’ve voted in support of expanding the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and our violence interruption programs, including expanding our ONSE Leadership Academies down to middle school grades. Last year, the Council passed my bill to allow the Department of Employment Services (DOES) to do a middle school pilot aimed at engaging kids who are not eligible for the summer youth employment program. Although the overwhelming majority of children in the District have no involvement with crime, we are seeing some children as young as 9 or 11 engaging in theft and other dangerous crimes. Last year DOES was able to serve over 1,200 kids, and parents and students alike saw positive outcomes because of their participation. DOES will continue the program this summer. Legislation alone isn’t going to solve our public safety challenges and I pledge to stay engaged to ensure all parties are doing their part to deliver for DC residents.

America is extremely divided these days. How would you hope to bridge that divide with your constituents to better unite Americans?
Our increasing fractious society is overflowing with conviction and yet often lacking in civility and humility. DC is not as divided as other places because Democrats and Independents make up a supermajority of registered voters. That doesn’t mean that we always agree on every policy or proposal. One way we do bridge that divide is dialogue. When I was first running for office I would tell groups that we may not always agree, but we can always have a conversation, and I feel like I’ve lived up to that in my first term.

How do you see your unique identity and background to be an asset to you in office?
Throughout my career I’ve always worked on domestic policy issues that deeply impacting children and working families. And as black woman and a mom, those issues are more personal than ever.

What is your motto in life?
One’s zip code should not determine their opportunity for success.

Where can we find out more about you?
www.christinahenderson.org

Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2024 - Christina Henderson, Council of the District of Columbia, At-large