Read the latest Ward 5 news in the
Councilmember’s weekly newsletter:
Read the latest Ward 5 news in the Councilmember’s weekly newsletter:
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LATEST WARD 5 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
June 5, 2026
Dear Ward 5 neighbors,
Happy Pride! Earlier this week, officials from across DC government gathered to raise the Pride Flag outside the Wilson building like we do every year as both a symbol and a charge—DC is for everyone and love always wins. The afternoon’s celebration of our LGBTQ+ community was a welcome break from the back-to-back budget conversations, public hearings, and markups that have dominated the past month.
Looking ahead, we are waiting for the Chairman’s markup before we take our first Council vote on the budget this coming Tuesday, June 9. As I shared in last week’s newsletter, there remains a long list of concerning funding gaps and I am ready to fight to ensure we meet the needs of the District in this difficult budget year.
I also want to make sure neighbors don’t miss next week’s walks with DDOT along South Dakota Ave NE as they prepare to bring traffic safety improvements to two segments along the corridor:
- From Lawrence St to Rhode Island Ave NE
- June 11 @ 9:00 a.m.
- Meet in the triangle/pocket park at Rhode Island Ave, 24th St, and South Dakota Ave NE
- From Hamlin St to Bladensburg Rd NE
- June 11 @ 4:00 p.m.
- Meet at the northwest corner of Hamlin St and South Dakota Ave NE
Please register to attend here. My team will be there to connect with neighbors and DDOT staff will be available to answer questions about their proposed improvements for these two segments.
LATEST WARD 5 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Fight for Funding, Community Meetings, and Happy Pride!
June 5, 2026
Dear Ward 5 neighbors,
Happy Pride! Earlier this week, officials from across DC government gathered to raise the Pride Flag outside the Wilson building like we do every year as both a symbol and a charge—DC is for everyone and love always wins. The afternoon’s celebration of our LGBTQ+ community was a welcome break from the back-to-back budget conversations, public hearings, and markups that have dominated the past month.
Looking ahead, we are waiting for the Chairman’s markup before we take our first Council vote on the budget this coming Tuesday, June 9. As I shared in last week’s newsletter, there remains a long list of concerning funding gaps and I am ready to fight to ensure we meet the needs of the District in this difficult budget year.
I also want to make sure neighbors don’t miss next week’s walks with DDOT along South Dakota Ave NE as they prepare to bring traffic safety improvements to two segments along the corridor:
- From Lawrence St to Rhode Island Ave NE
- June 11 @ 9:00 a.m.
- Meet in the triangle/pocket park at Rhode Island Ave, 24th St, and South Dakota Ave NE
- From Hamlin St to Bladensburg Rd NE
- June 11 @ 4:00 p.m.
- Meet at the northwest corner of Hamlin St and South Dakota Ave NE
Please register to attend here. My team will be there to connect with neighbors and DDOT staff will be available to answer questions about their proposed improvements for these two segments.
2026 Progress Report
Entering the fourth year of his first term, Councilmember Parker shared a Progress Report looking over all we’ve accomplished together since 2023. These years have been marked by resilience and results. Councilmember Parker has been focused on Standing Up for DC, Serving the Community, Advancing Bold Policy, and Fighting for DC Youth. View the full report and see more of what we achieved together here.
COUNCILMEMBER ZACHARY PARKER
Since taking office in January of 2023, Zachary has delivered for Ward 5 residents through responsive constituent services and significant budget wins. He has introduced dozens of transformative pieces of legislation, including bills to establish the District’s State Superintendent of Education’s School Support Office to improve low-performing schools, and the District Child Tax Credit which provides low-income and middle-class families fully refundable tax credits for children 17 years of age and younger.
LEGISLATION
Since taking office, Councilmember Parker has introduced more than 30 pieces of legislation, and co-introduced more than 150 additional bills. Learn about Councilmember Parker’s legislation, co-introductions, and committee assignments on the Legislation page.
COUNCILMEMBER ZACHARY PARKER
Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker is an educator and a public servant. He taught 7th-grade math in New Orleans, post-Katrina, with Teach For America, and spent nearly a decade supporting DC school administrators at Ward 5 schools like Dunbar High School and Mundo Verde PCS.
Zachary sees firsthand the human impact of a system that leaves our most vulnerable behind. He grew up watching his oldest brother struggle with a one-size-fits-all school system that did not have the resources to support him, and now sees the challenges he faces in life because of it.
And Zachary suffered alongside his middle brother through a long and exhaustive battle with a healthcare system that treated him more like a problem than a patient before he ultimately passed away at 36 from kidney failure. These shouldn’t be the experiences families have when interacting with our public institutions. Zachary has dedicated his life’s work to transforming the systems that failed his brothers and so many like them.
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Building a stronger, healthier Ward 5 every day.
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