BUILDING OUR FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS
Building a Better Ward 5
Read the latest Ward 5 news in the
Councilmember’s weekly newsletter:
Read the latest Ward 5 news in the Councilmember’s weekly newsletter:
Constituent Services - Submit A Request
Need help with an issue? Let us know!
LATEST WARD 5 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
October 23, 2026
Dear Ward 5 neighbors,
The General Election is coming up on November 3, and early voting begins this Monday, October 26! Now is the time to make your plan to vote. By now, you should have received your mail-in ballot. You can turn that in at any Board of Elections drop box across the city, or you can make a plan to vote in-person during early voting, or vote on Election Day, November 3. Whatever method you choose, be sure to vote and play your part in our democracy. Not registered to vote? Same-day voter registration is available at the polls during Early Voting and Election Day voting.
Earlier this week, DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb issued an advisory on Protecting District Residents’ Right to Vote. In it, he reminds neighbors of their right to vote in a free and fair election without intimidation, coercion, or outside interference. If you witness or experience interference with our local elections, please report potential violations to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the DC Board of Elections (BOE).
I know concerns about election interference are especially heightened as the National Guard occupation and increased federal presence continue in the District. As the Attorney General states in his advisory, “An array of federal statutes bars federal employees, law enforcement, and the military from using their official power to interfere with an election.” Again, please report any concerns to the OAG and BOE.
I also continue to witness and hear from neighbors about increasing numbers of National Guard and other federal agents patrolling residential Ward 5 neighborhoods. I have been clear from the beginning of the occupation: it is unnecessary, unhelpful, and it is not making us any safer. Our National Guardsmen and women are heroes who are trained to respond to natural disasters and national emergencies, neither of which are occurring in the District. Not only this, but they are not trained to conduct the important work of community policing and relationship building necessary for true public safety. On November 5, the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety is holding a public hearing on Heightened Federal Law Enforcement and National Guard Activities in the District. I will be there to raise the many concerns I’ve heard from neighbors, and hope you will also considering submitting written testimony or signing up to testify.
LATEST WARD 5 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER
Get Ready to Vote!
October 23, 2026
Dear Ward 5 neighbors,
The General Election is coming up on November 3, and early voting begins this Monday, October 26! Now is the time to make your plan to vote. By now, you should have received your mail-in ballot. You can turn that in at any Board of Elections drop box across the city, or you can make a plan to vote in-person during early voting, or vote on Election Day, November 3. Whatever method you choose, be sure to vote and play your part in our democracy. Not registered to vote? Same-day voter registration is available at the polls during Early Voting and Election Day voting.
Earlier this week, DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb issued an advisory on Protecting District Residents’ Right to Vote. In it, he reminds neighbors of their right to vote in a free and fair election without intimidation, coercion, or outside interference. If you witness or experience interference with our local elections, please report potential violations to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the DC Board of Elections (BOE).
I know concerns about election interference are especially heightened as the National Guard occupation and increased federal presence continue in the District. As the Attorney General states in his advisory, “An array of federal statutes bars federal employees, law enforcement, and the military from using their official power to interfere with an election.” Again, please report any concerns to the OAG and BOE.
I also continue to witness and hear from neighbors about increasing numbers of National Guard and other federal agents patrolling residential Ward 5 neighborhoods. I have been clear from the beginning of the occupation: it is unnecessary, unhelpful, and it is not making us any safer. Our National Guardsmen and women are heroes who are trained to respond to natural disasters and national emergencies, neither of which are occurring in the District. Not only this, but they are not trained to conduct the important work of community policing and relationship building necessary for true public safety. On November 5, the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety is holding a public hearing on Heightened Federal Law Enforcement and National Guard Activities in the District. I will be there to raise the many concerns I’ve heard from neighbors, and hope you will also considering submitting written testimony or signing up to testify.
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.
The latest on the Councilmember’s Social Media
Building a stronger, healthier Ward 5 every day.
VISIT OR MAIL OUR OFFICE:
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Suite 506
Washington, DC 20004