Metro Weekly

Brian Footer Suspends Bid for Ward 1 D.C. Council Seat

The openly gay ANC chair exits the open-seat race to succeed retiring Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, citing family obligations.

Brian Footer - Photo: Footer Campaign Site
Brian Footer – Photo: Footer Campaign Site

Brian Footer, the chairman of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1E, has suspended his campaign for the open Ward 1 seat on the D.C. Council — typically the final step before exiting a political contest.

Footer launched his campaign in July, seeking to succeed retiring Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (D).

With no incumbent running for reelection, a crowded field has emerged, including Rashida Brown, Footer’s fellow ANC 1E commissioner and an endorsee of Nadeau; Jackie Reyes-Yanes, the former director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs; community activist Terry Lynch; ANC 1B Commissioner Miguel Trinidade Deramo, who, like Footer, is openly gay; and Aparna Raj, a tenant organizer, pro-union activist, and former chair of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America, who is bisexual.

Footer got off to a strong start, raising more than $10,000 in the three weeks between announcing his candidacy and the July 31 campaign finance filing deadline. As of December 10, he had raised more than $114,000 and reported more than $106,000 in cash on hand, making him the race’s second-highest fundraiser behind Raj.

But Footer said that while he would remain involved in the community and continue advocating on issues raised by Ward 1 residents during the campaign, he needed to suspend his bid to focus on his family and responsibilities at home.

“When I decided to run for DC Council, it was because I believe Ward 1 deserves leadership equal to the moment we are living in — a moment defined by rising costs, uncertainty for small businesses, and neighbors who want to feel both safe and supported,” Footer said in a statement. “I believed then, as I do now, that our community deserves new ideas, new energy, and a government that meets people where they are.

“This campaign has always been about something larger than a single candidate. It has been about a belief that our city can rise to the challenges before us if we lead with empathy, creativity, and a commitment to working together, even if we disagree. And that belief remains unchanged.”

The statement concludes: “After deep reflection and honest conversations with my family, I have decided to suspend my campaign for DC Council. This moment in my life requires me to be present with the people I love most, and to honor the responsibilities I carry both at home and in the community. This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one for me and my family at this time.

“I want to be clear: I am stepping back from the race, not the work. Public service has always been my calling. I will continue advocating for affordability, for safer streets, for stability for small businesses, and for a government that responds to people with urgency and respect. And I will continue showing up as a partner in the work of building a stronger Ward 1.”

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