Wednesday, June 10, 2026
Interviews conducted by Robert Devaney, Francis Rienzo and Bill Starrels
The Georgetowner spoke with leading candidates in the D.C. Democratic primary race to become Delegate to the House of Representatives — Brooke Pinto at The Georgetowner office on May 28, Robert White at his campaign headquarters on June 1 and Kinney Zalesne at Martin’s Tavern on May 25.
Brooke Pinto?
Ward 2 Council member Brooke Pinto wants to be D.C.’s?quarterback on Capitol Hill. She believes the delegate to Congress needs both defense and offense when defending the autonomy of the District and implementing new plans.
Pinto’s?new ideas?include a bold housing plan, inviting new industries and using the federal government to promote safety to “make sure we have consistency in our gun-control laws.”
Pinto is?a big fan?of?outgoing?Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton’s Tuition Assistance Grant program and wants to expand it. She has proposed an apprenticeship?in the?District’s?public schools for students to train in high-growth areas like tech,?health care?and child care.
Attracting businesses from across the country to open in the D.C., to provide?jobs for residents, is important to Pinto. She noted that, as the delegate,?she “can pass opportunity and enterprise zones that get federal tax benefits overlaying the entire city.” This would?benefit?relocating?businesses, she said. Regarding the tech sector, she believes technology companies want to be in close proximity to Congress and can carve out an East Coast position in AI or cryptocurrency.
Pinto’s campaign has been focused on housing. “Sixty percent of our residents are?renters … many of whom are trying to buy their first home. For many residents, homeownership is out of reach.” As part of her housing plan, she would like to make rent tax-deductible. She?talked about the need to change zoning to allow for more density. An example she pointed to was allowing townhomes in areas previously zoned only for detached housing. She also stated that zoning cannot be a one-size-fits-all model, and that we need to build higher and denser in some places.
When asked about President Trump, Pinto said?she?has?experience working with different administrations and with Congress on potential changes to the District’s crime laws and keeping the Council’s power intact.
“I successfully worked to?get that?bill” — challenging D.C.’s autonomy in writing its own criminal laws — “pulled from consideration,” she noted. Pinto believes?we have to?be proactive against Trump removing different agencies from D.C. She envisions working with the administration on building transfers to the private sector for housing, so that the residents can benefit.
“I have not been, nor will I ever be, shy or lacking in my ability to stand up to the administration when our rights are undermined,” Pinto said about Trump. She related how she protested, went on national?news?and built a coalition to work?against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in D.C.
Pinto believes that juvenile curfews are?a very limited?tool, especially since the law requires “eight?or more kids” in a specific zone to declare an earlier curfew. “Our local police should have the tool in place to be responsive to trends, as we also continue to invest in?our?young people,” she said. She is working on keeping recreation centers open later and?funding grants for youth safety.
Pinto emphasized that she was trying to run a positive campaign. “I am running a campaign about the people of our city, and about our city itself, that is focused on the issues. Robert White is running a campaign about me,” she said, arguing that he?spreads?misinformation and lies about her. Asked about the candidates running for mayor, Pinto responded, “I will work with whoever the next mayor is to make sure that our city is protected.”
Robert White?
At-large Council member Robert White was not originally going to run for Congress. He was going to run for?mayor again, as he did in 2022 against incumbent Mayor Muriel Bowser, coming in a strong second.
“I can’t in good conscience leave the?District?hanging,” he said. D.C.’s delegate, he explained, will have to pursue D.C. statehood amid the redistricting battles across the country.
White believes we need to reframe the argument as a fight to preserve democracy, stating that we?cannot wait until President Trump leaves to work toward statehood. He also talked about how?Trump’s actions affect communities across the federal city, including the Metropolitan Police Department.
When asked about the shortage of MPD officers and how to improve MPD, White commented:?“They have a serious leadership and morale issue inside the police department.” Many police officers are leaving due to low morale and being overworked, both of which relate to internal issues, he said.
While White is in favor of curfews, he believes that politics will try to draw you into a? dichotomy: either a curfew or nothing. “A curfew by itself has not fixed the problem in the past year,” he said; the targeted curfew that Bowser is requesting has?been in effect and hasn’t worked. “Give young people somewhere to go,” he said.
The day after the interview, White, along with four other Council members, blocked the mayor’s emergency order, which would have reinstated the curfew before the July 16?date set by the?Council in recent legislation.
White has a strong opinion about the lack of city services, saying he?hasn’t?seen a decline like this?since the early 1990s, for example with snow plowing. He opposes legislation to collect?DNA from people who are arrested before being charged, as it frays the relationship?between citizens and the government. “If you start to say to people, we’re going to tear?away your rights and institute curfews, but cut the parks-and-rec budget, people will?resent it,” he said.
White said that the delegate needs to understand his or her power, particularly regarding?affordability. “One of the unique powers of the delegate is land transfers,” he said, noting that he?has worked on the development of the Navy Yard and the Wharf. “You have these?opportunities to create affordable housing through the delegate seat,” which he plans to do.
He believes that, since the business sector needs to expand, we need to fix housing, too.
White?said that Democrats?have to?be aggressive in helping people make real changes.
He’d?like to see an increase to the Tuition Assistance Grants, now at $15,000 for residents that?go to?out-of-state colleges. He also advocates rebuilding the U.S. Department of Education.
White?emphasized precedent, looking at?what’s?worked in the past, such as Puerto?Rico’s Act 60 campaign, which brought in businesses due to federal tax exemptions; he wants something similar for D.C. to attract private sector jobs. “We are going to have to?fight with everything to maintain our autonomy,” he said.
According to White, partnering across government is the way to achieve common goals of affordable?housing and boosting the economy. “The delegate gets the land for D.C. to develop, but?then the mayor and the Council are going to have to implement a vision.”
As for Trump, he said the delegate?has to?give him projects to keep him busy.
Kinney Zalesne?
When asked why she is running for the D.C. delegate seat, Kinney Zalesne replied, “Trump is crushing D.C., and we need an experienced fighter who knows how to fight?back.”
She went on to list her accomplishments: helping to bring down crime when she worked under Attorney General Janet Reno in the 1990s, wiring schools in Wards 7 and 8 for the internet and being involved in increasing college enrollment from 40 to 60 percent. “No one is coming to save us,”?Zalesne?said, “and we have to be the leaders we wish we had.”
Zalesne?intends to build?upon?what current Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who is?not running for reelection, has started. “She laid the groundwork, but we have not yet?achieved what this city needs, which is autonomy, statehood and now?an economic?plan that weans us off of the federal government,”?Zalesne?said. She wants to spend two years working toward those goals to increase Democratic unity for 2028. Out of the?current crop running for mayor, she knows everyone running and is “committed to?working with whoever wins.”
One of the key aims for her tenure is to create a Capital Caucus led by her, including?representatives from Washington, D.C.,?Maryland?and Virginia. “We can compete better as a region?than we can as a city,”?Zalesne?said, as the jurisdictions are facing many similar economic challenges due to the Trump administration.?Each?lost federal?jobs.?This could help streamline health care, improve transportation and waterways and strengthen partnerships within the region.
When asked about the biggest problem facing D.C., she described it as an autonomy issue. “Every?time Congress freezes our budget, overturns our laws, it costs us real money?and interferes with our planning.” The major challenge facing D.C. residents, in Zalesne’s view, is how to revive the local?economy, suffering from the effects of DOGE — specifically, the loss of 40,000 government jobs and agencies being moved out of the city.
The delegate?has to?be a job “for a political leader and a business leader,” she said,?one who
“knows?how to bring jobs and industries to this city. No one else in the race has any?serious business experience.” She also believes she has the experience and resources to help enable D.C.?to become?a technology hub.
As for crime, she stated there are two things needed to reduce crime: swift and fair?prosecution and major investments in smart community partnerships, from police to?schools. Curfews can help, as long resources are?also spent?on constructive things for teenagers to do.
Zalesne criticized her opponents for a lack of action toward statehood and autonomy,?particularly how Robert White voted against an initiative for statehood. “That is the?job,” she said, “to find us people around the country to come to our aid and defense. If?they’re? embarrassing us, making us look ridiculous, how is that leadership?”