Joshua Taborn will fill the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 7D01 vacancy after defeating opponent, Charles Boston, in Saturday’s special election.
In compliance with Board of Elections (BOE) rules, 7D commissioners hosted the in-person election at the Kenilworth Recreation Center (4321 Ord St. NE). Only residents within the Single Member District (SMD) had the opportunity to vote. According to commission chair Brian Alcorn, Taborn received 40 votes while Boston received 27 votes.
The results may still need to be certified by the DC Board of Elections (BOE), but the results appear conclusive.
Technically, this is Taborn’s second victory. The Taborn and Boston ran against each other for the first time. Boston withdrew from the race, but when he withdrew, it was too late for his name to be removed from the ballot. In November, Taborn ran unopposed but received fewer votes than Boston leading the BOE to declare the office vacant. The SMD, covering Eastland Gardens and Kenilworth, has been unrepresented since January.
Taborn said his decision to run again was based on the same reason he filed for candidacy in the fall: the importance of hyper-local politics and community mobilization. “It’s the only way we’re going to be able to move through this istration and keep our culture and ourselves intact,” he said.
ANC Commissioners are elected, but they serve as unpaid, volunteer officials who represent approximately 2,000 voters in their neighborhood. While Taborn acknowledged the challenges associated with running and voting in a special election, he noted that the experience provided him with an opportunity to meet with neighborhood residents, get to know them and hear about the issues most important to them.
“I’m very proud of Ward 7,” Taborn said. “East of the river is, to me, the best place to be in DC, because we still have remnants of old DC. We still have development that is new DC, but we’ve maintained our culture.”
The full commission for ANC 7D, including Commissioner Taborn, will meet next on April 8 at 7 p.m. via Zoom. You can learn more about the commission and to attend at 7d0761.wixsite.com/anc7d-1.
Sarah Payne is a reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at [email protected].
