Indian-origin candidate Aparna Raj has won the Democratic primary for a Washington DC Council seat, positioning her to become the ward’s first new representative in over 30 years and one of its youngest members.
Raj, 32, secured 52% of the vote in the fourth round of ranked-choice tabulation after a competitive five-candidate race. With Democrats dominating Ward 1, her primary win makes her the frontrunner for the November general election.
If elected, she will also become the youngest member of the DC Council.
Ward 1 covers several major Washington neighbourhoods, including Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Mount Pleasant, Shaw, U Street, Kalorama, and areas around Howard University and LeDroit Park.
Aparna Raj, daughter of Indian immigrants, works in communications for a progressive advocacy group and entered politics through grassroots tenant organising. A renter herself, she has centred her campaign on housing affordability and tenant rights, arguing renters are underrepresented in local government.
Raj’s platform focuses on lowering the cost of living through affordable housing expansion, stronger rent stabilisation measures, universal childcare, and a $25 minimum wage. She has also received support from several labour unions and progressive organisations across multiple sectors.
Certified results showed ANC Miguel Trindade Deramo finishing second and ANC Rashida Brown in third, while Jackie Reyes Yanes and Terry Lynch were eliminated in earlier rounds of ranked-choice counting.
Washington DC’s ranked-choice system eliminates the lowest-ranked candidates and redistributes votes until a majority winner is determined. Raj now advances to the November general election and is considered the frontrunner due to strong Democratic support in Ward 1.
