By: Miriam Edelman
At the recent Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. activists advocated for D.C. statehood, as Bowser has since first becoming Mayor in 2015. In all three DNC during her time as Mayor, Bowser mentioned statehood in at least D.C.’s turn in the roll call vote. In all three years, the Democratic Party Platform supported D.C. statehood.
Bowser’s Leadership on D.C. Statehood
Mayor Bowser has been one of the leaders of D.C.’s current efforts to become a state. She cochaired the New Columbia Statehood Commission, which “developed a draft constitution, established proposed boundaries for the new state, and wrote a referendum to appear on the November 2016 ballot.” Bowser also testified before the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate in support of D.C. statehood. Bowser has spoken at multiple statehood and non-statehood events.
2016
At the DNC in Philadelphia in 2016, near the convention, Bowser and statehood supporters hosted a lunch, where they spoke about D.C. statehood.
Hours later, Bowser spent much of her brief roll call remarks talking about D.C. statehood. She began by saying
Madam Secretary, I’m the Mayor of the District of Columbia, the best city in the world and soon to be the 51st state of our great union. We are 670,000 tax-paying Americans just like you, and with statehood and only with statehood, will we have votes in Congress just like you. The next President of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton will sign our admission into the United States of America as the 51st state.
After Bowser made a formal request, the 2016 Democratic Party Platform supported D.C. statehood:
Securing Statehood for Washington, D.C.
Restoring our democracy also means finally passing statehood for the District of Columbia, so that the American citizens who reside in the nation's capital have full and equal congressional rights as well as the right to have the laws and budget of their local government respected without Congressional interference.
2020
At the DNC in 2020, Bowser spoke briefly overlooking D.C.’s then-new Black Lives Matter Plaza while participating in the virtual roll call vote. She began her roll call remarks with:
Welcome to my hometown in the best city in the world. Washington, D.C., is 706 000 residents strong. We raise families, pay taxes, and serve the United States military just like every American in the 50 states. The House of Representatives just passed a historic piece of legislation to make Washington, D.C., the 51st state.”
The 2020 Democratic Party Platform supported D.C. statehood:
Making Washington, D.C. the 51st State
It's time to stop treating the more than 700,000 people who live in our nation's capital as second-class citizens. The residents of Washington, D.C. pay more per capita in federal income taxes than any state in the country—and more in total federal income tax than 22 states—and yet the District has zero voting representatives in the U.S. Congress. The Congress retains broad power to override budget decisions made by democratically elected officials in Washington, D.C. And as was made shockingly clear to the American people this year, under current law, Washington, D.C. does not have control over its own National Guard units and can be occupied by military forces at the President's whim. The citizens of Washington, D.C.—a majority of whom are people of color—voted overwhelmingly in favor of statehood in a 2016 referendum and have ratified a state constitution. Democrats unequivocally support statehood for Washington, D.C., so the citizens of the District can at last have full and equal representation in Congress and the rights of self-determination.
2024
D.C. officials and activists advocated for D.C. statehood at the 2024 DNC and staffed a D.C. statehood booth. D.C.’s Shadow U.S. Senator Paul Strauss moderated and Mayor Bowser spoke at the 51 Stars DC Statehood Luncheon. At a 51 Stars event, Bowser called for D.C. statehood to be part of Harris’ 100-day agenda if Democrats control Congress. D.C.’s U.S. Shadow Representative Oye Owolewa discussed D.C. statehood on a DNC Podcast. Local organization DC Vote also advocated for D.C. statehood at the 2024 DNC.
The National Urban League and Hip-Politics held a session “Being Counted: The Case for DC Statehood & Congressional Representation” during its day-long event on August 20th, entitled “The Culture and Content House - Day Pass.” The following is the description of the D.C. panel:
This session will explore the ongoing efforts to achieve statehood for Washington, D.C., and the implications for congressional representation. Experts and advocates will discuss the historical context, legal challenges, and political dynamics surrounding the push for statehood. The session aims to highlight the importance of equal representation for D.C. residents and the broader impact on American democracy.
Owolewa, D.C. Young Democrats President Jamala Holtz, campaign strategist Sheika Reid, and League of Women Voters member Yilin Zhang were featured at the session. As Owolewa said,
We have seen the best response we’ve ever had with 46 Senators supporting D.C. Statehood, we also have President Joe Biden who openly supports D.C. statehood as well, so we are as close as we’ve ever been, but we need people like you guys who live in D.C. and those who don’t to push your legislators to also champion D.C. Statehood.
He also expressed optimism about D.C. statehood:
I think if everything aligns, we could possibly get statehood in 10-20 years. But we’ve faced so many strides, 20-30 years ago we didn’t even have a majority of the Democrats supporting D.C. Statehood, yet now in Congress or at least the House just about every single Democrat congressman is a co-sponsor supporting D.C. Statehood or they wish us well.
During the DNC’s roll call vote, Bowser again spoke in favor of D.C. statehood. She began her statement with, “We are Washington, D.C., home to 700,000 Americans, where millions have marched for jobs and justice.” A little later, she said “We know Kamala Harris will fight for our freedom, and we will work together to make Washington, D.C., the 51st state.”
The 2024 Democratic Party Platform supports D.C. statehood:
Democrats reject the unequal treatment of residents of D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories. We unequivocally support statehood for D.C., which its residents overwhelmingly support but Republicans blocked from even getting a vote in the Senate.
Call to Action
Let’s hope that D.C. becomes a state by the next DNC happens in 2028. Let’s fix this civil rights issue once and for all.
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