By: Miriam Edelman In honor of Black History Month, which occurs every February, DCNOW would like to highlight how the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) have led the way regarding African-American leadership. In 1976,   President  Gerald Ford became the first President to issue a statement recognizing this month. This piece follows up on DCNOW’s blog’s piece, entitled “Top Female Leaders  of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia Make History.”   All of D.C.’s...

By: Miriam Edelman In the late 2000s, some D.C. leaders and Members of Congress across the political spectrum supported legislation, such as H.R. 1905  – District of Columbia Voting Rights Act of 2007, that would  have given the District of Columbia and Utah each a vote in the House of Representatives. However, such compromise legislation would not have affected the Senate. DCNOW’s blog piece, entitled “D.C.’s Centuries-Long  Disenfranchisement Is Unfair,” is about that legislation.   This...

By: Miriam Edelman             For the first time in history, four of the top five executive branch leaders of the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) are women. The November 2025 elections increased the number of women in these top three roles from three to four. Since Virginia  inaugurated its Governor and Lieutenant Governor on January 17, 2026, D.C.’s Mayor, Maryland’s Lieutenant Governor, Virginia’s Governor, and Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor are women. All but Virginia’s...