Candidate Profile: Eleanor Ory For Shadow DC Senate Seat

WASHINGTON, DC — There are 29 candidates running for the D.C. City Council in the June 2 primary. In addition, candidates are running for the District’s shadow seats U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.

Patch asked the candidates to describe their qualifications and visions for the District.

Eleanor Ory, 36, is a Statehood Green Party candidate running in the June 2 Primary for the District’s shadow seat in the U.S. Senate.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

No immediate family members work in politics or government.

Education

Smith College
B.S. Engineering and Philosophy

University of Maryland (College Park)
Ph.D. Biophysics

Occupation

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (4 years)

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

N/A

Campaign website

ory4senate2020.com (in progress)

What makes you the best candidate for this office?

We are in the midst of the largest, catastrophic pandemic in over 100 years. We need DC Statehood, but we can no longer wait to speak up on how national issues impact us. I am the candidate who will speak up and advocate not only for DC Statehood, but also on national issues that impact us specifically as it relates to Senate issues. I also recognize that to achieve DC Statehood, we need to do a better job providing grant money to local grassroots organizations and crediting their efforts. I believe that these grassroots organizations are in dire need of more funding and would find better use for those funds than 51st state m&m’s (ie. the Wilson building)

How will you help the city recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus?

It was absolutely outrageous that the CARES act treated DC as a territory and shortchanged us by $750 million. As DC’s Senator, I will speak up vocally and emphatically, when the Senate mistreats us. I will do things like waiting outside the Capitol as close to the Senate chamber as allowable during important votes to be visible and remind them that they are voting on matters that impact DC without our consent. I will lobby the Senate offices most sympathetic to DC residents to make sure federal recovery efforts include our needs.

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Muriel Bowser has talked about the longstanding inequities that have been exposed by the coronavirus. She also has talked about this being an opportunity for the city to address those inequities. What are your thoughts on this?

During Mayor Muriel Bowser tenure, DC has seen the most severe gentrification and displacement of any city nationwide. The National Community Reinvestment Coalition showed that displacement hit Black residents and low-income residents disproportionately hard. In Mayor Muriel Bowser’s #ReOpenDC efforts her team disproportionately includes lobbyists and developers; her team should have included more experts and advocates for undocumented workers, tenants, and the homeless. I suspect the results will most closely reflect the priorities of the team of people she appointed, and that is extremely disheartening.

What do you see as the biggest issue besides the coronavirus recovery facing D.C.?

DC Statehood is the biggest issue. After DC Statehood, climate change, healthcare, and the erosion of democracies around the world. The biggest issues need to be solved at a national level though and require a seat in the Senate. Thus, DC Statehood is DC’s biggest issue and why Shadow Senator is such an important position.

What is your position on statehood for D.C.?

We need DC Statehood. The Statehood Green party has supported unequivocal DC Statehood since its inception and Home Rule in 1973, and I continue the tradition of being a vocal proponent for DC Statehood. The Democrats had an opportunity in the 111th Congress to pass DC Statehood and failed to do so. In fact, DC Statehood was only recently added to the Democratic platform in 2016. If the Democrats reclaim the Senate and are too slow to pass DC Statehood, I will be just as tough on them as I am on Republicans. I believe the Statehood Green Party is the most committed party for pushing DC Statehood across the finish line.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Throughout my life both professionally and extracurricularly, my endeavors have centered around interdisciplinary, high-risk projects. I combine an openness and willingness to explore complicated problems, while not being shy to reach out and consult experts. Whether it’s asking tough questions about a step in cancer progression that hasn’t been answered yet because the technology doesn’t exist quite yet, choreographing acrobatic pieces while managing safety risks, or bringing people together with diverse technical expertises in order to solve a design issue, I persist. This allows me to think outside the box and chart new paths forward. People say that DC Statehood will never happen, and I’m running to shift that overton window, and make it happen. We’ve had Home Rule for 47 years, the proof of concept has been demonstrated, and our participation in full democracy is long overdue.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

“Follow the data”. When real-world information does not fit your world view, it is time to step back and shift your perspective. The data are always the data. I think more of politics could stand to incorporate that advice.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

In addition to DC Statehood, I support the Green New Deal, Universal Healthcare, and ending government and political corruption.

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