Contact: Mark Rodeffer, mark.rodeffer@sierraclub.org
April 9, 2026
The Sierra Club is proud to endorse Oye Owolewa in the primary for DC Council at-large, Elissa Silverman in the special election to fill a DC Council at-large vacancy, and Rashida Brown and Aparna Raj for the Ward 1 DC Council seat.
As DC’s shadow representative in Congress, Oye Owolewa has demonstrated his commitment to environmental protection in DC, including strongly supporting bottle deposit legislation before the DC Council and highlighting how gas appliances and unhealthy housing contribute to asthma and respiratory illness, especially among children East of the River.
“Oye Owolewa understands the importance of reducing plastic pollution, protecting funding for clean energy programs that cut costs for DC residents, and making transportation sustainable across the District, especially east of the Anacostia River,” said Mark Rodeffer, Sierra Club DC Chapter Political Committee Chair.
Elissa Silverman was a solid vote for environmental priorities during her previous time on the DC Council.
“During her eight years on the DC Council, Elissa Silverman consistently supported legislation to reduce pollution, expand clean energy, and improve transparency and accountability in DC government,” said Lara Levison, DC Chapter Clean Energy Committee Chair.
Rashida Brown has long fought for environmental priorities as an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 1.
“As an advisory neighborhood commissioner, Rashida Brown has demonstrated her commitment to expanding bike and bus lanes, cutting pollution from plastic bottles, and transitioning off fossil fuels,” said DC Chapter executive and political committee member Stephanie Miller.
Aparna Raj strongly supports protecting clean energy funding, expanding solar on government buildings, and investing in public transit.
“Aparna Raj understands that lowering utility bills, expanding solar energy, and investing in public transit are key to reducing pollution and making DC more affordable,” said DC Chapter executive committee member Eve Hamilton.
The 2026 election is the first in which DC voters will elect candidates with ranked choice voting, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference instead of choosing just one candidate. If no candidate receives a majority, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and their votes are reassigned to each voter’s next-ranked candidate. This process repeats until a candidate receives a majority of votes. The Sierra Club urges Ward 1 residents to rank Rashida Brown and Aparna Raj as their top two candidates in either order.
The Sierra Club is helping raise money for Oye Owolewa, Elissa Silverman, Rashida Brown, and Aparna Raj. All are using DC’s Fair Elections public financing program, so contributions from DC residents will be matched five-to-one. A $10 contribution turns into $60, and $50 is $300 for their campaigns. The maximum donation for ward candidates (Rashida Brown and Aparna Raj) is $50, and the maximum for at-large candidates (Oye Owolewa and Elissa Silverman) is $100.
The Sierra Club has also endorsed Janeese Lewis George for mayor, and Councilmember Charles Allen, Councilmember Matt Frumin, Councilmember Zachary Parker, and Attorney General Brian Schwalb for re-election.
The primary election is Tuesday, June 16, with early voting centers open from Monday, June 8 to Sunday, June 14.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters and approximately 7,000 members and supporters in DC. We work to promote clean energy, expand sustainable transportation, reduce waste, and safeguard our rivers and drinking water. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org/dc.