Kent Boese (L) and Lori Parker (R) are running to unseat Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau (C).

With a little less than a year before the Democratic primary—the winner of which nearly always goes on to win the general election—Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau faces two challengers: former judge Lori Parker and ANC commissioner Kent Boese.

While it is the smallest geographically, Ward 1 is the city’s most densely populated, incorporating the neighborhoods of Park View, Columbia Heights, Mount Pleasant, U Street, Adams Morgan, Ledroit Park, and Pleasant Plains. (Don’t know what ward you live in? Figure it out. Here’s your periodic reminder that just 13 councilmembers and the mayor govern a city that’s larger than two states.)

A freshman lawmaker, Nadeau unseated long-time Councilmember Jim Graham in a surprise, decisive victory in the 2014 primary. Before being elected to the Council, she served as an ANC commissioner and worked on Capitol Hill.

“The people in Ward 1 really gave me a mandate of working on affordable housing, working on schools, and bringing more resources to do the ward. I’ve been able to do that, and that’s exciting,” Nadeau says. Still, she isn’t entirely surprised to be facing challengers, as one-term councilmembers are often seen as more vulnerable than, say, three-termers.

It’s not the only race on the ballot. In addition to the attorney general, chairman of the council, an at-large seat, and races in wards 1, 3, 5, and 6, Mayor Muriel Bowser is also up for re-election next year, but she has not filed disclosures indicating that she’s begun fundraising.

In Ward 1, though, Nadeau has been busy building a war chest, raising nearly $190,000 since February, according to a campaign finance report filed on July 31.

Lori Parker, a former D.C. Superior Court judge, formally announced her candidacy in June. Since February, she has raised just over $15,000.

“I’m a third-generation, native Washingtonian, and someone who has served all District residents in all three branches of local government,” Parker tells DCist. “I believe we need to have a more inclusive approach to some of the systemic issues and the everyday issues that we are facing in Ward 1.”

Kent Boese, the chairman of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1A, announced his run in early July. A fundraising report was not available online, and he has not responded to requests for comment as to why.

“As someone who has served on an ANC, in my seventh year now, I know how hard it is to work for the community. It’s not that the problems are insurmountable; it just takes a lot of energy and it takes a lot of time,” Boese says. “I’ve been very successful doing it at a smaller level.”

Both Parker and Boese have focused much of their criticism of Nadeau on her office’s responsiveness.

“Constituent services are spotty at best,” Boese says. “Most of the services I’ve been successful in getting are when I reach out to the mayor’s office. Something is misaligned.”

Nadeau counters that she and her staff have helped thousands of people, and she has added a section to her website that highlights testimonials from satisfied residents.

“I’m always open to feedback and I’m sure there are things we can do better, but I’ve been really proud of the constituent services that we’ve provided,” Nadeau says. “I don’t think it makes much sense to say we’re not responsive. I’m one of the most responsive people I know … I don’t know where that [criticism] comes from.”

All three acknowledge that in a diverse and growing ward, issues around gentrification are sure to continue to arise in the years to come.

Parker, in particular, has emphasized the gulf between the experiences of newcomers versus longtime residents as a focus of hers.

“We clearly have had some very positive changes in Ward 1. I think far too many people feel left out of those changes,” she says. “Far too many people believe that some of the areas where we have more amenities, where more opportunities have been created, they feel left out of those efforts. They don’t feel they can access those amenities because they don’t really address some of the challenges they believe are critical to the ward.”

Nadeau points to a recently introduced bill that would provide rental assistance for small, long-time businesses as one way she has focused on the issue.

“I did it with Georgia Avenue in mind. It will help lots of places in the city and lots of places in the ward, but when I think about the next frontier of gentrification in Ward 1 and where we really need to hold down the fort, I think of Georgia Avenue,” Nadeau says. “I think of those small businesses and the mom and pops that we love, that we want to keep, but are about to see their rent go up.”

The boundaries of Ward 1 (Courtesy of the Office of Planning)

If elected, Boese says he would focus on community engagement, constituent services, oversight, and keeping public spaces like Columbia Heights’ central plaza in good working order. He has worked as a law librarian for the past 11 years, lived in Park View for the past 10, and served as an ANC commissioner for seven years. Boese also runs the Park View, D.C. blog, which he credits with making him particularly observant of the goings-on in the area.

It is meticulously updated with community happenings, development news, and meeting notes. “There’s a good, core group that will go to just about any meeting, but there’s a lot of people that don’t have time or it’s not their thing … but there are times when decisions that are made in those rooms can deeply affect their lives,” Boese says. “Maybe it’s my librarian background, but there’s this need to share what I’ve learned.”

Parker lists her priorities in an orderly manner befitting her legal background: “One: ensuring prompt and responsive constituent services for all residents and local businesses. Two: introducing and sponsoring legislation that facilitates the long-term stability of our residents and businesses, regardless of immigration status, while preserving the Ward’s great history, and cultural and socio-economic diversity. Three: promoting greater community engagement in the political process.” She grew up in D.C. and has lived in Ward 1 for nearly two decades.

Parker says her background in the judiciary would give her a unique lens to inform how she governs.

“I was able to develop a very comprehensive understanding as to the type of needs our residents face,” she says. “I’d use the skillset in reaching timely, but difficult decisions by applying laws on a case-by-case basis to addressing systemic issues which includes crime, poverty, and affordable housing.”

Parker and Boese have each released the first of what they both say will be a series of position papers outlining their priorities.

After spending the last few months building up a sizable nest egg, Nadeau says she is planning to run a door-to-door campaign, where she wants to highlight her work toward getting or preserving hundreds of units of affordable housing in the ward, oversight of four school modernization projects, and two new Main Street organizations and a clean team.

“I’m able to show that in a short time, I’ve delivered for Ward 1,” she says. I’m also proud of the community engagement piece. Constituent services and community engagement go together and that’s my bread and butter.”

Nadeau was also behind bills to permanently expand an immigrant services fund, require training for D.C. employees to stop street harassment, look into ways to bring more public bathrooms to the city, and provide baby boxes to new D.C. parents.

They each have just under 11 months to make their cases to Ward 1 residents before heading to the ballot box.

While the date of the primary has fluctuated from September to April to June in recent years, the D.C. Council recently passed legislation that gives the city a consistent primary election date that complies with a federal law—the third Tuesday in June.