Photo by Christina Sturdivant

Photo by Christina Sturdivant

District residents and political leaders are mourning the loss of Ed Potillo, who served as vice-chairman of the DC Democratic State Committee and former chair of the Ward 7 Democrats. He passed away suddenly on Wednesday at 48 years old.

Potillo advocated for issues like health and education disparities, public safety, and gun violence, especially in D.C.’s most under-resourced communities.

“Ed’s advocacy on issues impacting our community will be missed, but we can rest assured in knowing that his legacy of empowering others lives on,” Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray said in a statement.

At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds said he was “a motivation to young men to dream big yet within reason.”

“Losing him hurts; having him was a blessing to D.C.,” said Markus Batchelor, the youngest-ever elected member of the State Board of Education.

Potillo worked as conference and membership director for the National Alliance of Black School Educators while juggling several political and community-oriented volunteer positions.

After serving four years as programs chair of the Ward 7 Democrats, he took the top group’s top position in 2011. One of his most passionate projects was the annual Lorraine H. Whitlock Scholarship & Recognition Dinner and winter coat drive. He also worked to increase voter turnout, among other things.

In 2016, he briefly ran for D.C.’s Ward 7 council position against Vincent Gray and Yvette Alexander, two politicians who he supported during their previous campaigns.

Potillo resigned from his position as Ward 7 Dems chair earlier this year, but still held onto his role as vice-chairman of the DC Democratic State Committee, a position he’d held for three years.

In addition to his strong work ethic, Potillo was equally known for his kind heart and fun-loving nature.

In a 2016 interview, Potillo chatted with me about how he loved to entertain guests in his home with meals drawn from his Cuban heritage. He talked about his love for reading and collection of novels that were stacked in crates inside of his Fairfax Village condo.

Before work, he’d often go to Starbucks on Capitol Hill, where he made friends with the baristas, and sipped an iced vanilla latte—no sugar or cream.

“There’s a chair in the far corner,” he said, pointing toward a spot in the upper level of the two-story coffee shop. “I’ll sit right there and get caught up in a book before I go to a 7 o’clock meeting.”

The cause of Potillo’s death hasn’t been released. His family has planned his burial service for Saturday, August 19 at 11 a.m. at Saint Luke’s Roman Catholic Church in Southeast, and they are raising funds for the arrangements.

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