Ryan Prince

Here in DC, we can get money out of politics. We’re a small city, so it’s not hard to spread your message. We can publicly fund candidates who pledge to never fundraise. Our current “Fair Elections” system mostly helps political machines and incumbents. In Ward 1, Aparna Raj got nearly $250K in taxpayer money. She’s a good politician who used the system to her advantage—that’s her job. But we can build a better system. My campaign finance reform proposal is literally democratic socialism for candidates. I’m surprised DSA doesn’t support it. Maybe it’s because the current system funnels millions to Aparna, Oye, and JLG.

Direct democracy is the highest form of democracy. DC voters are smart, engaged, and paying attention. That’s exactly why politicians and entrenched interests want to weaken ballot initiatives. When politicians take power away from voters, ask one simple question: Who benefits?

DC voters: the Council refuses to expel Trayon White, tries to neuter the ballot initiative process, and now wants to give the mayor a huge raise. At what point do we ask ourselves: why do we keep supporting this one-party monopoly? Competition matters. Accountability matters.

This is tone deaf. DC residents are struggling, services are failing, and politicians want a pay raise? Fix the city first. We need real solutions, not bigger paychecks for politicians. This should not pass.

Caught on camera accepting cash connected to his public office, and Trayon White is STILL sitting on the D.C. Council. Enough is enough. Public office is not a cash register. If there’s a vote to remove him, I’m voting YES. No excuses. No loopholes. No looking the other way.

American politics is bought and sold—and we all know it. Trump is making billions. Senators are getting caught with gold bars. Trayon White was caught receiving bundles of cash. Our system doesn’t reward the best ideas or the best candidates. It rewards whoever is best at raising money. So let’s break the system. Publicly finance DC candidates who pledge to never fundraise. No dialing for dollars. No chasing wealthy donors. No begging special interests for checks. Prove it works in DC, then take it nationwide.

DC’s traffic and sidewalk safety crisis is real and it’s fixable. Right now, our streets and sidewalks are too dangerous for kids, dogs, pedestrians, seniors, cyclists, and drivers. We need consistent enforcement, safer infrastructure, and common sense policies that protect everyone. Making DC’s streets safer will be a major focus of my public safety agenda.

Another example of the left and right agreeing on one thing: politicians think they know better than voters. It’s no wonder both parties have historically low approval. Gerrymandering, reckless spending, and efforts to restrict ballot initiatives aren’t confined to one side. If politicians want people to trust democracy, they should stop trying to rig the rules in their own favor.

In D.C., call yourself an independent and they immediately assume you’re a Republican in disguise. No. I reject both parties. They’ve mastered one thing: taking turns controlling the government while giving the American people the same excuses for why nothing gets done. I respect Bernie Sanders for refusing to play by the two-party script. I’m doing the same. No party loyalty. No political machine. Just independence.

This is common sense, and something every DC politician should pay attention to. Mamdani is right to highlight the blind spots progressives often have around quality of life, government efficiency, and waste. Ignoring those issues is politically and practically shortsighted. Mamdani is a talented politician. The bigger problem is that parts of the DSA base can resemble the mirror image of MAGA: deeply ideological, tribal, and often unwilling to entertain criticism from within.