NOTE: This is the third of three (or four depending on whether former D.C. Councilmember Trayon White accepts our invitation for an interview) candidate profiles to be released before the July 15 special election for the Ward 8 D.C. Council seat.
After his unsuccessful run against then-D.C. Councilmember Trayon White in 2020, Mike Austin became a father, joined a handful of non-profit boards and worked with adult learners at Community College Preparatory Public Charter School all while helping facilitate United Medical Centers closure.
With the Ward 8 D.C. Council seat once again up for grabs, Austin, a fourth-generation 51心頭ian and attorney, said hes the one who can get it right as a council member. For him, that means fully executing the duties of his office, which includes collaborating with council colleagues to change the conditions that Ward 8 residents face.
I feel strongly that we have not advanced meaningful legislation for our people in a very long time, Austin told The Informer. I hope that we can be creative and bold in how we do that to require the other council members to pony up some of their wards shares so that Ward 8 is on a level playing field and fill some of these gaps that we have across the board.
Earlier this year, Austin announced his candidacy in the Ward 8 D.C. Council special election triggered by Whites expulsion from the legislative body. On July 15, Ward 8 voters will choose as their next council member either him, Salim Adofo, Sheila Bunn, or former council member White.
If elected, Austin will serve out the rest of Whites term, which ends in early 2029.
As the now 12-member legislative body struggles to restore programs eliminated in D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowsers budget proposal, Austin continues to tout his experience in the John A. Wilson Building, including as a legislative director in former D.C. Councilmember LaRuby Mays office and the Office of Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Development.
Austin told The Informer that, if elected, he will move in the spirit of D.C. Mayor for Life Marion Barry, who he heralded as an example in balancing time between legislative work and community engagement.
He was introducing policies and focused on budget fights, in addition to being present and visible in the community, Austin said about the late council member and mayor. We’ve gotten to a space in the last eight years where it’s just been showing up, cookouts, bookbags, and turkeys.
A Deep Dive Into Mike Austin’s Campaign Platform
Austin’s campaign platform focuses on: economic development and displacement prevention; workforce development; equitable investments for Ward 8 schools; and the execution of data-informed responses to violence.
As it relates to housing, Austin articulated a vision where Ward 8 maintains its affordable housing stock while attracting the development of amenities and mixed-use development. He said he would actualize that vision, in part, through the passage of legislation that protects seniors and low-income residents from rent increases via the Schedule H tax credit.
In speaking about his experiences at Community College Preparatory PCS, Austin also highlighted a workforce development strategy focused on boosting literacy among K-12 students and young adults. He said its essential that students graduating from Ward 8 schools have the level of reading comprehension necessary to pursue high-earning trades.
They spend a lot of time doing adult literacy training so that they can be prepared for the job that they need to get into for training, Austin said about the students at Community College Preparatory Public Charter School. If we can do more to increaseliteracy early on, focusing on early education and middle school for sure, so that they’re not so far behind by high school.
Amid efforts by the councils Committee on Public Safety and Judiciary to reshape the violence prevention ecosystem, Austin expressed his support for increased accountability measures and the execution of a neighborhood-based violence intervention model.
Certain neighborhoods are very different [from] other neighborhoods, Austin told The Informer. They have different issues, different people, different connections. We know the streets that are getting into certain other beefs with other neighborhoods. A ward-wide model is too blanket of an approach. It’s not going to aggressively target the folks who are most likely to commit a crime.
For more immediate public safety concerns, Austin said he would demand more of his colleagues on the council who represent parts of the District with less violent crime, especially at a time when the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is expected to receive more investments, as outlined in D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowsers Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal.
If those resources were being diverted and allocated to Ward 8 and [MPD] 7D [headquarters], then maybe they would feel better about that, Austin said. I don’t feel it’s fair that a ward has more crime than other wards, but does not have more of the resources. So, theres probably going to be a change in thinking [among] the other council members [and] the executive because folks want to feel safe over here.
Supporters Weigh In
In recent weeks, Austin, whos backed by former council member May, has become a special election candidate of note, most recently with a victory at the Ward 8 Democrats candidate forum and straw poll.
As of July 1, endorsements include: Capital News, former D.C. Councilmembers Sandy Allen and Eydie Whittington, Ward 8 business leader Monica Ray, Ward 8 civic leader Sandra Seegars, D.C. Realtors, DMV New Liberals, ElectED, and Opportunity DC.
Whittington, Austins UMC board colleague, said the council candidates, in his dealings with other board members, has shown himself to be a consummate professional and someone who cares for his neighbors.
When he spoke, it made sense, Whittington told The Informer. He brought calmness and intellect to the conversation that was needed.
Supporting Austin, Whittington said, proved to be a no brainer.
I didnt know he was going to run, she told The Informer. but I remember thinking during these board meetings how much integrity he had, how invested he was in the community.
Issues of note for Whittington are public safety and education. Solving both, she said, requires a council member who can move Ward 8 past what she, and others in recent months, are calling a distraction.
We really need a person who is focused on what ward 8 needs, Whittington said. We need a person who can be a bloodline to connect us to the rest of the city in a very positive way.
As Ward 8 becomes more socioeconomically diverse, Whittington said Austin can be the council member that builds bridges within his constituency and across the District.
We don’t need to separate ourselves from Wards 1-7, she said. Mike includes people, conversations, and ideas. Hes not trying to be argumentative and confrontational. He has a view or position that can cause conversation that can equalize the playing field.
Seegars, who also supported Austin during his 2020 council run, told The Informer that her candidate could unify various segments of the Ward 8 constituency if elected.
He has a personality to get along with everybody, not just a few, Seegars said. The council member we had wasnt representing all residents. He excluded a bunch and I was thinking [about] if we can get someone to support all the residents.
As Seegars recounted, she first met Austin as an advisory neighborhood commissioner, later joining his 2020 campaign. Since announcing her support on this go-around, Seegars has been promoting campaign literature on social media platforms, at times even responding to commentary posted by neighbors and those representing other candidates.
Seegars, whos concerned about public safety and housing, said Austin stands above the rest because of a disposition and legislative experience she deems essential at this time.
Hes done it before [as legislative director] and he has integrity, Seegars said about Austin. He would be perfect for the Ward 8 council seat. He has the experience we need from day one.
By the time D.C. Board of Elections certifies the special election results, the council wouldve more than likely approved the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. While he would be unable to weigh in on the budget as an elected official, Austin said its possible for a freshman council member to make up for lost time via the legislative process.
Of course, it’ll be a lot easier when we have a committee, he told The Informer, but [in] the first year, I’m full of confidence that we can work with the other council members to put forward policies that we introduced, and then just work with us to co-sponsor. And I [will] work with the committee chairs as well, early on, to get it agendized so its not just sitting in committee.