DC Councilmember David Grosso To Step Down Next Year

WASHINGTON, DC — D.C. At-Large Councilmember David Grosso announced in a letter that he will not seek reelection in 2020, closing the book on his time in office after two terms.

"[F]rom the beginning of my first campaign, I ran with the intention of only serving two terms as an independent at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia," Grosso wrote in a letter to his constituents. "I have always believed at my core that holding the same seat for too long is not good for the office, it’s not good for the institution, and it’s not good for Democracy. I have decided not to seek a third term in 2020 and to pass the baton to the next generation of progressive leaders."

Grosso, one of two independents on the Council, has pushed a progressive agenda including paid family leave, publicly funded elections, recreational marijuana, and decriminalized sex work.

During his last year in office, Grosso pledged to tackle issues with D.C. schools.

"Closing the achievement gap in our schools requires us to actively recognize that every student can succeed academically–especially when we care for the whole child every day," he wrote. "When we do that, they show up to school on-time and ready to learn and succeed."

Grosso, 49, was born in D.C. although he spent his childhood on a farm in Northern Virginia before moving to Petworth as a teenager. He has a degree in philosophy from Earlham College and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

Grosso won a spot on the D.C. Council in 2012 as one of six candidates vying for two seats, taking down incumbent Michael A. Brown with 20 percent of the vote. He won reelection in 2016 with 25 percent of the vote.

During his first two years in office, he authored 33 bills and resolutions and saw 19 approved by the Council.