Christina Henderson (politician)

Christina Henderson (born October 10, 1985)[1] is an American politician in Washington, D.C. who was elected to the Council of the District of Columbia as an at-large member in 2020.[2] Henderson previously worked for her predecessor, David Grosso, and served as a legislative aide in Congress.[2] Henderson is an independent, not registered with any political party.

Christina Henderson
Member of the Council of the District of Columbia
at-large
Assumed office
January 2, 2021
Preceded byDavid Grosso
Personal details
Born (1985-10-10) October 10, 1985
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political partyIndependent
Democratic (until 2020)
EducationFurman University (BA)
Princeton University (MPA)
WebsiteCampaign website

Early life and education

Henderson was born in Brooklyn, New York. Her mother joined the U.S. Army when she was young, leading the family to relocate multiple times. She considers Washington, D.C. her first permanent home.[3] She attended Furman University, where she was the first black student body president, and was a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.[1][4]

Career

Henderson worked in D.C. Public Schools on teacher effectiveness and as Deputy Chief of Staff for Councilmember David Grosso.[5][6] After leaving his office, Henderson worked as a legislative assistant for U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer before launching her campaign for the council.[6] It was the first campaign she had undertaken.[6]

Positions

As a candidate, Henderson said one of the first bills she plans to introduce is for ranked choice voting, as the current system favors incumbents.[7] She is a skeptic of "defunding the police," saying that the Metropolitan Police Department should keep its current size.[6] She supports tax increases on the wealthy and reforms to rent control.[8]

Campaign

Henderson switched her party affiliation to run as an independent and received an endorsement from The Washington Post.[9] She garnered 15 percent of the vote to win the seat among 23 candidates.[2][6] She ran using public financing, which capped the amount she could accept from individuals, and was a program created through legislation she worked on as a staffer.[10]

Personal life

She and her husband, Nu, have a daughter.[1] They live in Petworth and have a rescue dog, Langston.[3][11]

References
  1. "BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Christina Henderson, legislative assistant for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and D.C. Council candidate". Politico. Washington DC. October 10, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  2. Nirappil, Fenit (November 4, 2020). "Christina Henderson declares victory in race for open at-large D.C. Council seat". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  3. Grablick, Colleen (November 3, 2019). "Former Grosso Staffer Christina Henderson Announces Candidacy For Open At-Large Council Seat". DCist. Washington DC. Archived from the original on April 24, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  4. Austhermuhle, Martin (November 3, 2020). "D.C.-Area Voters Find Fewer Lines Than Expected At Most Polling Places". WAMU. Washington DC. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  5. "The Post's endorsements for D.C. elections". The Washington Post. Washington DC. September 26, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  6. Nirappil, Fenit (November 4, 2020). "How Christina Henderson won a D.C. Council seat: Outreach to women, moderate police views and a positive campaign". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  7. Ryals, Mitch (November 3, 2020). "D.C. business may have 'dodged a bullet' with Christina Henderson's council win. But progressives are still hopeful". Washington City Paper. Washington DC. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  8. Koma, Alex (November 4, 2020). "Christina Henderson Is Crossing Her Fingers". Washington Business Journal. Washington DC. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  9. Austermuhle, Martin (November 4, 2020). "Christina Henderson declares victory in race for open at-large D.C. Council seat". DCist. Washington DC. Archived from the original on November 4, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  10. "What it takes: How a Hill staffer runs for DC city council … during a pandemic … while raising a toddler". Roll Call. Washington DC. September 24, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  11. Baca, Alex (June 15, 2020). "With a general election approaching, which at-large DC Council candidates will push for urbanist issues?". GGW. Washington DC. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
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