Aparna Raj joined Metro DC DSA during the first Trump administration and went on to serve three terms on the chapter Steering Committee, including a term as Chair. As a chapter leader, union member, and organizer with Stomp Out Slumlords, Aparna has organized to win rent concessions and stronger protections for tenants, for better pay and conditions for workers, and has consistently and unabashedly advocated for bodily autonomy, abortion access, and protections for our immigrant neighbors. Aparna is running for DC Council in Ward 1 because we need a Council that fights to expand rent control, fund universal childcare, and defend DC’s autonomy.

Gabriel Acevero is currently serving in his second term as Delegate in District 39 after receiving the Metro DC DSA endorsement in both 2018 and 2022. During his tenure in the legislature, he has championed legislation for police accountability and transparency, LGBTQ+ equality, universal basic income, and single-payer health care. Over the years, DSA members have supported his efforts to ensure country clubs pay their fair share in taxes, support workers seeking to collectively bargain, and protect speech on campuses from repression. If re-elected, he will continue to be a strong advocate for the rights of workers, renters, students, and all Marylanders.

Josie Caballero is running for Montgomery County Council At-large. Josie has been a longtime progressive leader, organizer, and public servant. She has served as the director for voting and elections for Advocates for Trans Equality and on the Maryland Commission for LGBTQ+ affairs. She is a proud Navy veteran, having worked as a nuclear power operator, and serves as vice president of the Transgender American Veterans Association. DSA members were proud to knock doors with her in Silver Spring during the campaign to pass rent stabilization in the county. If elected, she would make history as the first openly transgender elected official in Montgomery County. The chapter looks forward to working with Josie to advance housing stability and fight to protect our communities.

Zola Shaw is a lifelong public servant and organizer for racial and economic justice. She currently serves on the Rockville City Council, where she has worked with Rockville Renters United and MDC DSA to advocate for rent stabilization in the city. Zola is also a former federal worker who worked with her coworkers at NIH to form a union, fighting for fair treatment and stronger protections right up to her last day on the job. We look forward to Zola representing District 3 (Rockville and Gaithersburg) on the Montgomery County Council, where she will fight for a Montgomery County where no one is left behind.

Imara Crooms is a longtime member and leader in the chapter. Initially joining through the Defund MPD campaign, Imara has served as an elected member of the chapter Steering Committee, spearheaded political education programming and “Why We Organize” trainings across multiple working groups, and helped establish an abolition working group in the county. In addition to his years of local organizing and professional background in democracy and governance, supporting civil society, promoting human rights, and strengthening public institutions, we cannot think of anyone more qualified to bring leadership that fights for south county to the council as the representative of District 9. Imara will empower Prince Georgians to have a voice in our democracy through public campaign financing, improve public services and raise wages, and protect our environment for generations to come.

Raaheela Ahmed has been a member of MDC DSA since 2019 and is running for Maryland state senate in district 23. A former member of Prince George’s County Board of Education for District 5, she supported measures to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline and obtain adequate funding for county schools. Raaheela has also been at the forefront of the fight for Palestinian liberation, leading a coalition to pass ceasefire resolutions at the city and state levels and as an active member of the Maryland statewide coalition to drop funding for the Maryland Israel Development Center. She will be a fantastic advocate for Prince Georgians in District 23 and beyond in Annapolis.