@CMBROOKEPINTO/TWITTER | Councilmember Brooke Pinto is running for reelection this November.
As Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto (LAW ’17) approaches a potential second full term serving on the Washington, D.C. Council, integrity remains central to her political persona.
Entering local politics at a point of upheaval in 2020, following the resignation of the council’s longest-serving lawmaker Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) due to numerous ethics violations, Pinto, a Democrat, said she vowed to rebuild trust in the city’s institutions.
“More than any policy, I believe most strongly in the integrity of our institutions and of our government,” Pinto told The Hoya. “If the people of Washington, D.C. don’t believe in our government and that it is here to serve them and only them, then our entire system can crumble.”
“I was frustrated and motivated, so I quit my job that week and announced I was running to fill the seat,” she added.
After a competitive primary, Pinto won the special election, becoming Ward 2’s first female representative. She completed the remaining six months of Evans’ term before winning a full four-year term in November 2020; Pinto is running unopposed for a second full term this year.
Pinto was initially inspired to enter public service after studying at Georgetown University Law Center, where she became involved with several local organizations, including the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, which helps their clients access housing, shelter and life-saving services through free legal assistance.
“I was really inspired by the hundreds of D.C. residents who I met, who shared with me their stories and their successes and their tribulations and really wanted to use the law to serve them,” Pinto said.
After law school, Pinto worked at the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, first doing tax litigation before moving toward public policy formulation. As the Assistant Attorney General for Policy and Legislative Affairs, Pinto expanded her focus to issues like affordable housing, workers’ rights, crime and cannabis laws.
Ward 2 is home to about 100,000 people, including students of Georgetown University and George Washington University.
In her first full term, Pinto passed legislation with students in mind, including the Expanding Student Access to Period Products Act of 2021, which placed free menstrual products in university bathrooms.
Pinto said she enjoys opportunities to engage with college students.
“I have the privilege of representing Georgetown University and George Washington University, and that is such an exciting opportunity to get to meet with and hear from students regularly about not only what they want to see in their community and city, but great ideas for solutions,” Pinto said.
In the Georgetown neighborhood, Pinto has also led efforts to expand pedestrian and bike access through the Extended Sidewalks program and to renovate Volta Park and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.
In addition, since January 2023, Pinto has chaired the Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, where she introduced and passed into law the Secure D.C. bill. Pinto considers the bill, which contains more than 100 interventions in three categories of preventing crime, increasing perpetrator accountability and improving agency and government efficiency, to be one of the signature achievements of her first term. Running unopposed this election cycle, Pinto is overwhelmingly likely to return to the council.
“We’re going to keep working every day to improve public safety,” Pinto said. “The cumulation of putting together and passing and funding Secure D.C. is one of the accomplishments I’m most proud of over my first term.”
Within Ward 2, there are seven advisory neighborhood commissions (ANCs), who collaborate with Pinto and her staff on more local, community-specific issues.
“I am so grateful for our advisory neighborhood commissioners who work on a volunteer basis, really around the clock to serve our residents,” Pinto said. “I work with all of the commissions and really take seriously their recommendations and inputs because they are closest to the issues at hand.”
Joe Massaua (SFS ’25), an ANC 2E commissioner representing the Georgetown and Burleith neighborhoods, said that it truly feels like Pinto cares about her constituents and their needs.
“Brooke really seems like she has an agenda to make the city a better place, but at the same, she really cares about Ward 2 and Georgetown especially,” Massuau told The Hoya. “She’s helped get funding for projects that we wanted and improvements to local parks.”
As the election draws near, Pinto said she is focused on advocating for young residents of D.C.
“I’m very focused on building safe neighborhoods, making sure there are more opportunities for affordable housing for folks and ensuring that our city is livable, is safe to walk and bike and drive,” Pinto said. “And as the youngest D.C. Council member in history, I am particularly attuned to what younger people are experiencing in the city and will continue to lift up their voices and perspectives.”