Aaron Golds (COL ’11) captured the Advisory Neighborhood Commission seat representing Georgetown University in an uncontested election Tuesday.
Golds will hold Seat 4 on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E. The District of Columbia contains eight wards, each of which is further divided into several Advisory Neighborhood Commissions. The seven commissioners on ANC 2E represent the Georgetown/Burleith area.
Golds will replace current Commissioner Jenna Lowenstein (COL ’09) this January. During his two-year term, he will represent students and Jesuits who are registered to vote in Washington, D.C.
Golds received 45 of the 49 votes cast for Seat 4, with the remaining four votes going to write-in candidates.
“I’ve met a good number of voters in the District,” Golds said, taking time to familiarize himself with the community.
As part of the qualifications process, Golds had to change his voter registration to Washington, D.C., and live on campus last summer to establish residency.
“[Golds] has been very committed to the process,” Lowenstein said. “He’s attended ANC meetings regularly in order to get versed in the issues.”
As a commissioner, Golds said he anticipates representing a variety of student issues while on the ANC, although student drinking and partying seem most salient for his constituents.
“Most of the older students tend to look at ANC as people who approve alcohol restrictions,” he said. “That’s certainly something that if the university were looking to change I would have a key voice in that.”
Lowenstein also voiced faith in her successor. “I’m confident he’s going to be a strong voice for student interests on the commission,” she said.
Golds’ election also marks the third consecutive time that a member of the Georgetown University College Democrats will serve on the commission. Former College Democrats Events Director Brett Clements (COL ’07), represented the on-campus community from 2005-2006.
Both Lowenstein and Golds, however, insist that their political views separate from the needs of their constituents. Last spring, Lowenstein held an informational meeting about the requirements of the position for any and all students who might be interested in running to replace her.
“I didn’t want to handpick a successor. I thought it was important to make the process as open as possible,” she said.
Likewise, Golds does not anticipate that his extracurricular involvement with the College Democrats will interfere with his work on the ANC. “This is a 100 percent nonpartisan position, so any role that I play with the Democrats really won’t have much of an effect on it,” he said.
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