Chris Otten has no illusions of victory on Nov. 7, but the mayoral nominee from the D.C. Statehood Green Party does have a strategy to “push the discourse further in the direction of working-class issues.”
Stop the baseball stadium. Rebuild the schools. Fire the police chief.
“It’s a serious platform,” said Otten, 31, a freelance Web designer. “It’s about equality. It’s about human rights. It’s about the environment.”
A Long Island native, Otten moved to the District in 2000, joined the Statehood Green Party in 2001 and was elected to the steering committee in 2004.
If there is a third “major” party in Washington, Green is it, registering more than 5,000 voters as of August. And if District Democrats are considered liberal, then Statehood Greens are viewed as radical leftists.
“They have strong positions,” Otten said. “Some say radical. I define radical as trying to get to the root of the problem. But it’s really about working-class politics.”
He will face Democratic powerhouse Adrian Fenty and Republican Dave Kranich in the general election. While Fenty claimed $460,000 in his campaign coffers as of Oct. 10, Otten reported $1,675 — and he had spent $92.34 through the course of his candidacy.
Today, the total should be closer to $2,500 raised, Otten said, which he’s spent on posters, upcoming Robocalls and a Flexcar to travel between ANC meetings.
“I’m looking to spend all of it,” he said.
On the issues:
» Schools: Otten’s top priority is improving the physical condition of schools, then targeting the programs. He contends the District can rebuild all of its traditional public schools, vocational training centers and libraries in a short time. “If we can build a $1 billion baseball stadium in two years,” he said, “we certainly can cull together our contractors to rebuild these institutions.”
» Crime: There is nothing unusual about the recent spike, Otten said, but it demands further examination as to why crime is increasing. “No cameras,” he said. “Take that money and put it into 24-hour rec centers.” And Police Chief Charles Ramsey would be fired immediately.
» Baseball: Stop the ballpark construction in Southeast by challenging the city’s use of eminent domain and keep the Washington Nationals at a renovated RFK Stadium. “It’s such an outrage,” said Otten, a member of the anti-stadium group BetterDeal4DC.
» Health care: “We need to reopen D.C. General Hospital as a fully public hospital,” Otten said. The facility “would be the center hub of what would be a network of public clinics going out” into eastern Washington.
» Economic diversity: “I want to see a moratorium on condos until impartial impact surveys aredone,” he said. “No one has taken a breather yet and asked, ‘Are condos really helping the city right now?’ ”
More on Chris Otten
» Served two years in Americorps in Tampa, Fla.
» Former director of nonprofits assisting the homeless and low-income mothers
» Ordained reverend in the Universal Life Church
» Not married
