A Thank You to Campaign Supporters

I would like to thank my campaign volunteers!

J.T. Engelhardt was a tremendous help throughout the campaign, helping me put out signs early on and towards the end. He also worked for three hours in the morning on election day and then came back in the evening.

Katie Nguyen helped throughout the campaign, including helping with signs and the Catania event, plus about seven hours on election day at Dunbar.

Joel Dubenitz spent about six hours navigating Home Depot and helping me get signs up in people's yards. And a big thank you to all of the people who let me place a sign in their yard.

Vittorio Pomante spent three hours helping to stuff envelopes for the Catania Bakery event, then came out for a couple of hours in the evening on election day.

Jerome Fernandez spent the entire day (13 hours) at Dunbar High School!

Pam Friedman served as a poll watcher in the morning and Stephen White served as a poll watcher late in afternoon/early evening.

John Skinner and Preston Bishop, who I met only days before election day, stood out in the rain for a few hours in the evening handing out fliers to voters. Steve Rynecki showed up with fliers in the early evening when I began to run out.

Karen Alston and Carol Legard hosted meet-and-greets for me. The folks at Catania Bakery were a joy to work with.

Chris Edmunds introduced me to folks in the artisian building on O Street, while David Roth rallied folks at the condo building located on New York Avenue.

Curtis Johnson sign-waved for a while at the polls and then allowed his SUV to be used as a big billboard near the polling place all day.

Finally, God was there the entire time, from the moment I knocked on my first door on P Street until the polls closed on election day.

I hope I didn't miss anyone. (One of these photos was taken by Katie at Dunbar High School, and the other by myself at the recreational center.)

Today is the Beginning of a New Era in Eckington-Truxton Circle

I want to thank everyone for their words of support. Now, I only hope that everyone won't disappear when it comes time to volunteer for the hard work needed to execute the principles set forth in my campaign platform.

November 8 is the first day of a new era in our neighborhood. This election was a little historic. Our neighborhood is 95% nonwhite and 95% nonRepublican. But in this nonpartisan race, I found acceptance from open-minded, open-hearted neighbors willing to reach beyond the barriers of race, class, and party that so often hold us back.

I spoke with at least 161 voters at their doorstep, and knocked on 350 doors after October 19. Prior to that, I had already knocked on those doors at least once before.

The one door I didn't knock on was that of Cleopatra Jones, but on election day we talked on and off at Precinct 75 over a period of 12 hours. We had not talked much at all before, and I obtained a much better understanding of the things she has done for this community.

One can't say nice things about one's opponent during an election because it doesn't get you elected. Know now that when I first read her four pages of accomplishments that she distributed, I was a little impressed. My priorities for the neighborhood are different, but she hasn't been sitting around twiddling her thumbs-- that is sort of the caricature.

The DCBOEE has released the precinct report (see also below). You'll note that I did far better in the southern precinct 19. I focused much of my attention there, at the expense of R and Quincy.

The southern part of the district is more dangerous, rougher, and poorer. It was my intention to reach out to every voter in our neighborhood. I was told that Hanover Place was my opponent's stronghold. The night before the election, one person after another on Hanover said I had their vote.

Two weeks ago, I was very tired of this campaign. I was also worried that I wouldn't have anyone to help me work the polls, but eight people stepped forward. I am very grateful for every volunteer, as well as to those individuals who contributed financially to my campaign.

Finally, I want to thank Ms. Jones for her service to the neighborhood. I’ll need a bit of time to recover from this election campaign, but I hope we can work together for a smooth transition sometime in the near future. Meanwhile, I hope everyone will be considering what role they will be playing in the renewal of our neighborhood.

* * * *

Precinct 19 (Dunbar High School)

ANC FOR SMD 5C02 (Final)
CLEOPATRA JONES 35 -- 32.71%
KRIS HAMMOND 65 -- 60.75%
Write In, if any 7 -- 6.54%
Total... 107 100.00%

Precinct 75 (Harry Thomas Recreational Center)

CLEOPATRA JONES 119 -- 47.04%
KRIS HAMMOND 132 -- 52.17%
Write In, if any 2 -- 0.79%
Total... 253 100.00%

Election Results from the D.C. Board of Elections

According to the Board of Elections website, I have defeated incumbent Cleopatra Jones.

ANC FOR SMD 5C02 (2 precincts) 2/2 100.00%

Under Votes: 12
Over Votes: 0

CLEOPATRA JONES 154 (42.78%)

KRIS HAMMOND 197 (54.72%)

Write In, if any 9 (2.50%)

Total ... 360 (100.00%)

Election Day is Here

Election Day is finally here. The past few months, I've knocked on nearly every door in ANC 5C-02 at least once.

Pictured here is my friend Katie, who helped me out. She'll be out there helping me today, along with several other friends.

End The North Capitol Street Tow Truck Trauma

Incumbent Commissioner Jones could have avoided a challenge to her seat from me. Here's how...

On October 11, 2005, I wrote an e-mail to the Commissioner:

Hello Ms. Jones,

I live at the 1800 block of North Capitol St NE, on the service road. The sign regulating parking on the street states that there shall be no parking in the a.m. from 7 - 9:30 a.m. during weekdays.

The regulation is a mistake and it is taking valuable parking from the area because residents cannot park their cars there before leaving for work via the metro. Parking is becoming more scarce.

The regulation presumably is there to free up traffic during rush hour, but hardly any cars use the service road during rush hour, because naturally they are headed downtown. Approximately one car uses the service road once a minute!

And even if traffic did use the service road during rush hour, banning the parking wouldn't help. I have never witnessed two cars driving side by side on the service road.

Please tell me the fastest way to get this regulation changed. This is a no-brainer.

Kris

Commissioner Jones responded the next day:

Hi Chris,

I have contacted DPW as Well as Ms. Reed, of DDOT to have this investigated as soon as I get a follow up I will contact you.

And that's the last time I heard anything. To be fair, I never sent her a follow-up e-mail. I forgot to mention that residents receive $100 tickets and that they are being towed as well.

The towing has picked up in recent weeks, and I recently took the photo you see here from my porch at around 7:11 a.m.

If Jones had taken that extra step to get back with me and if she had resolved the issue, I probably would not be running. I'd be too grateful.

Instead, some residents will vote for me because they know that I want to resolve this issue.

I have in recent weeks contacted the bureaucracy about the problem, and the response has been "we'll get back to you in 30 days" after I was very persistent. It takes a commissioner who represents 2000 people to break through the bureaucratic malaise.

Jones Adopts Portion of My Platform

While I was walking on R Street yesterday, I came across a new Jones sign in a person's yard at the corner of Eckington Place N.E.. This sign states what Jones will do if she is re-elected. It includes:

■ "Increase public safety, reduce recidivism, create an effective system to prevent and reduce crime."

■ "Collaboration with community, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, the government and the justice system."

■ "Support community and business development."

Sound familiar? From my platform:

■ Organize citizen crime teams and build bridges between police and citizens;

■ Encourage businesses to relocate or initiate in our North Capitol Street business district and thus bring economic vitality to our neighborhood.

On a flyer she distributed recently, Jones lists her accomplishments as shutting down businesses, but there is no word of economic development.

Her crime accomplishments are a street camera that was part of a group going up all over D.C., a one-day walk of the neighborhood with the police chief (which she did organize), and events likely organized by individuals other than Jones. She has been ineffective in dealing with So Others Might Eat.

Obviously I am having an effect on Jones's priorities, so no matter who wins on November 7, we all win. We must hold the winner to his/her promises.