Congratulations, Brooke Pinto!

I met Brooke Pinto in February when she became the eigth candidate to enter the Democratic primary for the D.C. Council seat in Ward 2.

I had a chance to sit down with the 2017 graduate of Georgetown University Law School at The Wing in Georgetown to learn more about her vision for Ward 2 and the city.

She had recently resigned from her work on behalf of District residents as a Assistant Attorney General for the OAG in order to focus on her campaign full time.

In this role, Pinto worked on a broad array of issues plaguing the city, including “to advance workers’ rights, improve environmental justice, and expand civil rights and consumer protections through everything from data breach to hate crime legislation.” She has also represented the DC community on issues including DC statehood, decriminalizing cannabis, and data privacy legislation. Her priorities, if elected will be to “provide exacting oversight to the various District agencies by making sure agencies are not working in silos, reduce crime by commons sense measures such as more lighting and early educational outreach to our youth, and protect small businesses by giving them the tools they need to expand.”

A Connecticut native, she attended Cornell University, and earned her undergraduate degree in Business & Hospitality Administration. During an internship at a New York senior living community, Pinto explained, “It was because I was feeling frustrated on behalf of my clients and wanted the tools to thoroughly coach them through their healthcare options that I decided to pursue a law degree at the Georgetown University Law Center.”

During law school, she served as the Executive Articles Editor for the Journal on Poverty and Public Policy and volunteered at the Landlord Tenant Resource center providing advice to displaced tenants and aggravated landlords. She then advocated for seniors and advanced women’s health issues on Capitol Hill for Senator Blumenthal as his Health and Aging Fellow. Knowing that she wanted to commit her career to public service, she worked for a federal judge after graduation before going to the OAG.

I know Brooke Pinto will serve Ward 2 and the city well.