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Paul Strauss

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Paul Strauss
Strauss in 2015
United States Shadow Senator
from the District of Columbia
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 1997
Serving with Mike Brown
Preceded byJesse Jackson
Personal details
Born
Paul Eric Strauss

(1964-04-11) April 11, 1964 (age 60)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationAmerican University (BA, JD)
WebsiteOfficial website

Paul Eric Strauss[1] (born April 11, 1964)[2] is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States shadow senator from the District of Columbia since 1997.[3] He succeeded Jesse Jackson, the first person to hold the elected position of a shadow senator for Washington, D.C. He is a member of the Democratic Party.[4]

Early life and education

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Strauss was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, raised in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and graduated from Dwight School.[5][6] His father was a painting contractor for Yankee Stadium.[7] As a youth, Strauss was active in politics, volunteering for the election campaigns of Mario Biaggi, Hugh Carey, and Jimmy Carter.[7] At 17, he interned for New York City mayor Ed Koch with his own desk and phone in the Tweed Courthouse.[7] He moved to Washington, D.C., in 1982 at the age of 18,[8] later earning his bachelor's degree (1986) and Juris Doctor (1993) at American University.[9][10]

Career

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Strauss is a former chairperson of the District's Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals.[8][11] He has also been a union organizer for Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union Local 25. Strauss is an attorney and principal of the Law Offices of Paul Strauss & Associates, P.C.,[9] a law firm specializing in real estate, business, and family law.

In his first political campaign in Washington, D.C., he mobilized other college students to register to vote against raising the drinking age to 21.[7]

Shadow Senator

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Before being elected as a shadow senator in 1996, Strauss served in several locally elected government positions. He served as the at-large member of the D.C. Democratic State Committee, Chairperson of the Democratic Party's D.C. Statehood Committee, Chairperson of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3E, and Chairperson of Neighborhood Planning Council #3. Strauss was first elected to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in 1986 as the youngest chairperson and was a commissioner there until 1996.[12]

As one of the District of Columbia's two shadow senators, Strauss lobbies the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives on behalf of the citizens of D.C. in their attempt to gain full federal representation, self-determination, and eventually admittance to the Union as the 51st state. Strauss cannot vote on matters before the Senate as a shadow senator.[13]

In 2006, Strauss ran for the Council of the District of Columbia to represent Ward 3.[8] He came in second place in the Democratic primary, receiving 15% of the vote, while Mary Cheh received 44% of the vote.[14]

Strauss was selected to be a superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention where he endorsed Barack Obama.[15]

Strauss was re-elected in 2008. Strauss received 65% of the vote in the September Democratic primary, while Democratic challenger Phil Pannell received 33%.[16] In the November general election, Strauss faced Republican Nelson F. Rimensnyder, D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate Keith Ware and Libertarian Party Candidate Damien Lincoln Ober. Strauss received 82% of the vote, giving him his most significant margin of victory ever.

Strauss was again re-elected in 2014, with 77.3% of the vote.[17]

In 2014, Strauss launched the "51 Stars" campaign, enlisting the help of 51 celebrities and public figures to support the initiative for D.C. Statehood and endorse the District of Columbia as the fifty-first star on the U.S. flag upon admittance to the Union.[18] Notable endorsers of the public service campaign included Dave Chappelle, Rosario Dawson, Jonathan Banks, and others.[19]

Strauss testified to the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs in 2014 regarding the New Columbia Admission Act of 2013.[20] His testimony argued the historical case for D.C. statehood, saying "We are all Americans. We all deserve to participate in the democracy our nation’s founders set before us. To deny basic rights to the citizens of the National Capital makes a mockery of our attempts to act as a model of democracy for the rest of the world."[citation needed]

In February 2015, Strauss traveled to Iowa to encourage Democratic and Republican party chapters to discuss D.C. statehood at their local caucuses and inspired the Polk County Democrats to pass a resolution supporting D.C. statehood in March.[21] He traveled there again the following year for the 2016 Iowa caucuses, after running political ads from the national "51 Stars" campaign.[22] Working with a new bipartisan group called Iowans for D.C. Statehood, Strauss took the opportunity to address Democratic precincts in Iowa.[21]

At the Iowa caucuses in 2020, Strauss and shadow Senator Michael Donald Brown took over the campaign bus left behind by John Delaney of Maryland, who had exited the presidential race.[23] Decorated with a banner and signs promoting D.C. as the 51st state, the bus was parked outside the Des Moines Marriott Hotel, where hundreds of journalists were staying.[23] Strauss spoke to The Washington Post and said he expected nearly every precinct in every county to pass resolutions in favor of statehood for D.C.[23]

International diplomacy

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Strauss in January 2022

Strauss has engaged in various efforts on the international stage. In 2014, he visited Nagaland in India to participate in the 3rd biennial NER Agri Expo, an exposition attended by farmers, investors, agriculturists, business houses, and entrepreneurs.[24]

In 2015, Strauss appeared before a panel of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) and, citing the lack of statehood for Washington, D.C., successfully petitioned for the District of Columbia to become the first and only North American participant in the international body.[25]

In June 2018, Strauss addressed the European Union in Brussels, Belgium to discuss the issue of D.C. statehood.[26] The event was classified as a formal "exchange of views", and was chaired by former Member of the European Parliament Alex Mayer of the United Kingdom in conjunction with the Secretariat of the European Parliament's Delegation for Relations with the U.S. Lucia Parrucci, DC's advocacy officer from the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, and Richard Schiff, an Emmy Award-winning actor and democracy activist joined Strauss for the presentation.[27] Mayer, a former United Kingdom Labour Party member representing the East of England region, expressed support for D.C. Statehood at a plenary session in the European Union following Strauss's visit, saying "We in the European Parliament call out human rights violations across the world. I see no reason not to do so in this case too. The citizens of D.C. are denied the basic rights that others living in liberal democracies take for granted. It is time that this 200-year injustice was ended."[28]

He is an honorary member of the Global Committee for the Rule of Law.[29]

Personal life

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On October 1, 2008, Strauss was arrested for drunken driving.[30] He was found to have a blood-alcohol level at twice the legal level of intoxication.[31] On May 29, 2009, he pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to a 60-day suspended jail sentence, 11 months of supervised probation, a $300 fine, and a $100 fine to be paid to the victims of violent crime compensation fund.[32]

Strauss lives in the Observatory Circle/Glover Park neighborhood in the District.[33]

Electoral history

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1996 Shadow Senator election in Washington, D.C.[34][35]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Paul Strauss 23,265 73.45
Democratic Eduardo Burkhart 7,194 22.71
Write-in 1,216 3.84
Total votes 31,675 100.00
General election
Democratic Paul Strauss 107,217 76.01
Republican Gloria R. Corn 19,044 13.50
Umoja George Pope 13,148 9.32
Write-in 1,653 1.17
Total votes 141,062 100.00
Democratic hold
2002 Shadow Senator election in Washington, D.C.[36][37]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Paul Strauss (incumbent) 47,787 65.87
Democratic Pete Ross 22,633 31.20
Write-in 2,128 2.93
Total votes 72,548 100.00
General election
Democratic Paul Strauss (incumbent) 91,434 77.32
Republican Norma M. Sasaki 13,966 11.81
DC Statehood Green Joyce Robinson-Paul 11,277 9.54
Write-in 1,582 1.34
Total votes 118,259 100.00
Democratic hold
2006 Washington, D.C. City Council Ward 3 primary election[38]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Mary Cheh 6,462 44.28
Democratic Paul Strauss 2,110 14.46
Democratic Sam Brooks 1,191 8.16
Democratic Robert Gordon 1,159 7.94
Democratic Cathy Wiss 1,158 7.93
Democratic Erik S. Gaull 1,023 7.01
Democratic Bill Rice 954 6.54
Democratic Eric Goulet 490 3.36
Democratic Jonathan Rees 32 0.22
Write-in 15 0.10
Total votes 14,594 100.00
2008 Shadow Senator election in Washington, D.C.[39][40]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Paul Strauss (incumbent) 22,811 64.82
Democratic Philip Pannell 11,949 33.96
Write-in 430 1.22
Total votes 35,190 100.00
General election
Democratic Paul Strauss (incumbent) 183,519 80.82
Republican Nelson F. Rimensnyder 18,601 8.19
DC Statehood Green Keith Ware 16,881 7.43
Libertarian Damien Lincoln Ober 5,915 2.60
Write-in 2,164 0.95
Total votes 227,080 100.00
Democratic hold
2014 Shadow Senator election in Washington, D.C.[41][42]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Paul Strauss (incumbent) 41,292 59.02
Democratic Pete Ross 26,809 38.32
Write-in 1,863 2.66
Total votes 69,964 100.00
General election
Democratic Paul Strauss (incumbent) 116,901 76.40
DC Statehood Green David Schwartzman 15,710 10.27
independent (politician) Glenda Richmond 10,702 6.99
Libertarian John Daniel 7,826 5.11
Write-in 1,864 1.22
Total votes 153,003 100.00
Democratic hold
2020 Shadow Senator election in Washington, D.C.[43][44]
Primary election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Paul Strauss (incumbent) 86,014 96.78
Write-in 2,860 3.22
Total votes 88,874 100.00
General election
Democratic Paul Strauss (incumbent) 251,991 81.17
DC Statehood Green Eleanor Ory 31,151 10.03
Republican Cornelia Weiss 24,168 7.78
Write-in 3,154 1.02
Total votes 310,464 100.00
Democratic hold

References

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  1. ^ "District of Columbia v. Strauss, Paul Eric: Gerstein Affidavit" (PDF). Superior Court of the District of Columbia. via Washington City Paper. November 6, 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 27, 2016. Retrieved July 4, 2009.
  2. ^ "Voters Guide 2006 Supplement" (PDF). The Washington Informer. September 24, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 25, 2008.
  3. ^ "Congressional Delegation (Shadow)". Government of the District of Columbia. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved February 15, 2008.
  4. ^ "WE ARE THE DOUGLASS COMMONWEALTH COALITION, INC". douglasscommonwealth. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  5. ^ @SenPaulStrauss (December 3, 2013). "As the only Jewish District-wide elected official I'm pleased @mayorvincegray will be celebrating #Hanukkah today at Wilson Bldg w/@JCRCgw" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  6. ^ "From Anglo-American to the U.S. Senate: Paul Strauss '82, Senator". Retrieved May 16, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d Vest, Jason (January 25, 2000). "Shadow in Doubt". Village Voice.
  8. ^ a b c Dufour, Jeff (May 31, 2006). "Paul Strauss: From senator to D.C. councilmember?". The Hill. Archived from the original on June 26, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
  9. ^ a b "The Washington Informer Voter's Guide 2006 Supplement" (PDF). The Washington Informer. August 24, 2006. p. 10. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 25, 2008.
  10. ^ "SPA Notable Alumni". School of Public Affairs, American University.
  11. ^ "Composition of the Board". District of Columbia Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals. Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  12. ^ "Paul Strauss, Democratic candidate for shadow Senator, Flyer, August 2002". www.dcwatch.com. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  13. ^ Manteuffel, Rachel (May 29, 2018). "D.C. shadow senator emerges from the shadows". Washington Post.
  14. ^ "Democratic, Republican News, Elections and Results". NBC4. NBCUniversal. February 26, 2006.
  15. ^ Stone, Peter H. (February 22, 2008). "The K-Street Superdelegates". National Journal. Archived from the original on August 20, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
  16. ^ "Election Night Unofficial Results" Archived September 11, 2008, at the Wayback Machine. District of Columbia Board of Ethics and Elections. September 10, 2008. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  17. ^ "The Washington Post". washingtonpost.com. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  18. ^ "A "shadow senator" recruits celebs in D.C. statehood push". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  19. ^ "Dave Chappelle Urges DC Statehood In New Video". Washington DC, DC Patch. June 21, 2018. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  20. ^ Homel, U. S. Senate Committee on; Security; Washington, Governmental Affairs 340 Dirksen Senate Office Building; DC; Committee, 20510224-4751 Get Directions Contact The. "Hearings | Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee". www.hsgac.senate.gov. Retrieved July 12, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ a b Stein, Perry (February 2, 2016). "Can Iowans help D.C. statehood? A few of them are trying". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on February 2, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  22. ^ Rojas, Warren (April 19, 2016). "'Better Call Saul' Star Stumps for D.C. Statehood". Roll Call. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  23. ^ a b c Olorunippa, Toluse (February 3, 2020). "'Quality control checks' delay results, Iowa Democrats say – 6:51 PM: John Delaney may have left the presidential race, but his campaign bus lives on". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 17, 2022 – via Gale OneFile.
  24. ^ "US senator to visit Nagaland | Guwahati News". The Times of India. November 11, 2012. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  25. ^ "DC Joins Underrepresented Territories Organization". December 4, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  26. ^ "UNPO: US Senator Paul Strauss Addresses the EU Parliament". unpo.org. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  27. ^ "Paul Strauss: Denial of democratic equality for DC violates international law". TheDCLine.org. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  28. ^ "Member of European Parliament Calls for DC Statehood". NBC4 Washington. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  29. ^ "Paul Strauss". GCRL. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
  30. ^ Yehle, Emily (October 31, 2008). "Shadow Senator Arrested for Drunken Driving". Roll Call. Archived from the original on December 4, 2008. Retrieved November 30, 2008.
  31. ^ Cherkis, Jason and DeBonis, Mike. "Strauss Flashed Senate ID to Cops Before Arrest". WRC-TV. November 14, 2008. Retrieved on November 30, 2008.
  32. ^ Cherkis, Jason (June 1, 2009). "Shadow Senator Paul Strauss Pleads Guilty To DUI". Washington City Paper. Washington, D.C. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
  33. ^ "D.C. Primaries: Paul Strauss". The Washington Post. 2006.
  34. ^ "Final and Complete Election Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. September 10, 1996. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  35. ^ "Final and Complete Election Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. November 5, 1996. Archived from the original on March 19, 2008. Retrieved February 26, 2008.
  36. ^ "Election Year 2002 September 10 Primary Election". District of Columbia Board of Elections. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  37. ^ "Certification Summary - Candidate". District of Columbia Board of Elections. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  38. ^ "Primary Election September 12, 2006" (PDF). District of Columbia Board of Elections. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  39. ^ "Certified Election Results for the September 09, 2008 Primary Election". District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. June 3, 2009. Archived from the original on June 8, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
  40. ^ "Final and Complete Election Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. June 3, 2008. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved June 3, 2009.
  41. ^ "Primary Election 2014 - Certified Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  42. ^ "DCBOE Election Results". electionresults.dcboe.org. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  43. ^ "DCBOE Election Results". electionresults.dcboe.org. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  44. ^ "General Election 2020 - Certified Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for U.S. Shadow Senator from the District of Columbia
(Class 2)
1996, 2002, 2008, 2014, 2020 		Most recent
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. Shadow Senator (Class 2) from the District of Columbia
1997–present
Served alongside: Florence Pendleton, Mike Brown 		Incumbent
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