There is no room left for debate: the nearly 700,000 residents of the District of Columbia deserve statehood. In fact, for the purposes of thousands of federal laws, Washington, D.C., already acts as a state, and they perform those functions well. Because of D.C.’s unique status in the American political system, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser already functions as a mayor, county executive, and governor and that is why the Democratic Governors Association is proud to welcome Mayor Bowser to its ranks as its newest member.
Statehood for D.C. is a fight for democratic principles, civil rights, and racial justice — the very values the members of the DGA advance in their states and territories every single day. Making D.C. the 51st state means finally giving its residents the right to representation granted to them under the U.S. Constitution. Taxation without representation was as unjust in 1776 as it is today.