Elissa Silverman has focused her career on making the District and its government accountable, responsive, and accessible to residents through her work as a reporter, a budget analyst, and an elected official. For the last eight years, she’s put those skills to work as an at-large member of the D.C. Council.

As chair of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development, Elissa knows that women are the backbone of our economy. That’s why Elissa co-authored D.C.’s paid family leave law, which gives women (and men) the time they need to take care of their family members and themselves without financial catastrophe. She has overseen the program’s implementation, which was delivered on time and under budget in the middle of the pandemic.

Elissa has also been a very active member of the Council’s housing committee, writing and funding legislation that has repaired public housing and increased money for subsidies to help working families and those experiencing homelessness have safe housing. She also worked with the city’s Housing Finance Agency to put an innovative program in place to help seniors stay in their homes.

What sets Elissa apart on the Council is her focus on accountability. Elissa knows that women in D.C. work hard to support themselves and their families, and the D.C. government should work just as hard providing city services.

Elissa grew up in Baltimore and attended public schools. She graduated from Brown University with a concentration in economics and history. Her studies at Brown sparked a lifelong interest in urban policy and shaped her thinking on key issues such as equity, race, poverty, and economic development.

Elissa is a Ward 6 resident and owns a home in Capitol Hill near H Street NE. She is a longtime cyclist, a recreational tennis player, and an occasional cook.