Alyssa Silverman Sworn In as DC Councilmember - July 17, 2026
Alyssa Silverman Sworn In as DC Councilmember - July 17, 2026
On July 17, 2026, the Council of the District of Columbia held a special swearing-in ceremony for Alyssa Silverman, who won the June 16th election. Chairman Phil Mendelson presided and noted that the ceremony took place immediately after the Board of Elections formally certified the results. The meeting included the administration of the oath of office and remarks by the new councilmember.
Key Outcomes
- Alyssa Silverman was sworn in as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia, repeating the oath of office administered by Chairman Mendelson.
- Councilmembers Matt Freuman, Anita Bonds, Trayon White, and Mundell Felder were present in support.
- In her remarks, Silverman expressed gratitude to supporters and highlighted her commitment to defending DC home rule, helping Washingtonians affected by economic hardship (e.g., a former USAID employee struggling with unemployment), and partnering with education and economic development leaders east of the Anacostia River. She quoted the late Mayor Marion Barry: "If you can look up, you can get up."
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. Thank you all for being here. This is a momentous occasion for the Council of the District of Columbia. We don't do this very often. I will note that this swearing in is taking place today and not earlier because we have to wait until the Board of Elections actually formally certifies the results from the June 16th election, which they did earlier today. And it is under the Home Rule Act that we are required, or at least we are supposed to swear in the winner of the election on the same day as soon as we can. So here we are. Would have been a few weeks earlier if the votes could be tallied more quickly, but the board, and I mean no shade to the Board of Elections. They did their process, uh, but that's why we are here today in the middle of July. I do want to congratulate Alyssa Silverman for her victory. And you know, with ranked choice voting, everybody speculated before July 6 uh before June 16th how many candidates would have to go through the ranking and how long it would take. And Alyssa uh commanded enough votes that it was she was the winner with the first ballot. So congratulations on that. I will note as well, usually we had doing these swearing ins on January 2nd, and there's always somebody who's newly elected. Uh and I know from experience that the newly elected folks are folks who have to kind of figure out where the bathrooms are, as they say, and figure out what the processes are. And we know that with Alyssa Silverman that she has experience with the council, and so she'll be able to hit the ground running, and that's a good thing. Uh so this is a consequential time, and I am going to proceed now to ask uh Councilmember Alex Overman if you would come forward. I think you want some family to come up here. Yes. And then we will administer the oath of office. Thank you. I'm my parents are here, but area and I stay, and we're seated by like my brother and see and Laura and Jack Bob. Okay. Okay. Okay. So I think you need a Bible. Okay. All right. So you have to put your hand on the Bible. Raise if you would raise your right hand. I guess we'll put this over here. Uh if you would raise your right hand and repeat after me. I. I Alyssa Silverman. Do solemnly swear. Do solemnly swear. That I will faithfully execute the laws of the United States of America. Will faithfully execute the laws of the United States of America. And of the District of Columbia. And of the District of Columbia. And will, to the best of my ability. And will to the best of my ability. Preserve, protect, and defend. Preserve, protect, and defend. The Constitution of the United States. The Constitution of the United States. And the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. And the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. And we'll faithfully discharge the duties. And we'll faithfully discharge the duties.
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