Paul Strauss

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Paul Strauss
Paul Strauss
Incumbent
Assumed office 
January 1997
Serving with Michael D. Brown
Preceded by Jesse L. Jackson
Born April 11, 1964 (1964-04-11) (age 44)
Brooklyn
Nationality American
Political party Democratic
Spouse Kathy Strauss
Children 2
Alma mater American University
Website paulstrauss.org

Paul Strauss (born April 11, 1964[1]) is a "shadow senator" from the District of Columbia.[2]

Contents

[edit] Political career

Despite the position's name, shadow senators are not truly affiliated with the United States Senate; they are actually affiliated with the District of Columbia's government.[3] As a shadow senator, Strauss is neither allowed to vote on the floor of the United States Senate, nor even be present on the floor itself.[4] Strauss does not have an office in the United States Senate building, but he does have one in the District of Columbia's government's office building.[3][4]

As a non-voting representative to the United States Senate, 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,[5] self-determination, and eventually admittance to the union as a state.[5] Strauss has no paid staff,[3] although he does have unpaid interns.[6] The Senator also works closely with the District's Congressional Delegate, the Office of the Mayor, and the City Council to advance the interest of local residents on Federal issues. Unlike the District's Delegate, Strauss may not vote in House committees, does not have an office in any of the House office buildings, and receives neither a salary nor funding from the federal government. Strauss' expenses may be paid from the Statehood Delegation Fund, which is funded by voluntary contributions from District residents and administered by a yet-to-be-staffed Statehood Delegation Fund Commission.[7]

Strauss opposed efforts by various members of the United States Congress to overturn the District's ban on handguns, institute school vouchers in the District, and institute a flat tax in the District.[8]

In 2006, Strauss ran for the District's City Council 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.[9]

Strauss was selected to be a superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention.[10] He has endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination.[11][12]

Strauss is running for reelection in 2008. According to unofficial results, Strauss received 65 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary, while challenger and Ward 8 activist Phil Pannell received 34 percent.[13] In the November general election, Strauss will face Republican Nelson F. Rimensnyder, D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate Keith Ware, as well as a challenge from a conglomerate of writers and artists at the helm of a science-fiction protest campaign called Shadow DC.[14][15][16]

[edit] Election history

1996 Shadow Senator, D.C., Democratic Primary Election[17]

Paul Strauss (D) 74%
Eduardo Burkhart (D) 22%
Write-in 4%

1996 Shadow Senator, D.C., General Election[18]

Paul Strauss (D) 76%
Gloria R. Corn (R) 14%
George Pope (Umoja) 9%
Write-in 1%

2002 Shadow Senator, D.C., Democratic Primary Election[19]

Paul Strauss (D) 66%
Pete Ross (D) 31%
Write-in 3%

2002 Shadow Senator, D.C., General Election[20]

Paul Strauss (D) 73%
Norma M. Sasaki (R) 8%
Joyce Robinson-Paul (Statehood-Green) 18%
Write-in 1%

2006 Representative for Ward 3 in the D.C. Council, Democratic Primary Election[21]

Mary M. Cheh (D) 44%
Paul Strauss (D) 14%
Sam Brooks (D) 8%
Robert Gordon (D) 8%
Cathy Wiss (D) 8%
Erik S. Gaull (D) 7%
Bill Rice (D) 7%
Eric Goulet (D) 3%
Jonathan Rees (D) 0%
Write-in 0%

[edit] Personal

Strauss was born in Brooklyn, was raised in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. His father was the painting contractor for the New York Yankees.[22] He moved to Washington, D.C. in 1982[8] , earning his bachelor's degree (1986) and juris doctorate (1993) at American University.[23][24] Strauss lives in the Observatory Circle/Glover Park neighborhood in the District.[25] Strauss is an attorney and principal of the Law Offices of Paul Strauss & Associates, P.C.,[23] a civil litigation law firm specializing in Real Estate, Business, and Family law. Strauss is also serving in his second term as Chairperson of the District's Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals.[8][26]

He has been a union organizer for Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union Local 25.[27]

As a youngster was volunteer in election campaigns of Mario Biaggi, Hugh Carey, and Jimmy Carter. He was a seventeen year old intern for New York City Mayor Ed Koch with his own desk in the Tweed Courthouse. 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. [22] He is a past member (at-large) of Washington, D.C.'s Democrat State Committee and Chairman of its Statehood Committee.[27]

He and his wife, Kathy Strauss, have two children: Abigail and Samantha.[27]

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Voters Guide 2006 Supplement" (PDF). The Washington Informer (2006-09-24).
  2. ^ "Congressional Delegation (Shadow)". Government of the District of Columbia. Retrieved on 2008-02-15.
  3. ^ a b c "Finding Solutions to Taxation without Representation", The Georgetown Voice (2002-01-10). 
  4. ^ a b Copeland, Libby (2007-01-16). "Shadow Delegation Toils in Obscurity for D.C.'s Day in the Sun", The Washington Post, p. C01. 
  5. ^ a b Ponder, Meredith (2006-09-27). "Shadow delegates: Emerging from the dark", The Georgetown Independent. 
  6. ^ Cleveland, Bill (2002-01-10). "Finding Solutions to Taxation without Representation", The Georgetown Voice. 
  7. ^ "Statehood Money Rolls In", Washington City Paper (2008-01-02). 
  8. ^ a b c d Dufour, Jeff (2006-05-31). "Paul Strauss: From senator to D.C. councilmember?", The Hill (newspaper). 
  9. ^ "Democratic, Republican News, Elections and Results", NBC4, NBC Universal, Inc. (2006-02-26). 
  10. ^ Stone, Peter H. (2008-02-22). "The K-Street Superdelegates", National Journal. 
  11. ^ Emerling, Gary (2008-02-26). "Obama victory not last say for city in '08 race", Time. 
  12. ^ DeBonis, Mike (2008-02-26). ""Super" Shadow Sens Endorse Obama", Washington City Paper. 
  13. ^ "Election Night Unofficial Results". District of Columbia Board of Ethics and Elections. September 10, 2008. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  14. ^ District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (2008-07-26). "List of Candidates in Ballot Order for the September 9, 2008 Congressional and Council Primary Election" (PDF). Retrieved on 2008-08-01.
  15. ^ Valdez, Angela. "Vote 2008: In On the Joke in D.C." Washington City Paper. August 13, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  16. ^ Valdez, Angela. "Libertarian’s Shadowy Candidate Gets Serious". Washington City Paper. September 15, 2008. Retrieved September 16, 2008.
  17. ^ "Final and Complete Election Results", District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (1996-09-10). 
  18. ^ "Final and Complete Election Results", District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (1996-11-05). 
  19. ^ "Certified Election Results for the September 10, 2002 Primary Election", District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (2002-09-20). 
  20. ^ "Final and Complete Election Results", District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (1996-11-05). 
  21. ^ "Certified Election Results for the September 10, 2002 Primary Election", District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics (2002-09-20). 
  22. ^ a b Vest, Jason (2000-01-25). "Shadow in Doubt", Village Voice. 
  23. ^ a b "The Washington Informer Voter's Guide 2006 Supplement" (pdf), The Washington Informer (2006-08-24), p. 10. 
  24. ^ "Notable Alumni". American University School of Public Affairs.
  25. ^ "D.C. Primaries: Paul Strauss". The Washington Post (2006).
  26. ^ "Composition of the Board". District of Columbia Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals. Retrieved on 2008-02-26.
  27. ^ a b c "Paul Strauss". Marquis Who's Who TM. Marquis Who's Who, 2008. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2008. Document Number: K2017719070.
v • d • e
United States Shadow Senators from the District of Columbia
Seat 1: Florence Pendleton (D) • Michael D. Brown (D)
Seat 2: Jesse L. Jackson (D) • Paul Strauss (D)
 United States Senate


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