Bernita Carmichael

Bernita Carmichael

Democratic Party

Candidate, Washington D.C. City Council Ward 5

Elections and appointments

Next election

June 16, 2026

Education

Bachelor's

University of the District of Columbia

Personal

Profession

Risk manager

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Bernita Carmichael (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Washington D.C. City Council to represent Ward 5. Carmichael declared candidacy for the Democratic primary scheduled on June 16, 2026.^[source]

Carmichael completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Bernita Carmichael attended Lloyd C. Bird High School and Phelps Career Senior High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of the District of Columbia. Carmichael's career experience includes working in risk management.

Elections

2026

See also: City elections in Washington, D.C. (2026)

General election

The primary will occur on June 16, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Washington D.C. City Council Ward 5

Incumbent Zachary Parker (D), Bernita Carmichael (D), and Bridget French (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Washington D.C. City Council Ward 5 on June 16, 2026.

		Candidate
		Zachary Parker
		Bernita Carmichael
	Submit photo	Bridget French

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary

Republican primary for Washington D.C. City Council Ward 5

Jeffrey Kihien-Palza (R) is running in the Republican primary for Washington D.C. City Council Ward 5 on June 16, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Jeffrey Kihien-Palza

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Green Party primary

Green primary for Washington D.C. City Council Ward 5

Joyce Robinson-Paul (G) is running in the Green Party primary for Washington D.C. City Council Ward 5 on June 16, 2026.

		Candidate
		Joyce Robinson-Paul

---

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Bernita Carmichael completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2026. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Carmichael's responses.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

As a proud DC Native, I am running for the Ward 5 Council seat driven by my deep-rooted commitment to the community and a personal history shaped by service and resilience. Born at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where my mother worked and served in the Army for 21 years. Raised uptown DC in Brightwood NW and Riggs Park NE, I bring over 15 years of public-facing experience, including significant roles in Enterprise Risk Management and a passion for community advocacy, particularly for veterans, laborers, and LGBTQ+ youth. My experience as a DC Democratic Party Committeewoman and leadership within various organizations equips me to be a strong voice for our diverse community, committed to issues like workplace safety, local business support, and housing accessibility in the face of gentrification.

My candidacy is fueled by a desire to foster economic unity and empower residents to actively participate in the democratic process. I understand the struggles of home ownership and the urgency for transformative change that prioritizes the needs of our residents over outside interests. As a passionate policy writer, I am dedicated to advocating for common-sense solutions that reflect our community's values and aspirations.

Together, let’s Dream Again & Win Together—because a vote for me is a vote for change, hope, and the opportunity to be heard.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• Community Empowerment and Inclusion: I am dedicated to amplifying the voices of all residents, particularly marginalized groups such as veterans, LGBTQ+ youth, and working families. My campaign is centered on fostering a Ward 5 where everyone can actively engage in the democratic process and have their needs heard and addressed—creating a community that is truly Home Built. Home Driven.
• Economic Unity and Housing Accessibility: My focus is on promoting economic transformation that makes homeownership a realistic goal for all residents. By prioritizing initiatives that address housing insecurity and combat gentrification, I aim to ensure that our community thrives and that our neighborhoods remain Home Built. Home Driven.
• Experience and Advocacy: With over 15 years of experience in public service and advocacy, I bring a wealth of knowledge in policy writing and community engagement to the table. My commitment to effective governance will ensure that our policies reflect the values and aspirations of Ward 5 residents, making our future truly Home Built. Home Driven.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

As a workplace violence survivor and general industry occupational safety and health trainer, I am personally passionate about Workplace Safety and Labor Rights. As Ward 5 Councilwoman I will lead supporting policies that emphasize safety and advocate for workers rights, ensuring equitable work environments.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

See also

2026 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Washington D.C. City Council Ward 5

Website

Facebook

Personal

LinkedIn