Ben Frumin
Member of the Council of the District of Columbia
from Ward 3
Assumed office
January 2, 2023
Preceded byMary Cheh
Member of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission
from the 3E02 district
In office
July 2008 – December 2014
Preceded byTalia Primor
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUniversity of Michigan (BA)
George Washington University (JD)
WebsiteCampaign website

Matthew Frumin is an American politician and activist who serves as Ward 3 member of the Council of the District of Columbia. Before serving on the DC Council, Frumin worked as an international trade attorney and was active on local education issues.

Early life and education

Frumin grew up near Detroit, the son of a psychiatrist who later unsuccessfully ran for Congress.[1]

Career

Frumin served as a Clinton appointee in the State Department. He was a major fundraiser for Clinton, where he was a member of the fundraising group known as the "Saxophone Club".[1] After leaving government, he worked as an international trade attorney and was a partner of the law firm Cassidy Levy Kent.[2]

Politics

In 2000, Frumin was the Democratic nominee against Congressman Joe Knollenberg in Michigan's 11th congressional district. He lost by 15 points, though he fared better than his father, who had run against Knollenberg four years earlier in the solidly Republican district.[1]

Frumin began his work in local DC politics through his ANC, serving as chair of 3E and various Council and mayoral taskforces. He was an advocate for improvements to public schools in Ward 3, including Janney Elementary, Deal Middle and Wilson High School In 2013, Frumin ran for a vacant at-large seat on the DC Council after Phil Mendelson became chair of the Council.[1] Frumin outraised many of his competitors, but came in fourth place with 11 percent of the vote.[3] He was supported by filmmaker Aviva Kempner and wavered about whether he would hold outside employment if elected.[4]

In 2022, following incumbent Mary Cheh's announcement that she would not seek another term, Frumin announced his candidacy.[5] He won the June primary after three candidates dropped out days before the election to support his campaign.[5]

Positions

In his 2022 campaign, Frumin said that "alleviating school overcrowding and increasing access to affordable housing" were "the most pressing issues facing Ward 3.[6]

Committees

Frumin serves on the following committees:[7]

Committee on Executive Administration and Labor

Committee on Hospital and Health Equity

Committee on Transportation and the Environment

Committee on Facilities and Family Services

Committee on Housing

Personal life

Frumin and his wife Lena have been married for 35 years live in American University Park. He has three adult children who all attended Woodrow Wilson High School[6][8] (now called Jackson-Reed High School). He is active in the Washington Interfaith Network.[2]

Electoral history

2022 Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 3, Democratic Primary[9]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Matthew Frumin 8,012 42.28
Democratic Eric Goulet 5,641 29.77
Democratic Phil Thomas 1,087 5.74
Democratic Beau Finley 958 5.06
Democratic Tricia Duncan (withdrawn) 921 4.86
Democratic Monte Monash 848 4.47
Democratic Ben Bergmann (withdrawn) 753 3.97
Democratic Deirdre Brown 517 2.73
Democratic Henry Z Cohen (withdrawn) 194 1.02
Write-in 19 .1
Total votes 18,950 100.0

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Suderman, Alan (February 14, 2013). "Cash Is the Best?". The Washington City Paper. Washington DC. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  2. 1 2 Craig, Tim (November 30, 2012). "Ward 3 Commissioner Matthew Frumin running for at-large seat". Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved November 30, 2020.
  3. ↑ Craig, Tim (April 24, 2013). "Anita Bonds holds on to D.C. Council seat". Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  4. ↑ Thies, Chuck (November 30, 2012). "Thies: "Murky" Candidate in D.C. At-Large Campaign". Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Austermuhle, Martin (June 22, 2022). "Election reflection: Key takeaways from D.C.'s primary". WAMU. Washington DC. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
  6. 1 2 O'Connell, Michael (May 26, 2022). "Candidate Profile: Matthew Frumin For DC City Council In Ward 3". Patch.com. Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Ward 3 Councilmember Matthew Frumin • Council of the District of Columbia". Council of the District of Columbia. January 2, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Examiner: DC Council Frontrunner Frumin Marks Milestones". Retrieved May 26, 2022.
  9. ↑ "DCBOE Election Results". electionresults.dcboe.org. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
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