Paul Strauss
Democratic · DC · U.S. Senator (Shadow), District of Columbia
Paul Strauss is an attorney who has been one of D.C.'s two shadow senators since 1997 and once chaired the city's Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals. His priorities are D.C. statehood with a real voice in Congress and pushing back on federal overreach in local affairs.
Where Paul Strauss stands, based on their records
Supports
Civil Rights (10 records)
Track record
Track record — Civil Rights
Civil Rights · 10 support
Testified by invitation before the Alaska Senate Judiciary Committee in support of a resolution backing D.C. statehood (SJR 6).
March 10, 2025Supports Civil Rights
Source: akleg.gov
Testified before the Vermont House Government Operations Committee on a resolution urging Congress to admit D.C. as a state (J.R.H.4).
April 23, 2021Supports Civil Rights
Source: legislature.vermont.gov
Spoke to the European Parliament's delegation for relations with the United States in Brussels, arguing that denying D.C. residents a vote in Congress violates international law.
July 4, 2018Supports Civil Rights
Source: thedcline.org
Appeared with actor Esai Morales in a TV ad aired in Puerto Rico that backed D.C. statehood and economic justice for Puerto Rico.
June 2, 2016Supports Civil Rights
Source: dcist.com
Lobbied Iowa Democrats for D.C. statehood at the February 2016 caucuses. This built on his 2015 trip that won a Polk County Democrats resolution backing statehood.
February 18, 2016Supports Civil Rights
Source: dcist.com
Led a D.C. statehood delegation to Brussels that won the District membership in the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, an international group for peoples without full self-government.
November 9, 2015Supports Civil Rights
Source: norton.house.gov
Recorded new public service ads with visiting celebrities for his "51 Stars" campaign, a D.C. statehood ad series he launched in early 2014.
April 28, 2015Supports Civil Rights
Source: rollcall.com
Testified before the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in support of a bill to admit D.C. as a state (the New Columbia Admission Act, S. 132).
September 15, 2014Supports Civil Rights
Source: hsgac.senate.gov
Helped hang about 8,500 "Yes We Can! D.C. Statehood Now!" signs across the city before Barack Obama's inauguration, paid for by the D.C. Statehood Fund.
January 12, 2009Supports Civil Rights
Source: dcist.com
Held back his automatic superdelegate vote in the 2000 Democratic presidential race until a candidate showed a firm commitment to D.C. statehood. All other D.C. superdelegates had already endorsed Al Gore.
January 25, 2000Supports Civil Rights
Source: web.archive.org
Track record — General
General · 5 records
Publicly criticized President Trump's federal takeover of the D.C. police in a Scripps News interview. He called D.C. a safe city and said federal control of its courts and prosecutors was the real problem.
August 12, 2025
Source: scrippsnews.com
As a member of D.C.'s New Columbia Statehood Commission, took part in its public vote approving a proposed state constitution and boundaries. He joined the unanimous vote to keep "New Columbia" as the state's name.
June 28, 2016
Source: statehood.dc.gov
Asked D.C.'s Office of Campaign Finance to review how he reported tax check-off money given to his statehood fund. The office found his reporting did not appear to break campaign finance law.
May 14, 2009
Source: ocf.dc.gov
As chair of D.C.'s Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals, joined Mayor Adrian Fenty to swear in new board members. The board hears property owners' appeals of their tax assessments.
May 2, 2008
Source: rptac.dc.gov
Endorsed Barack Obama for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination as a D.C. superdelegate, citing Obama's support for D.C. voting rights and full representation in Congress.
February 26, 2008
Source: presidency.ucsb.edu
Past race Paul Strauss ran in:
- United States Senator (Shadow) · November 3, 2026 · District of Columbia · incumbent