Charles Allen is a Democratic member of the Council of the District of Columbia, representing Ward 6 since January 2015.

Charles Allen, born in 1977 in Alabama, is a longtime Ward 6 resident who lives with his wife Jordi Hutchinson, children Cora Neal and Everett, and dog Olive near 5th and G Streets, NE. A Democrat, he was first elected in 2014 to succeed Councilmember Tommy Wells, whom he served as chief of staff from 2007 to 2013, and has been re-elected in 2018 and 2022. He previously led Ward 6 Democrats as president from 2009 to 2013, advocating for same-sex marriage legalization, and served as an elected delegate to the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Education and Political Experience

Allen graduated from Washington and Lee University and earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. His career began as a graduate fellow at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, focusing on community-based health options, followed by policy director at the DC Primary Care Association, where he expanded healthcare access. In politics, he managed Tommy Wells' campaigns and has held key council roles, including Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety , co-chair of the Special Committee on COVID-19 Recovery, and current Chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment . He also serves as Vice Chair of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Notable Achievements

Allen has championed legislation including "Books from Birth" , permanent vote-by-mail and automatic voter registration, the "Fair Elections" public financing program, Vision Zero for safer streets, fare-free Metro buses in DC, second chances sentencing, and LGBTQ rights and women's health initiatives.