In June 2023 my wife Megan (she/her) and I opened People’s Book, a full service bookstore on Westmoreland Avenue in Takoma Park. We’ve been overwhelmed by the kind and engaged community at the store, and that spirit is why I’m so excited to run for this office.
I’ve spent the last 25 years working in public policy, fighting for progressive causes. This is probably no surprise for the son of a city manager. My first foray into the political realm was in 1998, when I interned in a tossup race for a House of Representatives seat in Oregon. Spoiler alert…we won! Since then, I have been honored to work for about a decade on Capitol Hill, first for Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), passing legislation on inclusive transportation, wilderness protections, and even Coast Guard icebreakers. As an American University alum, I am a policy nerd through and through, and love working through difficult issues and building coalitions to get things done.
I’m rooted in Takoma, and so is our store. Megan and I are proud 2024 Azalea Award Winners and take the responsibility of community stewards very seriously. People’s Book is an underwriter for Takoma Radio (tune in on Mondays for my show!) and a proud DC Diaper Bank ambassador. The store donates annually to Takoma Park Silver Spring Baseball and Softball, the Takoma Children’s Business Fair, and PEN America. We distribute free books to Small Things Matter, Vietnam Veterans of America, Collective Action for Safe Spaces, as well as to over a dozen local schools, local churches and temples. We also mail banned books regularly to Texas for distribution, in an attempt to make Greg Abbott and Ted Cruz sad.
Megan and I live near on Lincoln Ave. in Takoma Park with our two children, Cassius (5) and Persephone (3) — you’ve probably seen us biking our kids around town on our beloved blue e-bike. Cassius will attend TPES next year and will gladly teach anyone about cheetahs, gems, or his backyard garden. Persephone loves speaking Spanish at Estrellitas, doing flips, and riding her scooter along the wonderfully closed-to-traffic Sligo Creek parkway.
You may be thinking “this guy seems busy”! It’s true, I have a lot going on! But I think it’s important that our city government has people with skin in the game involved. Takoma Park is the perfect place for our family, and I want to make it that way for other families too.
Matt Bormet 