19 Facts About Brooke Pinto

Brooke Pinto is the youngest Councilmember in the District's history and the first woman to represent Ward 2.

Brooke Pinto attended Cornell University and completed a degree in business and hospitality administration.

Brooke Pinto then moved to Washington, DC to attend Georgetown University Law School, where she earned a Juris Doctor in 2017.

Brooke Pinto helped craft legislation to address hate crimes and deceptive charity practices.

Brooke Pinto left the role after one year to launch her campaign for Council of the District of Columbia.

In February 2020, Brooke Pinto announced her candidacy for Ward 2 Councilmember after incumbent Jack Evans resigned amidst an ethics scandal.

Brooke Pinto was the last entrant into a crowded field that included Evans.

Brooke Pinto touted that she was the only candidate with business, tax, and legislative experience, which was needed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In early polls, Brooke Pinto trailed behind opponents with only two to three percent of the vote.

However, after the Washington Post editorial board endorsed Brooke Pinto, claiming that she would provide a "needed new start," she began to gain momentum.

Brooke Pinto garnered support from Congressmen Richard Blumenthal, for whom she had previously worked, and Joe Kennedy III, who previously received $7,500 and $12,800 in donations, respectively, from her father James Brooke Pinto.

Brooke Pinto pulled off a surprise victory, earning 28 percent of the vote in a field of eight candidates listed on the ballot and ultimately winning the Democratic primary by about 300 votes.

Brooke Pinto was the only candidate who did not participate in DC's Fair Elections public financing program, which allowed her to self-fund $45,000 for her campaign.

Brooke Pinto faced multiple challengers in the general election, focusing their campaigns on her finances and local expertise.

In 2021, Brooke Pinto was accused of breaking campaign finance laws in an effort to retire her campaign debts.

At a $500 a head fundraiser hosted by a Ward 2 developer, Brooke Pinto raised $21,000, in violation of a DC law that prohibits candidates from fundraising to pay off campaign debts more than six months after they are elected.

Brooke Pinto said that in meetings with the Office of Campaign Finance, she specifically asked if such a fundraiser would be permittable and that OCF officials did not raise any objections.

In office, Brooke Pinto has established herself as a swing vote between the more progressive and the more moderate blocs.

On December 21,2022, Brooke Pinto was announced to be the new Chairwoman of the Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, an influential position especially given the rise in crime in the city.