1. Paul Eric Strauss was born on April 11,1964 and is an American politician and attorney serving as the senior United States shadow senator from the District of Columbia since 1997.
19 Facts About Paul Strauss
1. 2.
Paul Strauss succeeded Jesse Jackson, the first person to hold the elected position of a shadow senator for Washington, DC Paul Strauss is a member of the Democratic Party.
3.
Paul Strauss's father was a painting contractor for Yankee Stadium.
4.
Paul Strauss moved to Washington, DC, in 1982 at the age of 18, later earning his bachelor's degree and Juris Doctor at American University.
5.
Paul Strauss is a former chairperson of the District's Board of Real Property Assessments and Appeals.
6.
Paul Strauss has been a union organizer for Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union Local 25.
7.
Paul Strauss was first elected to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in 1986 as the youngest chairperson and was a commissioner there until 1996.
8.
In 2006, Paul Strauss ran for the Council of the District of Columbia to represent Ward 3.
9.
Paul Strauss was selected to be a superdelegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention where he endorsed Barack Obama.
10.
In 2014, Paul Strauss launched the "51 Stars" campaign, enlisting the help of 51 celebrities and public figures to support the initiative for DC Statehood and endorse the District of Columbia as the fifty-first star on the US flag upon admittance to the Union.
11.
In February 2015, Paul Strauss traveled to Iowa to encourage Democratic and Republican party chapters to discuss DC statehood at their local caucuses and inspired the Polk County Democrats to pass a resolution supporting DC statehood in March.
12.
Paul Strauss traveled there again the following year for the 2016 Iowa caucuses, after running political ads from the national "51 Stars" campaign.
13.
Paul Strauss spoke to The Washington Post and said he expected nearly every precinct in every county to pass resolutions in favor of statehood for DC.
14.
Paul Strauss has engaged in various efforts on the international stage.
15.
In 2015, Paul Strauss appeared before a panel of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization and, citing the lack of statehood for Washington, DC, successfully petitioned for the District of Columbia to become the first and only North American participant in the international body.
16.
In June 2018, Paul Strauss addressed the European Union in Brussels, Belgium to discuss the issue of DC statehood.
17.
Paul Strauss is an honorary member of the Global Committee for the Rule of Law.
18.
On October 1,2008, Paul Strauss was arrested for drunken driving.
19.
Paul Strauss was found to have a blood-alcohol level at twice the legal level of intoxication.