Mary Cheh, a professor of law at GW and the Ward 3 D.C. Council member, will not run to serve a fifth term as a city lawmaker.
Cheh said in a statement Friday that she will step down from the Council to spend more time with her family, capping off more than 15 years of service on the District’s legislature. Cheh, who joined GW Law’s faculty more than 40 years ago, has authored bills that reformed school nutrition, elections and sustainable energy in D.C. during her time on the Council.
“Many people have reevaluated their lives during the pandemic, and that has been the case for me as well,” Cheh said in the statement. “I have come to realize that I want to recover my personal life and dedicate more time to my granddaughter, who has been the light in my life since she was born on my reelection day three years ago.”
Cheh did not return a request for comment.
As the Ward 3 Council member, Cheh helped pass the 2008 Healthy Schools Act, which guaranteed breakfast for K-12 students and increased education about nutrition and health in D.C.’s public schools. Cheh was also one of five Council members to vote to protect Initiative 77, a ballot measure that would have increased the tipped minimum wage in D.C. but was ultimately repealed by the Council, according to her website.
“With your support, the District has become a national climate leader, and we have seen outstanding advances in our schools, expanded nutrition access and protections for the health and safety for all of our residents,” Cheh said.
