DC Government Resource Center: Paul Strauss Biography

Paul Strauss is serving his third term as United States Senator for the District of Columbia. As a non-voting representative to the Senate, Strauss lobbies the Senate and House of Representatives on behalf of DC citizens in their attempt to gain full Federal representation, self-determination, and eventually admittance to the union as the nation’s 51st state. Sen. Strauss also works closely with DC’s Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and the DC Council members to advance the interest of local residents on federal issues.

Born and raised in New York, Paul Strauss became involved in politics at a very young age. During his youth, the Senator volunteered on many political campaigns including that of Mario Biaggi, Hugh Carey, and Jimmy carter. At age 17, Strauss interned in the office of Ed Koch (105th mayor of New York City).

Strauss went on to attend American University in Washington, DC where he obtained a bachelor’s degree from American University’s School of Government and Public Administration, and a Juris Doctorate from AU's College of Law. In 1993, Strauss opened up his own law firm, Paul Strauss & Associates, PC. Located in Washington, DC, the civil litigation firm has grown to five lawyers, and specializes in real estate, business and family law.

Paul Strauss’s political career began in 1985 at the age of 21 while still an undergraduate student, he won his first election to DC public office during his junior year in college. Strauss was elected Chairperson of the Neighborhood Planning Council #3, covering the upper northwest area of the District. The following year he was elected to Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3E (ANC/SMD 3E-05) as the youngest chairperson ever, where he served five terms as the Commissioner until 1996.

Paul has served as an at-large member of the DC Democratic State Committee and the chairperson of the Democratic Party's DC Statehood Committee. He also worked as a Legislative Assistant to the DC Council's Committee on Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, and as a union organizer for Hotel and Restaurant Employees Local 25. He was an adjunct professor of political science at AU's Department of Government.

Paul Strauss has been a resident of the District of Columbia since 1982. He served as chairperson on the Board of Real Property Assessment and Appeals for the District of Columbia from 2005 till 2008. He was President of the Northwest Youth Alliance, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides job opportunities to DC youth.

In 1996, with over 76 percent of the vote, Strauss became the second elected senator of DC. Strauss was re-elected for his third term in 2008. He received 183,519 votes (81 percent of the vote), the greatest number of votes ever received by a candidate for US Senator.

In 2008, Strauss was also selected to be a ‘Super-Delegate” to the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Colorado. Speaking about Sen. Strauss, President Obama said he has “been a leader for promoting unity and equality for all Americans” and having “shown a steadfast commitment to the DC voting rights and full representation in Congress.”

He currently resides in Northwest with his family.