Kevin Zeese, a longtime Takoma Park political and social activist, announced an independent bid for the U.S. Senate yesterday, pledging to rally three of Maryland’s minor political parties around his candidacy next year.

“I’m running for U.S. Senate because the two major parties no longer represent the interests of most Americans,” said Zeese, who said he hopes to gain the backing of the state’s Green, Populist and Libertarian parties.

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This is an issue of direct relevence to MoCo residents.

The number of affordable houses and apartments in the District plummeted by nearly 12,000 last year, according to an analysis of new U.S. Census data released yesterday, and a task force issued a draft report calling on D.C. officials to spend dramatically more to offset the spiraling cost of housing.

Once virtually abandoned by middle-class home buyers, the nation’s capital is now a boomtown with skyrocketing rents and home prices in almost every neighborhood. While the real estate frenzy is generating millions of extra dollars in property taxes and other fees, it is also pushing mortgage and rent payments far beyond what many District residents can afford.

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