If ever there was a year when DC residents seemed to demand change, this seems to be it. Two council members they face withdrawal efforts. Anxiety about crime continues to rise. And widespread concern about the state of education has worried DC parents.
But that dissatisfaction did not manifest itself in the results of Tuesday night’s Democratic primary election, as every incumbent on the ballot cruised to victory with broad support from their constituents. Council members Trayon White Sr. (Ward 8), Janeese Lewis George (Ward 4), and Robert C. White Jr. (At Large) easily won the Democratic nominations, even as many of their rivals attempted to criticize them. on an issue of utmost concern to voters: crime. District 7 was too close to call a day after the election, although Wendell Felder, chairman of its Neighborhood Advisory Commission, declared victory after polls closed Tuesday night.
Veteran D.C. pollster Ron Lester said the success of incumbents in this election suggests that many voters, despite frustration over issues like crime, believe finding solutions goes beyond the efforts of any council. individual. member. He pointed to the District 8 race, in which Trayon White defeated a pair of challengers, as an example. Homicides there surpassed the rest of the city in 2023. “But Trayon White keeps getting re-elected,” Lester said.
“That’s because voters have access to it,” Lester continued. “They can talk to him and understand the measures he has put in place to tackle crime. “They don’t hold him accountable for it and a lot of voters are working with him on it.”
In District 4, Lewis George’s most competitive rival, Lisa Gore, attempted to get to Lewis George’s right on crime, drawing on her experience as a law enforcement officer in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. For example, he attacked Lewis George for being the only one to vote against last summer’s emergency crime legislation (Lewis George opposed rushed changes to the pretrial detention statute) and for fighting for amendments to Secure DC, the general anti-crime bill.
Gore found some support, but not enough to defeat Lewis George, who was projected to win by a wide margin, according to unofficial results from the D.C. Board of Elections.
For many voters across the District on Tuesday, the experience was important. Even for those eager to see improvements on issues like crime and education, many said they would rather rely on headlines to get the job done than take a chance on a new person speaking.
“We need someone proven who can walk the walk,” said Melanie Sampson, 38, who voted for Lewis George. “When you’re new, there’s a bit of a learning curve: figuring out how the council works. “We really want to give him enough time to get things done.”
In District 8, Salim Adofo, an advisory neighborhood commissioner, similarly attacked Trayon White over the crime. He frequently pointed to White’s “present” vote on Secure DC to argue that White was ineffective, saying the issue and legislation were too important not to take a firm position.
But Adofo and another rival, Rahman Branch, couldn’t overcome White’s significant name recognition and his reputation as a politician with boots on the ground, showing up at crime scenes and listening to victims.
At the polls on Tuesday, that approach was fully demonstrated.
Brigette Barnes, 66, saw White campaigning for votes outside Union Temple Baptist Church while on her way to vote Tuesday. She approached him and he turned around. “I’m here to talk to you,” she said.
In the unit above the 21-year-old Anacostia resident’s apartment, two people were recently shot because the building’s safety issues were not addressed, she said. She wanted to know what White would do to help.
“Give me your full name,” White said. Barnes did it. “What’s your Number?” Barnes gave it to him. He would schedule a tenant meeting with landlords and other authorities, he told Barnes.
Barnes wasn’t sure she could count on him, but as she reviewed the ballot, she realized she only recognized White, showing the power of familiarity in a race where politicians identified name recognition as an obstacle for their rivals since the beginning. “I guess I’ll go with him,” Barnes said of White.
In a status quo campaign year, District 7 is the exception, and will likely see the most changes on the D.C. Council after Gray retires and a new generation takes over.
Starting Wednesday afternoon, Felder was leading a tight race with Ebony Payne, founder of a herbal medicine company and Kingman Park advisory neighborhood commissioner, and Eboni-Rose Thompson, president of the state board of education.
But in a race with 10 candidates, the electorate was very divided and the The winner is likely to end up with significantly less than 50 percent of the vote.
For Lisa Rice, District 7 advisory neighborhood commissioner, the election emerged as a case study in the merits of ranked-choice voting, which allows voters to rank candidates in their order of preference. Rice is leading an election initiative to bring ranked-choice voting and open primaries to the District, and she spent the day encouraging voters to sign the petition. to place the measure on the November ballot.
“No one wants to feel like they’re going to be in this position with almost 80 percent of the people voting against it,” Rice said. “There were a lot of voters who said, ‘I love this person, but I also like him a lot.’ “That’s exactly what ranked-choice voting is for.”
Some D.C. politicians were willing to accept Felder, the former Democratic chair of District 7, as Gray’s successor despite the votes remaining to be counted. Including gray.
“Congratulations to Wendell Felder! He ran a very good campaign and, above all, finished with momentum,” reads a post from Gray’s account on X. Gray had endorsed Felder in the race, significantly elevating Felder in the crowded field. “Wendell earned the trust of District 7 voters by listening carefully to their concerns.”
Felder, who had also held community relations and project management positions in Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s administration, said unifying the district would be a top priority after the election.
“I hope to build unity throughout District 7 now that this part is over; the real work is beginning,” she said.
Antonio Olivo and Danny Nguyen contributed to this report.
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