Election Day voting has begun in the D.C. primary, where a group of current council members hope to defeat their rivals and retain their seats. In District 7, voters will choose from a crowded field to determine the likely successor to outgoing Council member Vincent C. Gray (D).
This year’s election also features competitive races for council in Districts 4 and 8. In District 2, Council Member Brooke Pinto (D) is running unopposed. The at-large council seat held by Robert C. White Jr. (D) is also on the Democratic primary ballot; The other at-large seat in this year’s cycle, held by incumbent Christina Henderson (I-At Large) and reserved for someone from the non-majority party, will be determined in November.
On Tuesday, voters will also select candidates for Eleanor Holmes Norton’s (D) non-voting House delegate seat, as well as candidates for D.C.’s “shadow” senator and representative, positions in Congress non-voting members who are generally tasked with promoting the statehood of the District.
Polls are open until 8 p.m.
The 7th District has been the center of the most captivating race in this year’s election cycle, as 10 candidates compete to succeed Gray, who is not running for re-election amid health concerns.
Crime, education, the neighborhood’s economy and the future of the RFK Stadium complex have been key issues in this race. Adding to the intrigue: District 7 added thousands of residents after a redistricting process that extended its border further west across the Anacostia River. In recent days, some candidates in the field have sought to separate themselves from the pack through strategic announcements and last-minute endorsement announcements, including from sitting council members.
In District 8, Council Member Trayon White Sr. (D) is being challenged by two community leaders: former Ballou High School Principal Rahman Branch and Neighborhood Advisory Commissioner Salim Adofo.
White has a strong foundation and a long history of service and activism in the district, demonstrating to voters that he is the only candidate with the experience to advocate for DC’s most disadvantaged district. But White’s opponents have questioned his record as a lawmaker. And they say it’s time to take a new approach to remedying the neighborhood’s tough problems, such as reducing violence and poverty, while improving economic outcomes for residents.
District 4 council member Janeese Lewis George (D) is running for re-election for the first time since joining the council in 2020. The self-described Democratic Socialist is being challenged by Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Lisa Gore and Paul Johnson, a municipal investment banker.
Johnson and Gore have tried to portray Lewis George as too liberal on issues related to public safety; George, in turn, has remembered voters that she is the only candidate in the race who has worked as a prosecutor. She has defended her voting record, accusing her opponents of misrepresenting her record on the city’s police budget.
Election Day in District 4 started slowly at Powell Elementary in Columbia Heights. Voters streamed through the door every few minutes, and many cast their ballots before work.
In the general Democratic primary, Robert C. White Jr. (D) faces a challenge from Rodney “Red” Grant, an artist who, along with White, ran unsuccessfully for mayor of D.C. two years ago. White hopes to retain his seat by highlighting to voters his leadership on the council’s housing committee and other legislative proposals. Grant, who runs a pair of programs focused on helping the city’s youth, has argued that he is more in tune with young people than White and pledged to continue that work if he is elected.
At the federal level, voters Tuesday are also selecting candidates for D.C.’s non-voting seats in Congress. Norton is running for reelection for the 17th time. Kelly Mikel Williams, who worked in local and federal government and previously ran against Norton, is challenging her once again. Rounding out the ballot are competitive races for the city’s “shadow” senator, where candidate Ankit Jain is running against Eugene D. Kinlow, and shadow representative, where incumbent Oye Owolewa is being challenged by Linda L. Gray .
This story is developing and will be updated.
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