On Tuesday, voters also select candidates for the non-voting delegate seat held by Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), as well as candidates for D.C. senator and “shadow” representative – non-voting positions in the Congresses that are generally responsible for promoting district statehood.
Polling stations are open until 8 p.m.
Ward 7 has been the center of the most gripping race of this year’s election cycle, as 10 candidates battle to succeed Gray, who is not running for re-election due to health concerns.
Crime, education, the neighborhood economy and the future of the RFK Stadium complex were the key issues in this race. Adding to the intrigue: Ward 7 added thousands of residents after a redistricting process that extended its border farther west across the Anacostia River. In recent days, some candidates in this field have sought to stand out from the pack with strategic advertising and last-minute announcements of support, particularly from sitting council members.
In Ward 8, Councilman Trayon White Sr. (D) is being challenged by two community leaders: former Ballou High School Principal Rahman Branch and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Salim Adofo.
White has a strong foundation and long track record of service and activism in the district, demonstrating to voters that he is the only candidate with the experience to advocate on behalf of DC’s most disadvantaged neighborhood. But White’s opponents have questioned his track record as a lawmaker. And they say it’s time for a new approach to addressing the neighborhood’s intractable problems, such as reducing violence and poverty, while improving residents’ economic outcomes.
Ward 4 council member Janeese Lewis George (D) is up 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 sought to portray Lewis George as too liberal on issues of public safety; George, in turn, mentioned Voters say she is the only candidate in the race who has worked as a prosecutor. She defended her electoral record, accusing her opponents of having distorted her record on the city’s police budget.
Election Day in Ward 4 got off to a slow start at Powell Elementary School in Columbia Heights. Voters came through the door every few minutes, many voting before work.
In the general Democratic primary, Robert C. White Jr. (D) faces a challenge from Rodney “Red” Grant – an entertainer who, with White, ran unsuccessfully for D.C. mayor there two years ago. White hopes to retain his seat, introducing voters to his leadership on the council’s housing committee and other legislative proposals. Grant, who runs two programs aimed at helping the city’s youth, argued that he was more in tune with young people than White and pledged to build on that work if elected.
At the federal level, voters on Tuesday also select candidates for D.C.’s non-voting positions in Congress. Norton is a candidate for selection for the 17th time. Kelly Mikel Williams, who has worked in local and federal government and previously ran against Norton, is challenging her once again. The ballot is rounded out by contests for city “shadow” senator, where candidate Ankit Jain is running against Eugene D. Kinlow, and shadow representative, where incumbent Oye Owolewa is challenged by Linda L. Gray.
This story is developing and will be updated.