Voters in Tuesday’s Democratic primaries uncharacteristically replaced three incumbent city council members.
Because of the District’s heavy Democratic population, the winners of the primary races are expected to coast to victory in November’s general election. Only three races were contested: the City Council seats in Ward 8 and Ward 7, held by incumbents Kevin Chavous and Sandy Allen, and an at-large seat, held by Harold Brazil, that represents the entire city. Kwame Brown, Vincent Gray and former Mayor Marion Barry replaced the respective council members.
“Hopefully this focus on the east side of the city will make access to city services more equitable,” Eric Lashner (CAS ‘05), the head of Campaign Georgetown, an organization that advocates student participation in District government, said.
“When things are not good-the district is in a rough place-it’s natural that the voters would be unhappy with the policy,” Georgetown Professor Clyde Wilcox, an expert in electoral behavior who is familiar with D.C. politics, said. “The crime, the education, the poverty trends are not good.”
Voters in Ward 8 turned to a familiar face, former Mayor Marion Barry. Though Barry was at the center of drug and corruption allegations in the early ‘90s, his political skill and charisma resulted in a sweeping 57 percent victory.
Allen, a former campaign manager for Barry, received 25 percent.
The results were similar in the At-Large race, with Brown winning with 54 percent of the vote, despite a series of personal attacks by Brazil during the waning days of the campaign. Sam Brooks, a 24-year-old political neophyte, finished with 13 percent of the vote.
