There’s at least one election this year where more of the same is a good thing: the Democratic primary for Ward 2 Councilmember. Next Tuesday, residents of Ward 2 will head to the polls to choose between Councilmember Jack Evans, the 17-year incumbent, and Cary Silverman, the president of the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association and a former ANC commissioner. (In a ward where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 5-to-1, the Democratic primary almost certainly determines the general election winner.) While Silverman brings a refreshing focus on community improvement to the campaign, the Voice’s Editorial Board endorses Councilmember Evans, who has proven himself an effective advocate for Ward 2 during his 17 years on the Council.
Since Evans was first elected in 1991, Ward 2 has undergone an economic revitalization. Neighborhoods like Logan Circle, once a “derelict, crime-ridden place,” in the words of its ANC commissioner, have been transformed into some of the District’s most appealing residential areas. Silverman has criticized Evans for focusing too much on high profile development like the Nationals Stadium and the city’s $50 million handout for renovations to the Verizon Center. While the almost $700 million price tag for the stadium was undoubtedly excessive, and the luxury box given to the Council as part of the Verizon Center deal is objectionable, on the whole Evans has done a good job of balancing his duties as a long-serving Councilmember and his responsibilities toward his constituents.
Evans also has a proven record of fiscal responsibility. During his tenure as Chair of the Finance and Revenue Committee, the city bond rating, one measure of its financial stability, has risen from a BB rating to an A+, its highest ever. Moreover, Evans has an established staff of nine, enabling him to better attend to constituent services for Ward 2 residents than a freshman Councilmember could—an incumbent advantage, but an advantage nonetheless.
Silverman has made one admirable promise that Evans refuses to match. If elected, Silverman has pledged to quit his job as an attorney at Shook, Hardy, & Bacon, a law firm known for lobbying for conservative causes. There’s no evidence that Evans’ job at Patton Boggs, a D.C. law firm, has affected his responsibilities as a Councilmember, but Silverman’s promise is laudable nonetheless.
Georgetown President John DeGioia, as is his policy, declined to endorse either candidate or indicate who will get his vote. However, DeGioia told the Voice that, “Jack [Evans] and I worked very closely since the day he entered public life. I have the highest regard for him.” For members of the Georgetown community, as well as all other Ward 2 residents, the choice should be clear. Jack Evans has represented Ward 2 well for 17 years and should be given the chance to represent it for another four.
