#dcelections — Public Fediverse posts

A bunch of people in tonight's march were chanting "Recall Bowser!" and I 100% sympathize, but citywide recalls in DC are nearly impossible. Plus if by a miracle it succeeded, it would cut only a few months off her time in office, and Mendelson would become acting mayor. Better to devote that time, energy, and money to something else—like a primary campaign against her, if someone steps up. #DCPolitics #DCElections

A new stupid recall campaign has just launched, this time against DC AG Brian Schwalb. #DCPolitics #DCElections
https://bsky.app/profile/maustermuhle.bsky.social/post/3lhhc6wjcac2u

The law firm hired to investigate Councilmember Trayon White found substantial evidence related to the bribery but couldn't show he doesn't live in Ward 8. This sets up a likely expulsion vote next month, followed by a special election a few months later that Trayon may well win if he runs and there are multiple opponents, which there almost certainly will be.
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/755007/independent-investigation-finds-substantial-evidence-trayon-white-broke-council-rules/ #DCPolitics #DCElections

For a second consecutive election, the DC Board of Elections is unable to handle the fact that American University is split between two advisory neighborhood commissions. One ANC write-in candidate was only able to vote for herself by asking for a special ballot after being given the wrong one. Six other people wrote her in on ballots for the other district, though they may well live in her district.
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/754885/election-workers-gave-out-the-wrong-ballots-on-aus-campus-it-mightve-cost-a-student-her-anc-race/ #DCision24 #DCElections

You can't win an election in DC as a write-in unless you file a declaration of your candidacy (which you can do after the election). And you still have to get more votes than anyone else to win, even if the other person doesn't declare. Therefore, some ANC seats will remain vacant despite having declared write-in candidates. ANC 2A is saved from having Bruce Majors and Dennis Sobin (for how, at least). Sadly, 5C was not saved from Harry Thomas.
https://electionresults.dcboe.org/Downloads/Reports/November_5_2024_General_Election_Write-In.pdf #DCElections #DCision24

An advisory neighborhood commission seat in DC will likely remain vacant even though there were two candidates on the ballot. One withdrew before the election, and the other then didn't campaign because he thought he was certain to win because votes for the withdrawn candidate wouldn't count. The withdrawn candidate got the most votes.
https://www.hillrag.com/2024/11/11/dc-board-of-elections-misunderstanding-could-leave-anc-7d01-vacant/ #DCElections #DCision24

In DC, Trump's vote share went from 4.0% in 2016, to 5.4% in 2020, to 6.5% in 2024. #DCElections #DCision24

It is not surprising that Opportunity DC's email to voters promotes Brooke Pinto and Wendell Felder but mentions no other council candidates. What's slightly surprising is that it explicitly takes no position on #Initiative83, which I'd have expected the group to oppose. It lists pluses and minuses for ranked choice voting, but only pluses for semi-open primaries. #DCision24 #DCElections.

The DC Democratic State Committee has sent out a mailer opposing Initiative 83 and listing ward organizations that have taken no position as well as the names of individual committee who actually support the initiative. #DCElections #DCision24

Markus Batchelor decides against a write-in campaign for the Ward 8 seat on the DC Council.
https://markusbatchelor.medium.com/a-note-to-my-neighbors-on-ward-8s-future-13932385a56e #DCision24 #DCElections

I'm used to people having upside-down apostrophes at the start of words (especially two-digit years) thanks to "smart quotes", but how did Frazier O''Leary manage to do it in the middle of his name? #DCElections #DCision24

So far four people have filed forms with the Board of Elections indicating they intend to run as write-in candidates for the Ward 8 council seat:
Michael Brown
Olivia Henderson
Khadijah A Long
June Sherman
The deadline for filing is Nov 12 (after the election).

This Michael Brown is neither the bribe-taking former councilmember (now running for US delegate) nor the retiring shadow senator.
#DCElections #DCision24

Kevin Rapp was running as an independent for an at-large DC Council seat. He needed 3,000 valid signatures on his nominating petition, but didn't manage to get even 2,000. The candidates on the ballot for the at-large race will be the incumbents Robert White (Democrat) and Christina Henderson (independent) along with Darryl Moch (DC Statehood Green) and possibly a Republican. The top two vote getters will win.
https://dcboe.org/getmedia/e7ea73b4-0952-4b9e-8a52-54699964dbe9/Bishop-Henchman-v-Rapp-24-025-090824-v2-(1)
#DCElections #DCision24

Isn't redemption supposed to involve admitting wrong and atoning for it, rather than blaming enemies?
https://www.washingtoninformer.com/religious-leaders-lift-councilmember-trayon-white-in-prayer/ #DCPolitics #DCElections #DCision24

A federal grand jury indicted DC Councilmember Trayon White yesterday on one count of bribery.
https://wjla.com/news/local/trayon-white-dc-indictment-councilmember-grand-jury-federal-charge-bribery-youth-rehabilitation-neighborhood-safety-background-violence-intervention-june-money-payout-disruptors-human-services-onse-dyrs #DCPolitics #DCElections #DCision24

It's no wonder we're going backward on #VisionZeroDC if this is how a council member behaves: "In April 2023, [Trayon White] was stopped by Maryland police for driving without license plates and refusing to show his license and registration to police."
https://wjla.com/features/i-team/washington-dc-councilmember-trayon-white-legal-encounters-court-records-traffic-stop-to-federal-indictment-bribery-charge-government-contracts #DCPolitics #DCElections #DCision24

James Harnett filed a challenge against the DC nominating petitions for RFK Jr. The basis is the same as the successful challenge in New York: that he lists his state of residence on the petition as NY when he actually lives in CA.
#DCElections #DCision24

Today was the deadline for the Recall Charles Allen campaign to turn in petitions (180 days after beginning signature collection). They say they managed to get only 5,500 of the 6,427 needed (which probably means the number of valid signatures is really in the low 4,000s at best), but they're asking the DC Board of Elections to somehow overlook that and hold the recall election anyway. #DCElections #DCision24

Looks like we might not have the distraction of these ridiculous recall campaigns trying to unseat local progressives in DC much longer.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/08/07/dc-recall-campaigns-charles-allen-brianne-nadeau/ #DCElections #DCision24

If the Initiative 83 folks turned in 40k signatures when they need 23k valid signatures, it should make the ballot, so DC voters will be able to vote on whether they want ranked choice voting and semiopen primaries. Deirdre Brown is right when she "expects to see several thousand signatures thrown out", but that's a normal part of the process.
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/743074/initiative-83-looks-close-to-making-the-november-ballot-can-opponents-still-derail-it/
#DCElections #DCision24

Prospective candidates who have picked up so far (no party if none listed):

President
Cornel West / Melina Abdullah (Justice for All Party)

US Delegate
Michael A Brown

Council At-Large
Christina D Henderson
Kevin Rapp
He'lchie Koton Watts (One Minute Past Twelve Party)

SBOE At-Large
Jacque Patterson

SBOE Ward 2
Allister Chang

SBOE Ward 4
T Michelle Colson
Frazier L O'Leary Jr

SBOE Ward 7
Sherice Muhammad

SBOE Ward 8
LaJoy Johnson-Law

#DCElections #DCision24

Friday was the first day to pick up nominating petitions for DC candidates running with no party or with a minor party (one that can't hold a primary) or for the DC State Board of Education (which has nonpartisan elections). #DCElections #DCision24

Still checking results for the DC Democratic primary, just to see whether Eboni-Rose Thompson passes Ebony Payne in the Ward 7 council race as the remaining mail ballots are counted. The gap is only 7 votes now. Of course that's the contest for second place. The winner is Wendell Felder, who's currently 398 votes ahead, with a commanding 23.5% of the vote. #DCElections #DCision24

I got the mailer. We're all used to DC candidates talking about being native Washingtonians. This one has that for Eugene Kinlow and "fifth-generation" for Linda Gray, but the headline of "Rooted in the District of Columbia" really takes it to a new level when running against people with names like Ankit Jain and Oye Owolewa. #DCision24 #DCElections #DCStatehood

DC shadow senator Paul Strauss is chair of a new PAC, DC Statehood Leadership Committee, which is sending out mailers supporting Eugene Kinlow (running for the open shadow senator seat) and Linda Gray (running for shadow representative). Yet another reason to vote for Ankit Jain and Oye Owolewa.
https://efiling.ocf.dc.gov/Disclosure/FilingHistory/16329 #DCElections #DCision24 #DCStatehood

Vince Gray endorses Wendell Felder to be his successor as DC councilmember for Ward 7. Some ward residents wonder if anyone has told Gray about it.
https://www.washingtoninformer.com/ward-7-council-race-endorsement/ #DCision24 #DCElections

Are we really supposed to take people seriously if they attempt to insult people who have lived in DC for decades and clearly made it their homes by mentioning where they came from? Did anyone attack Marion Barry for being from Mississippi? Lisa Hunter tried and failed with this attack against Charles in 2018, back when the claim was that he was too conservative. Now he's apparently bringing the woke, soft-on-crime politics of Alabama to DC? #DCPolitics #DCision24 #DCElections

"It would be strangely poetic if the people who have made crime the centerpiece of their campaign to recall Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen have broken the law themselves. As it happens, that is exactly what Allen’s allies have accused them of in a recent campaign finance complaint."
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/695036/is-the-group-working-to-recall-charles-allen-breaking-the-law-allens-supporters-think-so/
#DCElections #DCision24 #DCPolitics

Loose Lips on the DC Council race in Ward 4. #DCision24 #DCElections
https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/690750/will-tough-on-crime-politics-work-against-janeese-lewis-george/

Councilmember Robert White, on the other hand, gave the right answer (well, aside from "impede" not being the right word). #DCision24 #DCElections #DCStatehood

Christina Henderson becomes the 4th member of the #DCCouncil to register with the Office of Campaign Finance to run for reelection (despite being an independent, with no June primary). Still no action from Vince Gray or Trayon White.
https://fairelections.ocf.dc.gov/public/registrantDisclosureDetails/118
#DCElections #DCision24