Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Democratic Primary Yields Fresh Council

While the defeat of incumbent Mayor Vincent Gray by Councilmember Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) dominated headlines after last Tuesday’s Democratic primary, smaller D.C. Council races revealed a District-wide distaste for D.C.’s reputation of corrupt politics.

Brianne Nadeau (D-Ward 1) and Charles Allen (D-Ward 6) both won their respective wards in Tuesday’s race and currently face no opposition in the Nov. 1 general election.

After an intense campaign that revolved around ethical accusations from both sides, Nadeau was able to unseat four-term incumbent Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), winning with 59 percent of votes.

According to David Super, a professor of administrative law at Georgetown Law Center, ethics and corruption figured heavily, not only in the mayoral race, but also in smaller elections as well.

“Ethics definitely focused heavily on not just the mayoral race but other races throughout the District,” Super said.

Nadeau attributed her victory to voters’ desire for a fresh start in D.C. government and their dissatisfaction with a political system notorious for corruption.

“Voters were telling me that they were ready for change. That after 15 years, they were looking for a new energy. But also they were fed up with the pay-to-play politics culture that we’ve come to see perpetuated in D.C. politics,” Nadeau told The Hoya.

Graham, a local politician well known for both his bow ties and his advocacy as chair of the Committee on Human Services, has served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center. A two-time chairman of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s board, Graham had been fighting allegations for more than two years that he acted unethically by intentionally steering a Metro land development project away from Banneker Ventures and toward a firm that had contributed to his political campaign.

The District government’s Ethics Board ruled in February that there was a “substantial body of evidence” that supported the claim that Graham violated the city’s Code of Employee Ethics; however, the board did not formally punish Graham, saying that because the alleged wrongdoing occurred in 2008, the board lacked the purview to impose punishments.

As for her priorities should she be elected to the council after the Nov. 4 general election, Nadeau said she looks forward to using her past experience to accomplish the goals set out in her campaign, namely education.

“We focused on strengthening our schools, increasing affordable housing and rooting out corruption in our government,” Nadeau said. “I’m no stranger to the bureaucracy of the D.C. government, so that’s something that helps me hit the ground running … The relationships I’ve built across the ward and the District will serve me well on the council, and I look forward to a collaborative approach in that role.”

Two sitting members of the council — David Grosso (I-At Large) and Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) — took the rare step to endorse Nadeau in the April 1 primary. The norm for councilmembers is to stay out of close races, especially those involving incumbents.

In Ward 6, two candidates with considerable political experience faced off to replace Wells, who resigned his seat on the council to mount an ultimately unsuccessful campaign for D.C. mayor.

Charles Allen, former chief of staff to Wells, defeated Darrel Thompson, former deputy chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) with 58 percent of the vote.

While most of his political experience has taken place at the federal level, Thompson sought to paint himself as someone knowledgeable about the needs of the local community in Ward 6.

“I’ve lived in this Ward for over 20 years. In terms of my experience, I’ve worked a lot at the federal level, but on issues that affect the District of Columbia,” Thompson said during a debate in late March. “I’m looking to harness my relationships at the local — and yes, at the federal level — to move this Ward forward for everyone.”

Allen said that his priorities on the Council would be much in line with his predecessor, Wells, but would also include a higher emphasis on education and economic reform.

“When Tommy talks about ethics and accountability, you’re going to see some of the same things: same goes for investments in our transportation system and connecting our neighborhoods,” Allen said. “But I’m also the dad of a 19-month-old girl, and I’m going to wake up every day thinking about early education — education is going to be a big part of what drives me on the Council.”

Super agreed that, moving forward, councilmembers would need to address the economic disparity present in the District.

“The challenge of figuring out how to move forward in a period of economic growth and lingering inequalities is definitely a challenge that the D.C. government faces,” Super said.

Like Wells, Allen highlighted the need to move past the District’s culture of corruption toward a government that the people can actually trust to get things done.

“Our elected leaders in the District have to stop being selfish and start solving problems,” Allen said. “Too many people talk about making a change, but that alone isn’t enough. You have to be willing to make hard decisions and to lead by example. This is exactly what I’ve done and promise to continue to do as your councilmember.”

Correction: a previous version of this article incorrectly stated that Charles Allen (D- Ward 6) defeated an incumbent in last Tuesday’s primary. The seat was, in fact, open after the incumbent, Councilmember Tommy Wells (D- Ward 6) stepped down to run for mayor.

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