Former D.C. Councilmember Vincent Orange won an at-large council seat Tuesday night, beating heavily endorsed Republican Patrick Mara and a field of nine other candidates.
Orange, a Democrat, drew 28.27 percent of the vote in the sparsely attended election, according to the Board of Elections and Ethics website. Mara and Sekou Biddle, who had the endorsement of D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown, followed with 25.68 percent and 20.46 percent respectively.
Mara was by far the most popular candidate in Ward 2, which includes Georgetown, winning 46 percent of the vote in the area.
The results are considered unofficial until absentee and provisional ballots are counted over the next 10 days according to the Associated Press. With such a low turnout — unofficial estimates put it at 12.16 percent of registered voters — these votes could prove critical.
The seat ─ one of four at-large seats on the D.C. council ─ was temporarily held by Democrat Biddle after Brown was elected Council Chairman.