The 2016 Council of the District of Columbia general election was held on November 8, with the primary election occurring on June 14. Elections were held for the seats of four out of the eight wards and two of the four at-large seats. The Democratic Party retained its control of the Council.Former mayor Vince Gray, Trayon White, and Robert White all unseated incumbent councilmembers in Wards 7, 8, and at-large seat respectively. Brandon Todd won his first full term representing Ward 4 and Jack Evans was reelected to his Ward 2 seat without any opposition.
Background The District of Columbia Home Rule Act states that "not more than two of the at-large members shall be nominated by the same political party", which results in the Democratic Party being unable to run in all at-large districts. David Catania, a member of the city council from 1997 to 2015, was the last member of the Republican Party elected to the council, but changed his political affiliation to independent in 2004.
At-large
Incumbent at-large councilmember Vincent Orange, a public official known for campaign rallies with free oranges and his eccentric policy ideas, was challenged to the left by former congressional aide Robert White and former advisory neighborhood commissioner David Garber. Both White and Garber portrayed Orange as a corrupt, ethically challenged politician who had served for too long on the Council. In the June primary, White narrowly bested the incumbent Orange by two percentage points with Garber claiming a distant third place. Upon losing the primary, Orange accepted a position as president of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce, raising yet another ethics concern. Orange eventually resigned from his position on the Council in August. The DC Democratic Party selected White to fill out Orange's term.
Democratic primary Candidates Robert White, former director of community affairs for Attorney General Karl Racine, legislative counsel to Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, and independent candidate for at-large in 2014 Vincent Orange, incumbent at-large councilmember (2011-present) and former councilmember from Ward 5 (1999-2007) David Garber, former ANC commissioner
Declined Vince Gray, former mayor of the District of Columbia (2011-2015) (running for Ward 7 councilmember)
Endorsements
Republican Primary Candidates Carolina Celnik
Statehood Green Primary Candidates G. Lee Aikin
Independents Candidates John Cheeks, reparations activist David Grosso, incumbent at-large councilmember (2013-present)
General Election
Ward 2
Incumbent councilmember Jack Evans won his seventh full term to the Council. He was unopposed in both the primary and general election. Evans had previously made his third bid for mayor in 2014. Evans eventually resigned from the Council in 2020 in order to prevent a likely expulsion amid an ethics scandal.
Democratic primary Candidates Jack Evans, incumbent councilmember (1991-present)
Independents Withdrawn Bruce Majors, real estate agent
General Election
Ward 4
Brandon Todd secured his first full term on the Council. A former staffer to mayor Muriel Bowser, Todd was the only Bowser ally in 2016 to survive reelection. Todd previously won a special election to fill out Bowser's term as the Ward 4 councilmember in 2015. The handpicked successor of Bowser, Todd faced a spirited challenge from urban planner Leon Andrews in the Democratic primary; although Andrews characterized Todd as an ineffective legislator, he eventually came eight percentage points short. Todd secured reelection in the November general election with no opposition. Four years later, in 2020, Todd was defeated for reelection by Janeese Lewis George.
Democratic primary Candidates Leon Andrews, National League of Cities executive and candidate for Ward 4 councilmember in the 2015 special election Ron Austin, chair of ANC 4B and former constituent services director for then-councilmember Adrian Fenty Calvin Gurley, accountant and perennial candidate Brandon Todd, incumbent councilmember (2015-present)
Endorsements
General Election
Ward 7
Vince Gray, fresh off losing his mayoral reelection bid to Muriel Bowser in 2014, mounted a comeback bid in his native Ward 7. He challenged incumbent councilmember Yvette Alexander for his old seat on the Council. Ironically, in 2006, when Gray abandoned his Ward 7 councilmember post and ran for Chair of the Council, the now-ex-mayor endorsed Alexander as his successor. Gray claimed he was moved to run for the Ward 7 seat again and challenge Alexander after "wide dissatisfaction" with her leadership.
Gray bested Alexander and two other opponents in a landslide win in the June primary. In the November general election, he handily defeated two independents to reclaim his seat on the Council.
Democratic primary Candidates Yvette Alexander, incumbent councilmember (2007-present) Delmar Chesley, former NFL linebacker Vince Gray, former mayor of the District of Columbia (2011-2015), chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia (2007-2011), and member of the Council from Ward 7 (2005-2007) Grant Thompson, pastor and former congressional staffer
Withdrawn Ed Potillo, vice chairman of the D.C. Democratic Party
Endorsements
Independents Gary Butler, former ANC commissioner from 7B03 Christian Carter, businessman
General Election
Ward 8
In the 2015 special election, LaRuby May narrowly bested a field of 12 fellow candidates in the race to replace the late Marion Barry as Ward 8's councilmember. May, a former staffer to now-mayor Muriel Bowser and DC Housing Authority commissioner, edged out a 79-vote victory over Trayon White, an activist and former member of the District of Columbia State Board of Education. In 2016, White sought a rematch in a much-smaller field. White received the endorsement of numerous left-leaning groups; May was supported by the incumbent mayor Bowser.
In the June primary, White upset May by roughly 700 votes. He ran unopposed in the November general election.
Democratic primary Candidates Maurice Dickens, community activist Bonita Goode, teacher Aaron Holmes, communications professional LaRuby May, incumbent councilmember Trayon White, former member of the District of Columbia State Board of Education from Ward 8 and candidate for Ward 8 councilmember in 2015
Endorsements
General Election
References