1996 Council of the District of Columbia election

The 1996 general election for the Council of the District of Columbia was held on November 5, with primaries taking place on September 10. Republican Carol Schwartz was re-elected to the at-large seat she had lost to William Lightfoot in 1988 after he declined to run for a third term, while then-Ward 6 councilmember Harold Brazil ran for and won the at-large seat of the retiring John Ray. The only incumbent to lose re-election for their own seat was Ward 8 councilmember Eydie Whittington, who was beat by Sandy Allen in a rematch of the 1995 special election.

Summary Democrats remained the largest party on the Council, with no seats being lost to other parties or independents. Republicans returned to the Council for the first time since 1988 with the election of Carol Schwartz, while the retirement of William Lightfoot left the Council with no independents.

At-large PositionIncumbentCandidatesMemberPartyFirstelectedStatusAt-large John Ray 1979 (special) Incumbent retired.New councilmember elected.Democratic hold. Harold Brazil 42.9% Carol Schwartz 29.4% Sam Jordan 7.0% Mark Thompson 6.3% Valencia Mohammed 5.7% James Baxter 5.3% Robert Hamilton Jr. 1.3% Ernie Brooks 1.2% Don Folden Sr. 0.6%William Lightfoot1977 (special) Incumbent retired.New councilmember elected.Republican gain.

Wards PositionIncumbentCandidatesMemberPartyFirst electedStatusWard 2Jack Evans 1991 (special)Incumbent re-elected. Jack Evans 78.6% Roger L. Moffatt 20.7% Ward 4 Charlene Drew Jarvis 1979 (special) Incumbent re-elected. Charlene Drew Jarvis 78.3% Rick Malachi 20.7%Ward 7Kevin P. Chavous 1992Incumbent re-elected. Kevin P. Chavous 89.8% Durand A. Ford 6.3% James Bernard Miles 3.3% Ward 8 Eydie Whittington 1995 (special)Incumbent lost re-electionNew member elected.Democratic hold. Sandy Allen 78.3% William Lockridge 12.8% Rahim Jenkins 6.4% W. Cardell Shelton 1.5% Jephunneh Lawrence 0.9%

At-large

Democratic incumbent John Ray and Independent incumbent William Lightfoot both decided not to run for re-election, and were replaced by Democratic candidate Harold Brazil and Republican candidate Carol Schwartz respectively.

Democratic primary Candidates Harold Brazil John Capozzi Ronnie Edwards Ernest E. Johnson Phil Mendelson Kathryn A. Pearson-West Paul Savage Joseph P. Yeldell

Republican primary Candidates Carol Schwartz

Statehood primary Candidates Sam Jordan Bardyl R. Tirana

Umoja Primary Candidates Mark Thompson

Independents Candidates James Baxter Ernie Brooks Don Folden Sr. Robert Hamilton Jr. Valencia Mohammed

General election

Ward 2

Incumbent councilmember Jack Evans won re-election to his second full term on the Council.

Democratic primary Candidates Jack Evans James McLeod

Republican primary Candidates Roger L. Moffatt

General Election

Ward 4

Incumbent councilmember Charlene Drew Jarvis won re-election to a fourth full term.

Democratic primary Candidates Charlene Drew Jarvis Pat Kidd Diane Miller Dwight E. Singleton

Umoja primary Candidates Rick Malachi

General Election

Ward 7

Incumbent councilmember Kevin P. Chavous won re-election to a second full term.

Democratic primary Candidates Kevin P. Chavous, incumbent Ward 7 Councilmember Terry Hairston Eddie Rhodes

Republican primary No candidates filed for the primary, with James Bernard Miles winning the nomination through write-in votes.

Statehood primary Candidates Durand A. Ford

General Election

Ward 8

Mayor Marion Barry's preferred candidate Eydie Whittington lost his re-election bid after serving for a little more than a year to Sandy Allen, who had lost in the 1995 special election to Whittington by two votes

Democratic primary Candidates Sandy Allen, former Marion Barry staffer Lafayette A. Barnes Ray Bell Winifred Freeman Paul Lamont Simms Leonard Watson Sr. Eydie Whittington, incumbent Ward 8 Councilmember

Republican primary Candidates W. Cardell Shelton

Independents Candidates Jephunneh Lawrence William Lockridge

General Election

References