The 2014 Council of the District of Columbia election was held on November 4, 2014, with primaries held on April 1. Elections were held in four of the eight wards, two at-large seats (one open to any party and one open to non-majority parties) as well as for the Chair of the Council of the District of Columbia. Prior to the election, 11 seats were held by Democrats and 2 seats were held by Independents. The general election saw no party flip any seats, thereby meaning that Democrats retained their majority on the council.
Background The council is composed of thirteen members, each elected by district residents to a four-year term. One member is elected from each of the district's eight wards. Four at-large members represent the district as a whole. The chairman of the council is likewise elected at an at-large basis. The terms of the at-large members are staggered so that two are elected every two years, and each D.C. resident may vote for two different at-large candidates in each general election.
According to the Home Rule Act, of the chair and the at-large members, a maximum of three may be affiliated with the majority political party. In the council's electoral history, of the elected members who were not affiliated with the majority party, most were elected as at-large members. In 2008 and 2012, Democrats such as David Grosso, Elissa Silverman, and Michael A. Brown changed their party affiliation to Independent when running for council.
To become a candidate for council an individual must be resident of the District of Columbia for at least one year prior to the general election, a registered voter, and hold no other public office for which compensation beyond expenses is received. Candidates running for a ward position must be a resident of that ward.
Summary Democrats remained the largest party on the council despite large turnover. At-large councilmember David Catania and Ward 6 councilmember Tommy Wells declined to run for re-election in favor of running for mayor, while Ward 1 councilmember Jim Graham lost his primary to Brianne Nadeau.
At-large PositionIncumbentCandidatesMemberPartyFirstelectedStatusChairpersonPhil Mendelson 2012 (special)Incumbent re-elected. Phil Mendelson 82.4% Kris Hammond 7.2% John C. Cheeks 4.2%At-largeAnita Bonds 2013 (special)Incumbent re-elected. Anita Bonds 31.3% Elissa Silverman 15.1% Michael D. Brown 10.5% Robert White 8.1% Courtney R. Snowden 7.2% Eugene Puryear 4.6%David Catania2014Incumbent declined to run. New member elected.
Wards PositionIncumbentCandidatesMemberPartyFirst electedStatusWard 1Jim Graham 1998Incumbent lost re-election.New member elected.Democratic hold. Brianne Nadeau 84.8% Ernest E. Johnson 10.1% John Vaught LaBeaume 4.1%Ward 3Mary Cheh 2006 Incumbent re-elected Mary Cheh 86.0% Ryan Sabot 12.5%Ward 5Kenyan McDuffie 2012 (special) Incumbent re-elected Kenyan McDuffie 92.0% Preston Cornish 7.1%Ward 6Tommy Wells 2006Incumbent retired.New member elected.Democratic hold. Charles Allen (Democratic) 87.6% Pranav Badhwar 11.6%
Chairperson Incumbent Chairperson Phil Mendelson was re-elected for his first full term after defeating four challengers in the general election and one in the primary
Democratic primary Candidates Calvin H. Gurley Phil Mendelson, incumbent Chairperson (since 2012) from Eastern Market
Endorsements
Libertarian primary No candidates filed for the primary, with Kyle Walker winning the nomination through write-in votes.
Republican primary No candidates filed for the primary, with Kris Hammond winning the nomination through write-in votes.
Statehood Green primary No candidates filed for the primary, with G. Lee Aikin winning the nomination through write-in votes.
Independents Candidates John C. Cheeks
General election
At-large
Incumbent Democrat Anita Bonds won re-election to her first full term after her victory in the 2013 special election. Independent incumbent David Catania declined to run for re-election in order to run in the 2014 mayoral election, with his seat being won by Elissa Silverman.
Democratic primary Candidates Nate Bennett-Fleming Anita Bonds, incumbent at-large councilmember (since 2012) Pedro Rubio John F. Settles II Kevin Valentine Jr.
Endorsements
Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Marginof error NateBennett-Fleming AnitaBonds PedroRubio JohnSettles UndecidedWashington City Paper/Kojo Nnamdi ShowMarch 13 – March 16, 2014860 (LV)± 3.4%10%43%4%6%37%
Libertarian primary Candidates Frederick Steiner
Republican primary Candidates Marc Morgan
Statehood Green primary Candidates G. Lee Aikin Eugene Puryear
Endorsements
Independents Candidates Michael D. Brown Wendell Felder, ANC member form 7E07 Calvin H. Gurley Graylan Scott Hagler Brian Hart Eric J. Jones Kahlid Pitts Kishan Putta Elissa Silverman Courtney R. Snowden Robert White
Endorsements
General Election
Ward 1
12-year councilmember Jim Graham lost his primary to challenger Brianne Nadeau. Graham had faced multiple different corruption allegations in his previous term. Ted Loza, then Graham's chief of staff, was arrested by the FBI on bribery charges in September 2009 and eventually sentenced to eight months in prison.
Democratic primary Candidates Jim Graham, incumbent Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau
Withdrawn Bryan Weaver Beverly Wheeler
Endorsements
Libertarian primary No candidates filed for the primary, with John Vaught LaBeaume winning the nomination through write-in votes.
Independents Candidates Ernest E. Johnson
General Election
Ward 3
Incumbent councilmember Mary Cheh easily won re-election to a third term, facing no opposition in the Democratic primary.
Democratic primary Candidates Mary Cheh, incumbent councilmember
Endorsements
Libertarian primary Candidates Ryan Sabot
General Election
Ward 5
Incumbent councilmember Kenyan McDuffie easily won re-election to his first full term following his victory in the 2012 special election, facing little opposition in both the Democratic primary and the general election
Democratic primary Candidates Kathy Henderson, activist and ANC member from Carver Langston Kenyan McDuffie, incumbent Ward 5 Councilmember Carolyn C. Steptoe, ANC member from Brookland
Withdrawn Jacqueline Manning
Endorsements
Libertarian primary No candidates filed for the primary, with Preston Cornish winning the nomination through write-in votes.
General Election
Ward 6
Incumbent councilmember Tommy Wells declined to run for a third term in order to run in the 2014 mayoral election. Charles Allen ran and won a close Democratic primary election on the way to blowing out Libertarian candidate Pranav Badhwar in the general election.
Democratic primary Allen was the chief of staff of Ward 6 Council Member Tommy Wells. After Wells decided not to run for reelection in order to run for mayor, Allen resigned from his position and announced his candidacy to succeed Wells seat in the Council representing Ward 6. Darrel Thompson, a former deputy chief of staff of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, was the only other democratic entrant. This was only the second time since the formation of the Council that the Ward 6 Democratic primary did not have an incumbent during a normal election cycle, the only other time being the election of Allen's former boss Wells in 2006.
Candidates Charles Allen, chief of staff to incumbent councilmember Tommy Wells Darrel Thompson, former deputy chief of staff to Senator Harry Reid
Endorsements
Debates + Debates and forums for Ward 6 Democratic primary candidates Date Place Host Participants Participant. Invitee. Absent. Confirmed non-invitee. Out of race (exploring, suspended, or not yet entered) 20 February 2014Capitol Hill Presbyterian ChurchEastern Market Metro Community Organization28 February 2014Hill CenterHill Rag4 March 2014Westminster Presbyterian ChurchHill Rag11 March 2014Shaw LibraryHill Rag25 March 2014Rock N Roll HotelWashington City Paper
Libertarian primary Candidates Parnav Badhwar
Independents Shelonda Tillman
General Election
Notes
References