After a year marked by scandal, investigations and developing campaign finance inquiries, half of the D.C. Council is facing its first test of the public’s will in Tuesday’s primary election.
The District’s registered Democrats will be asked to choose their candidate in four ward seats — Wards 2, 4, 7 and 8 — and one at-large seat in an election that traditionally decides the strong favorite going into the Nov. 6 general election in a heavily Democratic city. But consultants say the incumbents are facing a serious challenge in just two of the five races.
One of those would be for Councilman Vincent Orange’s at-large seat. Challengers Peter Shapiro and former Councilman Sekou Biddle have been mounting aggressive campaigns. Orange’s more than $169,000 in campaign expenditures is more than Shapiro and Biddle have spent combined, but consultants said the news in recent weeks about questionable contributions to Orange’s previous campaign might have weakened him.
Experts said Orange’s challengers will likely split the opposition vote, although they differ on which one has the better chance to be a spoiler.
In Ward 7, Councilwoman Yvette Alexander faces a smattering of opponents, but Tom Brown has picked up most of the major endorsements — Washington Post, AFL-CIO, Chamber of Commerce — and observers say he has emerged as the obvious choice for the opposition votes.
But, notes DCWatch’s Gary Imhoff, those endorsements weren’t driven by the constituents.
“It didn’t start with the voters saying ‘I’m excited,’ ” Imhoff said, adding that he believed voter turnout would be low because challengers have not been able to energize voters who have become discouraged with the city’s electoral process.
“You used to go to a debate for council candidates and they would all come with their crowds, they would have a core group of supporters that would really be cheerleaders,” Imhoff said. “You don’t have that now. Even for the incumbents.”
Revelations of potential campaign finance violations from 2010 are just the latest in a string of scandals that has plagued city hall for the past year, ranging from federal investigations into the mayor’s and chairman’s campaigns to the resignation of former Councilman Harry Thomas Jr.
But for all the uproar, some observers don’t expect much to change come Wednesday morning.
“I feel we’re in scandal fatigue here — I don’t sense outrage,” said political consultant Chuck Thies. “I don’t sense anyone wanting to flood the polls and kick them out.”
Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
