D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty’s biggest event just three days before the Democratic primary was the opening of a dog park in Northwest, which won’t likely dispel the perception that he favors whiter portions of the city over its blacker sections.
Polls and interviews over the last month have shown that the District’s electorate is deeply divided along racial lines over the choice of the city’s next mayor. Black voters are breaking heavily for Fenty’s challenger D.C. Council Chairman Vince Gray, largely because they perceive the mayor as caring more about opening dog parks in white neighborhoods than about unemployment in black neighborhoods.
The mayor cut the leash outside the city’s fourth dog park Saturday morning, deep in Fenty’s white voter base in upper Northwest.
Before heading to the $400,000 Newark Street dog park, Fenty rallied a group of about 100 volunteers and city officials in a parking lot at the corner of 9th and H streets, Northwest.
As is Fenty’s style, he listed for the crowd several development projects including a grocery store, a recreation center and a steakhouse as evidence of his results oriented administration.
“And those are just east of the [Anacostia] River,” Fenty said as part of his continuing effort to show that his administration treats all portions of the city equally. The neighborhoods east of the Anacostia River are majority black and counted among Gray’s base.
Two hours later, Gray stood in front of his own supporters at Shiloh Baptist Church at the corner of Rhode Island Ave. and 9th St., Northwest.
It may have been the noon-time start of the chairman’s rally, but Gray’s group was larger — about 300 people — louder and more energized than the mayor’s.
Gray didn’t hesitate to exploit the perception that the mayor favors white, wealthier residents in front of the mostly black crowd.
“It’s wonderful to talk about new grocery stores in Ward 8,” Gray said, “but when 30 percent of the people don’t have money to shop there, that’s when you have to get people back to work.”
Meanwhile, not everyone at the dog park was ready to vote for the mayor, who has been running behind in every poll taken since mid-August.
“I love having the dog park, but it’s not the most important thing for the city,” said undecided Ward 3 voter Ruth Stronde. “If I were told they could give money to a dog park or a school, I’d go for the school.”
