If you haven’t been paying attention, you may have missed that DC’s primary elections, which often serve as the de facto general election, are almost upon us.
On next Tuesday, April 1, voters will go to the polls to vote for the primaries for mayor, chair of the DC Council, at-large Councilmember, Ward 1, 3, 5 and 6 Councilmember, as well as the Delegate to the house, “Shadow” Senator and Rep, and Democratic committee offices. You can find your polling place here.
Early voting is already underway, and in my opinion is a great option — it’s much easier and you don’t have to worry about lines. Early voting centers (listed here) are open every day but Sunday from 8:30 am to 7 pm. You can vote at any center, not just the closest to you, and for Columbia Heights, the Columbia Heights Community Center at 1480 Girard Street NW is probably the closest.
If you’re not sure if you’re registered to vote, you can check here and you can also register in person when you vote early or on election day — you’ll receive a special ballot. You’ll also need to bring documents to prove your identity — more on that here.
So, who’s running? Since it’s a primary, a lot of people. Here’s a list of the Democrats running in this primary (most other parties have unopposed candidates), and I’ll write my recommendations in the coming days.
Mayor:
Vincent Gray
Carlos Allen – Businessman & ’10 Candidate
Muriel Bowser – City Councilwoman
Jack Evans – City Councilman, Attorney & ’98 Candidate
Reta Lewis – Ex-US State Dept. Official & Ex-DC Public Works Dept. Chief of Staff
Vincent Orange – City Councilman, Attorney, Accountant & ’06 Candidate
Andy Shallal – Restaurant Chain Owner, Artist & Community Activist
Tommy Wells – City Councilman, Ex-School Board Member & Social Worker
Council Chair:
Phil Mendelson – incumbent
Calvin Gurley – Accountant, Community Activist & ’10/’12 Candidate
At-Large Council (2 seats):
Anita Bonds – incumbent
Nate Bennett Fleming – DC Shadow Representative & Attorney
Pedro Rubio – DARPA Contract Specialist & Graduate Student
John Settles II – Real Estate Developer & Mortgage Broker
Kevin Valentine Jr. – National Guard Veteran & Ex-FDIC Employee
Ward 1 Council:
Jim Graham – incumbent
Brianne Nadeau – ANC commissioner and activist
