Without a strong leader and with political sentiment shifting, some observers fear that legislating could be paralyzed by infighting.
“These are challenging times ahead for getting things done,” said Max J. Brown, a D.C. businessman who handled council relations for former mayor Anthony A. Williams. “I think there’s going to be a lot of chess playing in the next few years on the council. When there are lot of chess players, you often end up with a stalemate.”
Brown noted that 72 percent of the vote went to candidates other than Orange, an indication that there are some shifting views in the city. “People are interested in a new way of doing business on the council.”
The D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics is expected to certify the election May 10, after which Orange will be sworn in for a 19-month term.
Orange previously served from 1999 to 2007 representing Ward 5, but he returns to a council with a different array of personalities — including a chairman whom he ran against last year and often criticized.
In an interview Wednesday, Orange said he will let Brown “take the lead to see how he forms the relationship.”
“I’m just looking to see where there is common ground,” added Orange, who raised questions about personal finances and later complained to campaign finance authorities about Brown’s 2008 fundraising, which led to a probe that found serious irregularities in his filings.
Orange, however, indicated that the relationship could be slow to improve. He said he felt snubbed by Brown, whom he said had not called him as of Wednesday afternoon.
“I would have thought he would have called and said, ‘Congratulations — what does your schedule look like? Can we get together and see how we could proceed?’ ” said Orange, who is filling what had been Brown’s at-large seat.
Brown called Orange shortly after his comments.
Brown has had a tenuous grasp on the council. His relationships with Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), David A. Catania (I-At Large), Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6) and, to a lesser extent, Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) have been strained.
Council members Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) and Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) have maintained closer ties to Brown, but both have spoken out publicly against his request for a city-leased Lincoln Navigator a few days after his election.
And with some council members saying relationships between some members are becoming toxic, it could be a rocky few months inside the John A. Wilson Building.
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