Open Seats Bring Vigor to Races for the D.C. Council

With four D.C. Council seats up for grabs, including the chairman's spot, the September primary is shaping up to be one of the city's most competitive elections in nearly two decades.

Three council members are seeking higher offices and one is retiring, drawing hopefuls to the election who do not have to face the deep pockets of an incumbent. Because there are no runoffs in District elections, victory is possible with a small but reliable group of supporters.

The majority of the 42 declared candidates as of Thursday were Democrats seeking to become their party's nominees for the November general election. Ward candidates must get the signatures of 250 voters of the same party and ward on nominating petitions by July 5. For the chairman and at-large races, candidates must collect 2,000 signatures of voters of the same party.

The races feature an eclectic mix of advisory neighborhood commissioners, previously unsuccessful contenders and grass-roots activists, as well as longtime professionals in other fields who have little experience in local politics. The part-time council job pays $92,520. In Ward 5 alone, there are 16 candidates.

"Incumbents are hard to beat, and now the incumbents are leaving," said Mark Plotkin, a political analyst with WTOP radio. "To quote George Washington Plunkitt, the fabled boss of Tammany Hall: 'I seen my opportunities and I took 'em' -- and that surely applies to this political season."

With Mayor Anthony A. Williams (D) retiring after eight years in office and the council being reshaped, political observers say the city is at a critical juncture.

The District has restored its financial health, and an economic boom has sent real estate values soaring, but many residents worry that the urban renaissance has been uneven. Gentrification has revived neighborhoods but pushed out those with lower incomes; development has spread to only certain parts of the city; and the public school system is trying to implement reforms to raise test scores.

"An election like this, where the mayor and council can change, it gives the city a chance to recharge its batteries," said Kurt L. Schmoke, dean of the Howard University School of Law and a former mayor of Baltimore. "It's a time of transition."

No contest highlights the impending change in leadership more than the race for council chairman, one of three at-large council races. The major candidates are Kathy Patterson, who has represented Ward 3 for almost three terms, and Vincent C. Gray, who has served Ward 7 for 17 months.

The two colleagues differ on only a few issues, most notably whether the District should build a $400 million hospital in partnership with Howard University on the grounds of the former D.C. General Hospital. Gray has been a steadfast supporter; Patterson has questioned the need for the hospital.

At some point, political observers say, their political bases could influence how they are perceived by voters. Patterson, who is white, represents a predominantly affluent and white ward. Gray, who is black, serves a ward that is more mixed-income and predominantly black.

Gray's campaign mantra has been to bridge the District's growing divide, and he poses himself as a consensus builder. Patterson has emphasized that her work on citywide issues, including oversight of the police department and the school system, has benefited all residents.