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D.C. Election Glitch Blamed On Equipment
Patrick Mara greets motorists at Foxhall and Reservoir roads NW to thank supporters for his Republican primary victory.
(By Jonathan Newton -- The Washington Post)
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Mara went through the rolls of Republicans so he could meet them face to face in a door-knocking effort similar to that of Mayor Adrian M. Fenty (D). The business community, which had grown increasingly dissatisfied with Schwartz, contributed heavily to Mara's campaign.
Mara said he was confident of his win despite the glitch and looked ahead to November, when he will have to persuade Democrats to vote for him so he can overcome independent candidates. They will compete for an at-large spot that city law designates for a non-Democrat.
Schwartz offered only a brief comment yesterday: "The only thing I feel good about today is that the nasty, unrelentingly negative campaign waged against me by my opponent and his friends is over."
For decades, she has been known for her broad-based appeal as a moderate Republican, one who supported gay rights and rejected school vouchers while advocating fiscal conservatism. She won the respect of residents with her unsuccessful yet formidable runs for mayor. But Mara used that popularity against her, casting her as un-Republican.
Schwartz, ironically, is chairman of the Council Committee on Workforce Development and Government Operations, which oversees the election board. After the problems in the February presidential primary, she immediately called for a hearing. But she will not be involved in the council's new probe, Gray said.
Neither will Brown or Barry, who serve on Schwartz's committee and were on Tuesday's ballot. Gray said he wants to prevent "any perception of a conflict," although he added that the council's general counsel found no law against it.
Instead, the committee's other members, Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3) and Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5), will be joined by Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) in forming the special committee that will dig into what happened.
Staff writers Mary Pat Flaherty and Paul Schwartzman contributed to this report.
