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-- Keith L. Alexander
POLITICS
GOP: Michael Brown Should Be Disqualified
The D.C. Republican Party is challenging Michael Brown's victory for the at-large seat on the D.C. Council because he did not officially change his party affiliation from Democrat to independent to comply with an election law that requires at least one of the winning candidates to belong to a minority party.
Paul Craney, executive director of the local GOP, and Charlie Spies, the party's legal counsel, filed a challenge with the D.C. Board of Board of Elections and Ethics yesterday. The GOP wants the board to not certify the Nov. 4 election.
"Michael Brown cannot be certified as a council member because this is a violation of D.C. law that states that no more than three at-large members of the D.C. Council may be affiliated with the same party," Craney said.
But Dan Murphy, spokesman for the elections board, said that as far as the board can tell from a preliminary assessment, Brown did not violate any election law.
Brown, son of Ron Brown, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee who died in a plane crash, received 71,304 votes to place second behind incumbent Kwame R. Brown (D), who received 171,318 votes. Republican candidate Patrick Mara came in fourth with 37,264.
In September, Mara defeated Republican incumbent Carol Schwartz, who staged an unsuccessful write-in campaign for the general election.
Michael Brown said he followed proper procedure when he filed in May to run for the at-large seat. He had lost the Democratic primary the previous month.
"I am looking forward to serving the residents of the District of Columbia," Brown said yesterday.
If the board certifies Brown, Craney said, the party will turn to the courts.
-- Hamil R. Harris
SOUTHEAST
1 Killed, Another Hurt in Late-Night Shooting
A District man was shot to death late Wednesday night in Southeast, police said.
Officers responded to a shooting at about 10 p.m. Wednesday and found two men suffering from gunshot wounds in the stairwell of an apartment building in the 800 block of Southern Avenue SE.
Both victims were transported to an area hospital. Carlos Christopher Smith, 27, was later pronounced dead. Police did not release the identity of the second man.
Anyone with information should call police at 202-727-9099 or 888-919-CRIME.
-- Clarence Williams and Anita Kumar
