Scandal-Weary Voters Boot DC Mayor From Office

Reeling from allegations by federal prosecutors that he knew about the tricks that helped him get elected four years ago, District of Columbia Mayor Vincent Gray tried to rally his base. But his core supporters weren’t nearly enough, as a scandal-weary electorate rallied behind a much younger challenger who promised honest and ethical leadership.

D.C. Councilmember Muriel Bowser defeated Gray in Tuesday’s Democratic mayoral primary, leaving Gray to serve nine months as a lame duck with potential criminal charges hanging over his head.

The defining moment of the election occurred three weeks earlier in a courtroom. Federal prosecutors say Gray knew about an illegal $668,000 slush fund that helped him defeat incumbent Adrian Fenty in 2010. U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen said the charges thus far represent “the tip of the iceberg.”

Bowser pounced on Gray’s weakness earlier than most. She launched her campaign little more than halfway through the mayor’s term, knocking on doors around the city with a determination similar to Fenty, her political mentor.

“The status quo is not good enough for us,” Bowser told supporters early Wednesday. “We know that we can do better and we know we need a fresh start.”

Her surge to a surprisingly easy victory coincided with the latest developments in the investigation. Incomplete results early Wednesday morning showed Bowser with 44 percent of the vote to 32 percent for Gray.

Some voters said they backed her over other Gray challengers primarily because they felt she stood the best chance of defeating him.

“It’s too much. We’ve gone through scandals before in D.C., and we don’t need any more,” said Rufus Okunubi, 68, a cab driver who backed Gray in 2010, but voted for Bowser this time.

The Democratic primary winner has gone on to win every mayoral election in the district, where 75 percent of registered voters are Democrats. But Bowser will face a credible challenger this November: independent D.C. Councilmember David Catania, 46, a former Republican who has championed progressive causes since leaving the party in 2004.

Gray and Bowser are both black. The district has never elected a white mayor in 40 years of self-rule. Catania is white, as were two of Gray’s other challengers.

This article appeared in print on page 3 of the April 3rd, 2014 edition of Hamodia.