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McDuffie Knocks Off Silverman In Hotly Contested D.C. Council At-Large Race
https://dcist.com/story/22/11/10/mcduffie-beats-silverman-dc-council-at-large-race/
McDuffie has emerged as the victor of the hotly contested race for an At-Large seat on the D.C. Council current held by Councilmember Elissa Silverman. While he took an early lead and remained ahead over the course of Tuesday night, McDuffie’s win was cemented on Wednesday night after a batch of 13,000 outstanding mail ballots were counted and Silverman was left with no way to overcome him.
With close to 180,000 votes counted, McDuffie, a one-time Democrat who shed the party affiliation to run for the seat, claimed just over 22% of the vote to Silverman’s 19%. Councilmember Anita Bonds (D-At Large) was further ahead with 32% of the vote, retaining her seat. (There are two At-Large seats up for grabs every two years; one has to be occupied by a non-Democrat.)
“Voters have also delivered a message: we need to take bold steps to address some of the greatest challenges facing the District. For the last ten years, I have spearheaded innovative and data-driven policies to tackle the root causes of crime, expand and invest in the city’s supply of affordable housing, address the legacy of institutional discrimination that has led to our city’s growing racial wealth gap, and help our local economy recover stronger than ever from the pandemic. And as your next At-Large Councilmember, I’ll continue to work with you and my colleagues on the DC Council to confront head-on our most pressing issues with solutions, not simply paid lip service,” he said in a statement.
McDuffie’s win marks a surprising turnaround in his political fortunes. A Ward 5 councilmember since 2012, McDuffie announced last year that he was setting his sights on the attorney general’s office. An early favorite, his candidacy fell apart earlier this year when he was found to not meet eligibility requirements that spell out how much legal experience contenders must have. But within two months of suspending that campaign, he announced that he would shed his Democratic affiliation and run as an independent for the At-Large seat held by Silverman since 2014.
McDuffie has emerged as the victor of the hotly contested race for an At-Large seat on the D.C. Council current held by Councilmember Elissa Silverman. While he took an early lead and remained ahead over the course of Tuesday night, McDuffie’s win was cemented on Wednesday night after a batch of 13,000 outstanding mail ballots were counted and Silverman was left with no way to overcome him.
With close to 180,000 votes counted, McDuffie, a one-time Democrat who shed the party affiliation to run for the seat, claimed just over 22% of the vote to Silverman’s 19%. Councilmember Anita Bonds (D-At Large) was further ahead with 32% of the vote, retaining her seat. (There are two At-Large seats up for grabs every two years; one has to be occupied by a non-Democrat.)
“Voters have also delivered a message: we need to take bold steps to address some of the greatest challenges facing the District. For the last ten years, I have spearheaded innovative and data-driven policies to tackle the root causes of crime, expand and invest in the city’s supply of affordable housing, address the legacy of institutional discrimination that has led to our city’s growing racial wealth gap, and help our local economy recover stronger than ever from the pandemic. And as your next At-Large Councilmember, I’ll continue to work with you and my colleagues on the DC Council to confront head-on our most pressing issues with solutions, not simply paid lip service,” he said in a statement.
McDuffie’s win marks a surprising turnaround in his political fortunes. A Ward 5 councilmember since 2012, McDuffie announced last year that he was setting his sights on the attorney general’s office. An early favorite, his candidacy fell apart earlier this year when he was found to not meet eligibility requirements that spell out how much legal experience contenders must have. But within two months of suspending that campaign, he announced that he would shed his Democratic affiliation and run as an independent for the At-Large seat held by Silverman since 2014.
Addressing root causes of crime and having more affordable housing are good. I hope our crime rate goes down soon.