Four years ago, at-large D.C. Councilman Phil Mendelson was in the same position he’s in today: racking up endorsements and campaign donations for a re-election bid while annoying a whole bunch of people.

In 2006, most folks were certain A. Scott Bolden, a lawyer and a former chairman of the D.C. Democratic State Committee, would swamp the incumbent. He was smart, aggressive and politically astute. But he irritated more people than Mendelson. Endorsements from three newspapers essentially advised people to hold their nose and vote for Mendelson, ruining Bolden’s election reverie.