WASHINGTON (AP) — District of Columbia residents will elect the seventh mayor in the history of District self-rule in November. Here are five things to know about the election:
1. DEMOCRATIC DOMINANCE: Seventy-six percent of registered voters in the District are Democrats, but even that number doesn’t do justice to the party’s dominance of local politics. Just six percent of registered voters are Republicans, while 17 percent are independents. The Democratic nominee has gone on to win every mayoral election in the city’s history. The current mayor and 11 of the 13 D.C. councilmembers are Democrats. The other two council seats are reserved for members of a non-majority party and are held by left-leaning independents. No Republican has been elected to the council since 2004.
