Even dyed-in-the-wool Democrats residing in the District of Columbia must admit that one-party rule has not served the city well. In the absence of the checks and balances that two competing parties typically provide, D.C. is now in danger of slipping back into the nepotism, cronyism and corruption that made the nation’s capital a national joke during the tenure of former Mayor Marion Barry. In less than four months, Mayor Vincent Gray has exhibited a disturbing inclination to return to the days when top city jobs went to people with connections instead of qualifications, and when city officials viewed themselves as spenders — instead of stewards — of residents’ tax dollars. That’s why today’s special election to fill the at-large council seat left vacant by Chairman Kwame Brown is so important, and why D.C. voters should elect Republican Patrick Mara. As the lone Republican on a 13-member council, Mara won’t be able to change much policywise, but he can and will use the at-large seat to spotlight three top issues facing D.C.: public corruption, education reform, and taxes. A legitimate fear of many city residents is that under pressure from the Washington Teachers’ Union, Gray will dilute the school reforms advanced by his predecessor and set back the slight progress already made. The first Republican elected to the city’s Board of Education since the 1970s, Mara is a staunch defender of the school reform agenda championed by former Mayor Adrian Fenty and former Chancellor Michelle Rhee. He is also an outspoken advocate of charter schools and the recently reinstated D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.
As The Washington Examiner’s Freeman Klopott reported Monday, today’s victor will also likely be the deciding vote on Mayor Gray’s latest budget, which raises the city income tax. Of the five leading candidates, only Mara and former Councilman Vincent Orange are unequivocally opposed to a tax increase. But Orange, who has strong union support, is far less likely than Mara to openly challenge the mayor on the equally important education front. Under the 1973 Home Rule Act, one council at-large seat is reserved for a non-Democrat. After beating Carol Schwartz in the 2008 GOP primary, Mara lost the general election to Michael A. Brown, a Democrat who renounced his party affiliation to run as an independent. However, for a real two-party system to work, the council needs at least one real Republican. Electing Mara in today’s special election is the way to make that happen.
