Coming to grips with the “political reality” that this is not his time, Michael Brown, a mayoral candidate who has languished well behind the campaign front-runners, dropped out of the race Thursday and threw his support to D.C. Council Chair Linda Cropp.
“I’m leaving this race for the same reason I entered it, for the people,” Brown, a lobbyist, told supporters and media gathered outside his campaign headquarters across from the D.C. Convention Center.
Also Thursday, Ward 1 Council Member Jim Graham endorsed front-runner Adrian Fenty for mayor. Graham has long been in Fenty’s corner, though the candidate’s decision to retain Sinclair Skinner, a Graham nemesis, on the campaign threatened to mar that relationship.
“He has the energy, dedication and the experience to do this,” Graham said of Fenty. “The little disagreements that we have pale in comparison to the whole record of Adrian Fenty.”
Cropp is an old family friend, “someone who’s been part of the progress we’ve made, and part of the promise we have,” Brown said, while Fenty, the Ward 4 council member, is a “political novice” who is attempting “to steal this race from someone who has seen this city through the hard times.”
“This race should be about the people, and I’m asking my people to support Linda Cropp for mayor,” said Brown, son of the late former U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown.
Brown is the first of the five major Democratic candidates to drop out. He said he had called Marie Johns and Vincent Orange and asked them to follow suit: withdraw and back Cropp.
“Marie is staying in the race,” said Liz Rose, Johns’ campaign spokeswoman. “Marie is going to win the race.”
At Brown’s news conference, Cropp committed to fighting for the youth of the District and “for those who may be voiceless, for those who may not be able to hear” — the constituencies on which Brown focused during his campaign. She asked his supporters to put their trust in her so that “we all will be included in one D.C.”
Recent finance reports showed Brown’s campaign had roughly $4,000 cash in hand and was $11,000 in debt. He had barely registered in the polls.
