District voters delivered no real surprises or upsets for Council seats Tuesday, sticking to the status quo on a relatively quiet Election Day.
Lines were short at many precincts during the morning, with waits less than 10 minutes in precincts in Ward 1 and Ward 6, according to reports.
With an election season focused largely on the mayor’s race, there will also be three new faces on the Council in January.
In D.C., where about 285,000 of the 387,000 registered voters are Democrats, much was already decided by theSept. 12 primary.
In Ward 3, Democrat Mary Cheh received 71 percent of the vote to replace outgoing Democratic Council member Kathy Patterson, who gave up her seat to run for Council chair.
In Ward 5, Democrat Harry “Tommy” Thomas took 85 percent of the vote to handily beat out a challenge from Statehood Green candidate Carolyn Steptoe and write-in independent Miriam Moore.
“The voters have been very positive,” Thomas said as he campaigned with Democratic Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty during the afternoon Tuesday. “We’re just very happy.”
Heading into Election Day, only one race appeared somewhat contested.
By Tuesday night in Ward 6, former Board of Education member Tommy Wells squeezed out independent Will Cobb, a popular Democrat who missed the filing deadline, 62 percent to 26 percent. Wells also faced a challenge from Republican Tony Williams, whose name some said could have caused confusion because of its similarity to outgoing Democratic Mayor Anthony Williams.
“My campaign seems confident, but I know I’m nervous,” Wells said earlier Tuesday.
The seats being vacated by Democratic Mayor-elect Adrian Fenty, who served two terms in Ward 4, and Democratic Ward 7 Council member Vincent Gray, who won a primary bid for Council chair, will be filled in a special election. Gray, who faced no opposition for the chairman’s seat, took 97 percent of the vote.
In a five-way race for two open at-large seats, voters returned Council members David Catania, an Independent, and Democrat Phil Mendelson. Ward 1 Democrat Jim Graham, who was unopposed, got 97 percent of the vote.
The new D.C. Council
» Chairman: Vincent Gray, D
» At large: Carol Schwartz, R
» At large: David Catania, I
» At large: Kwame Brown, D
» At large: Phil Mendelson, D
» Ward 1: Jim Graham, D
» Ward 2: Jack Evans, D
» Ward 3: Mary Cheh, D
» Ward 4: To be determined
» Ward 5: Harry Thomas Jr., D
» Ward 6: Tommy Wells, D
» Ward 7: To be determined
» Ward 8: Marion Barry, D
Part of the Washington DC Examiner’s 2006 election coverage.
