Months after major endorsements helped to solidify lead candidates in the Ward 4 and 7 races for the District of Columbia Council, lesser-known candidates appear to be jockeying for name recognition leading into the May 1 special election.
While both races are flooded— there are 19 candidates in Ward 4 and 18 in Ward 7 — candidates appear to keep respectful distances from each other. Candidates appear to prefer talking about their door-knocking and fundraising successes.
“We’ve knocked on 12,000 doors in the last week,” Ward 4 candidate Michael Brown said.
Still, things got a little more exciting last week when little-known Ward 4 Democratic candidate Lisa Comfort-Bradford filed a legal challenge to try and prevent the council from voting on Mayor Adrian Fenty’s school takeover bid.
Though her attempts failed, Comfort-Bradford said she did not file the challenge to increase visibility for her campaign, which had raised about $5,000.
Comfort-Bradford’s challenge was popular enough to attract the attention of other candidates, including Ward 7 Democrat Greg Rhett, who appeared at the court to support her.
So far, no one has matched the campaign war chest of Ward 4 candidate, and the Fenty-endorsed Muriel Bowser, who had nearly $200,000 as of her March 10 filing. She and Brown, visible because of his failed bid for the mayor’s seat, have run a close race that could come down to how voters feel about Fenty’s school takeover. Bowser has all but rubber stamped Fenty’s plan, while Brown has endorsed waiting until after the election.
A number of lesser-known candidates gathered a week and a half ago to discuss “issues,” according to Ward 4 Democrat Charles Gaither. He could not recall who invited him, but neither Bowser nor Brown got the call.
“Or they were thinking about who should we get behind,” Brown said Friday.
In Ward 7, things appear to be calming after an anonymous person began distributing fliers attacking the candidates.
Democrat Yvette Alexander is in a tight race with Democrat Victor Vandell, who got some early attention through campaign signs that appeared to link him with Fenty. Vandell’s campaign had some trouble when a former campaign manager quit in anger in March. Alexander, who leads the pack in fundraising, has hired former Gray advisors to help her campaign.
“Ward 7 voters are very astute,” Alexander said. “You have to work to get their vote.”
