2010 Council of the District of Columbia election
US Election
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The 2010 Council of the District of Columbia election was held on November 2, 2010, with primaries held on September 14. Elections were held in four of the eight wards, two at-large seats (one open to any party and one open to non-majority parties) as well as for the chair of the Council of the District of Columbia. Prior to the election, 11 seats were held by Democrats and 2 seats were held by Independents. The general election saw no party flip any seats, thereby meaning that Democrats retained their majority on the council.[1]
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November 2, 2010
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7 seats on the Council of the District of Columbia 7 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Background
The council is composed of thirteen members, each elected by district residents to a four-year term. One member is elected from each of the district's eight wards. Four at-large members represent the district as a whole. The chairman of the council is likewise elected at an at-large basis. The terms of the at-large members are staggered so that two are elected every two years, and each D.C. resident may vote for two different at-large candidates in each general election.
According to the Home Rule Act, of the chair and the at-large members, a maximum of three may be affiliated with the majority political party. In the council's electoral history, of the elected members who were not affiliated with the majority party, most were elected as at-large members. In 2008 and 2012, Democrats such as David Grosso, Elissa Silverman, and Michael A. Brown changed their party affiliation to Independent when running for council.
To become a candidate for council an individual must be resident of the District of Columbia for at least one year prior to the general election, a registered voter, and hold no other public office for which compensation beyond expenses is received. Candidates running for a ward position must be a resident of that ward.
Summary
At-large
| Position | Incumbent | Candidates[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Party | First elected |
Status | ||
| Chairperson | Vincent Gray | Democratic | 2006 | Incumbent declined to run. New member elected. Democratic hold. |
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| At-large | Phil Mendelson | Democratic | 1998 | Incumbent re-elected. |
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| David Catania | Independent | 1997 (special) | Incumbent re-elected. | ||
Wards
| Position | Incumbent | Candidates[1] | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Member | Party | First
elected |
Status | ||
| Ward 1 | Jim Graham | Democratic | 1998 | Incumbent re-elected |
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| Ward 3 | Mary Cheh | Democratic | 2006 | Incumbent re-elected |
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| Ward 5 | Harry Thomas Jr. | Democratic | 2006 | Incumbent re-elected |
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| Ward 6 | Tommy Wells | Democratic | 2006 | Incumbent re-elected |
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Chairperson
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November 2, 2010
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Incumbent Chairperson Vincent Gray declined to run again in order to run for Mayor of the District of Columbia. Incumbent Democratic At-large Councilmember Kwame Brown was elected for his first term as chairman of the Council after defeating two challengers in the general election and one in the primary.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Kwame Brown, incumbent Democratic At-large Councilmember
- Dorothy Douglas
- Vincent Orange, former Ward 5 Councilmember
Endorsements
Local Officials
- Mary Cheh, incumbent Ward 3 Councilmember[2]
- Harry Thomas Jr., incumbent Ward 5 Councilmember[2]
Organizations
- Capital Stonewall Democrats[3]
- District of Columbia Chamber of Commerce[4]
- Sierra Club[5]
- Publications
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kwame Brown | 68,320 | 55.18% | |
| Democratic | Vincent Orange | 47,754 | 38.57% | |
| Democratic | Dorothy Douglas | 6,922 | 5.59% | |
| Write-in | 812 | 0.66% | ||
| Total votes | 123,808 | 100% | ||
Statehood Green primary
Candidates
- Ann C. Wilcox
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC Statehood Green | Ann C. Wilcox | 411 | 82.86% | |
| Write-in | 85 | 100% | ||
| Total votes | 496 | 100% | ||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kwame Brown | 111,695 | 87.75% | |
| DC Statehood Green | Ann C. Wilcox | 12,979 | 10.20% | |
| Write-in | 2,618 | 2.06% | ||
| Total votes | 127,292 | 100% | ||
At-large
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November 2, 2010
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Both incumbents, Democrat Phil Mendelson and Independent David Catania, won re-election to their fourth full terms.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Michael D. Brown, incumbent DC Shadow Senator
- Phil Mendelson, incumbent Democratic At-large Councilmember (since 1999)
- Clark Ray
Endorsements
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Phil Mendelson (inc.) | 77,127 | 62.56% | |
| Democratic | Michael D. Brown | 34,829 | 28.25% | |
| Democratic | Clark Ray | 10,688 | 8.67% | |
| Write-in | 649 | 1.42% | ||
| Total votes | 123,293 | 100% | ||
Statehood Green primary
Candidates
- Darryl L. C. Moch
- David Schwartzman
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC Statehood Green | David Schwartzman | 326 | 62.33% | |
| DC Statehood Green | Darryl L. C. Moch | 142 | 27.15% | |
| Write-in | 55 | 10.52% | ||
| Total votes | 523 | 100% | ||
Independents
Candidates
- David Catania, incumbent Independent At-large Councilmember (since 1998)
- Richard Urban
General Election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Phil Mendelson (inc.) | 105,296 | 56.41% | |
| Independent | David Catania | 57,163 | 30.62% | |
| DC Statehood Green | David Schwartzman | 12,697 | 6.80% | |
| Independent | Richard Urban | 9,668 | 5.18% | |
| Write-in | 1,839 | 0.99% | ||
| Total votes | 186,663 | 100% | ||
Ward 1
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November 4, 2010
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Incumbent councilmember Jim Graham was re-elected to a fourth full term.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Jim Graham, incumbent Ward 1 Councilmember
- Jeff Smith
- Bryan Weaver
Endorsements
- Labor unions
- Amalgamated Transit Union local 689[9]
- UNITE HERE local 25[9]
- Organizations
- Publications
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Graham (inc.) | 8,381 | 56.88% | |
| Democratic | Jeff Smith | 3,159 | 21.44% | |
| Democratic | Bryan Weaver | 3,155 | 21.41% | |
| Write-in | 39 | 0.50% | ||
| Total votes | 14,734 | 100% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Marc Morgan
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Marc Morgan | 126 | 76.36% | |
| Write-in | 39 | 23.64% | ||
| Total votes | 165 | 100% | ||
Statehood Green primary
No candidates filed for the primary, with Nancy Shia winning the nomination through write-in votes.
General Election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jim Graham | 11,946 | 81.31% | |
| DC Statehood Green | Nancy Shia | 1,376 | 9.37% | |
| Republican | Marc Morgan | 1,137 | 7.74% | |
| Write-in | 233 | 1.59% | ||
| Total votes | 14,692 | 100% | ||
Ward 3
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November 2, 2010
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Incumbent councilmember Mary Cheh won re-election to a third term, defeating Republican nominee Dave Hedgepeth.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Mary Cheh, incumbent Ward 3 Councilmember (since 2003)
Endorsements
Organizations
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mary Cheh (inc.) | 14,090 | 93.68% | |
| Write-in | 950 | 6.32% | ||
| Total votes | 15,040 | 100% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Dave Hedgepeth, litigation lawyer[12]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Dave Hedgepeth | 600 | 92.88% | |
| Write-in | 46 | 7.12% | ||
| Total votes | 646 | 100% | ||
General Election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Mary Cheh (inc.) | 12,141 | 64.95% | |
| Republican | Dave Hedgepeth | 6,363 | 34.04% | |
| Write-in | 190 | 1.02% | ||
| Total votes | 18,694 | 100% | ||
Ward 5
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November 2, 2010
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Incumbent councilmember Vincent Orange declined to run for a second term to run for Mayor. The seat was won by Harry Thomas Jr., son of former Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Sr..
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Delano Hunter
- Kenyan McDuffie
- Harry Thomas Jr., son of former Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Sr.
- Tracey D. Turner
Endorsements
Organizations
Organizations
- Capital Stonewall Democrats[10]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Harry Thomas Jr. | 11,185 | 61.67% | |
| Democratic | Delano Hunter | 3,471 | 19.14% | |
| Democratic | Kenyan McDuffie | 2,685 | 14.80% | |
| Democratic | Tracey D. Turner | 750 | 4.13% | |
| Write-in | 47 | 0.26% | ||
| Total votes | 18,138 | 100% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Tim Day
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim Day | 115 | 77.18% | |
| Write-in | 34 | 22.82% | ||
| Total votes | 149 | 100% | ||
Independents
Candidates
- Kathy Henderson
General Election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Harry Thomas Jr. | 15,146 | 83.85% | |
| Independent | Kathy Henderson | 1,073 | 5.94% | |
| Independent | Kathy Henderson | 1,651 | 9.14% | |
| Republican | Tim Day | 1,073 | 5.94% | |
| Write-in | 194 | 1.07% | ||
| Total votes | 20,977 | 100% | ||
Ward 6
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November 2, 2010
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Incumbent councilmember Tommy Wells won re-election to a second term, defeating Republican nominee Jim DeMartino.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Kelvin Robinson, former chief of staff to Mayor Anthony Williams[11]
- Tommy Wells, incumbent Ward 6 Councilmember (since 2007)
Endorsements
Debates
| Date | Place | Host | Participants | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P Participant. I Invitee. A Absent. N Confirmed non-invitee. O Out of race (exploring, suspended, or not yet entered) | DeMartino[a] |
Robinson |
Wells | ||||||||
| 1 September 2010[13] | Christ Our Shepherd Church | Ward 6 Democrats | P | P | P | ||||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tommy Wells (inc.) | 12,862 | 75.10% | |
| Democratic | Kelvin Robinson | 4,186 | 24.44% | |
| Write-in | 79 | 0.46% | ||
| Total votes | 17,127 | 100% | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Jim DeMartino, military consultant for the United States Navy[12]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim DeMartino | 456 | 91.02% | |
| Write-in | 45 | 8.98% | ||
| Total votes | 501 | 100% | ||
General Election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tommy Wells (inc.) | 16,256 | 85.18% | |
| Republican | Jim DeMartino | 2,674 | 14.01% | |
| Write-in | 154 | 0.81% | ||
| Total votes | 19,084 | 100% | ||
Notes
- Due to District of Columbia general elections being overwhelmingly dominated by the Democratic party, some notionally partisan forums invite candidates from other political parties to give them a chance to speak and engage with Democratic candidates.