After months of campaigning, debate and discussion among candidates, DC residents took to the polls yesterday to cast their votes for who they would like to see on the November general election ballot. While election results won’t be official until July 8, as absentee ballots are counted and mail-in ballots continue to be received, the Associated Press made several calls Tuesday evening about the election results.
Results
In Ward 6, very little will change on the November ballot from what residents have seen in years past. Incumbent DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) won the Democratic nomination over challengers, incumbent Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White, Sr. (D) and Councilmember Robert White (At Large-D).
Both Councilmembers conceded the race and will continue to work on the DC Council through the end of their terms.
Incumbent DC Council Chair Phil Mendelson won the nomination over challenger and ANC Commissioner Erin Palmer.
In the DC Council races, incumbent Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, running unopposed, secured the Democratic nomination. Incumbent Anita Bonds again won the nomination for the at-large council seat.
The only non-incumbent victory was Brian Schwalb who won the race for Attorney General. Current Attorney General Karl Racine did not seek reelection.
What Voters are Saying
While the District provides a variety of voting methods including mail-in and drop off ballots, many people also voted in-person at the polling centers around Ward 6.
Susana McDonald, a resident of Capitol Hill, said she likes coming in-person if she can, but really appreciates how easy DC makes it to vote.
“I’m here today to vote to ensure that at least I’m doing my duty by what’s going on locally,” McDonald said.
McDonald said she wanted to vote in person to really engage with the democratic process and also because the development of the city is a key issue for her.
“I think that too much has been given, I think that they get too many tax breaks and I think that how the city has generally handled gentrification needs some definite improvements and I think the developers are a big part of the problems that we have,” McDonald said.
Maxwell Kuhn, a Capitol Hill resident, voted for the first time in Tuesday’s primary after going to the polls with his parents several times before. He said he has always had an interest in politics and the democratic process.
“It was really easy and super exciting to finally be able to do it because it’s something that I’ve been looking forward to for about four years now.”
Gina Marie, a new resident of the Wharf, recently relocated to the District and wanted to participate in the election.
“I definitely think the increased violence in DC is a big issue that I’m coming out for and also the removal of the homeless encampments in DC,” Marie said. “Those are two big issues that I’m (focused) on today.”
Sarah Payne is a general assignment reporter for Capital Community News. She can be reached at sarahp@hillrag.com.
