On Tuesday voters in the District of Columbia will head to the ballot box to elect the Democratic nominee for mayor. Given the fact that a vast majority of DC voters are Democrat, it is very likely that the nominee selected tomorrow will be the next mayor. There will be eight nominees on the ballot, including incumbent Mayor Vincent Gray. Various polls over the past week have placed Councilwoman Muriel Bowser as the frontrunner, polling 2-3% higher than Mayor Gray. However, that is still within the margin of error, meaning the race could come down only a handful of votes. WRGW News has put together a profile of each of the candidates running to help voters make their decision. The winner of tomorrow’s election will face independent candidate David Catania, an at-large member of the D.C. City Council. No Republicans have declared their candidacy thus far.
Jack Evans
Current job: D.C. City Councilman, Ward 2
Background:
Jack Evans has served as D.C. Councilman for Ward 2 since 1991. After obtaining a law degree from University of Pittsburgh in 1978, Evans moved to D.C., where he worked as an attorney with the Security and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement. During the 1980s Evans became involved in local Democratic politics, and was elected to the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission. In 1988 he was elected Treasurer of the D.C. Democratic Senate Committee and served until 1999. Evans was elected to his current Council position in 1991 in a special election, after previous councilmember John Wilson was chosen as Chairman of the City Council. Evans lost his wife of ten years in 2003 to breast cancer, but has since remarried. He currently lives with his wife and three kids in Ward 2.
Main Issues:
Jobs+Economy
– Wants to eliminate “food deserts” by creating a Food Policy Council
– Believes in expanding career-oriented coursework in public schools
– Introducing “P-Tech” schools to D.C., which specialize in STEM subjects
– Incentivize businesses to hire D.C. residents by offering tax credits
Public Safety
– Champions laws which create “gun-free” zones around schools and playgrounds
– Has supported laws in past which eliminate statute of limitations for sexual assault crimes
– Wants to see Metro P.D. maintain a police force of at least 4,000
Environment
– Supports offering tax credits to cab companies who buy hybrid vehicles
– Supports offering tax credits to private citizens who buy hybrids
– Introduced plastic bag surcharge
Website: http://jackevansfordc.com/
Andy Shallal
Current job: Entrepreneur
Background:
Andy Shallal is an entrepreneur and proprietor of Busboys and Poets and Eatonville Restaurant. Shallal and his family settled in Arlington, Virginia after emigrating from Iraq in 1966 emigrated. He earned a degree in Pre-Med from The Catholic University of America and began coursework in the medical school at Howard University before he dropped out to pursue his entrepreneurial interests. Shallal opened his first restaurant, Skewers, in 1987, and has owned and operated a variety of beltway establishments since. He has been engaged in progressive politics since the 1990s, when he helped organize campaigns for city council, and was an organizer on the national level for Jerry Brown’s 1992 presidential bid. Shallal holds a place on the board of trustees for the Institute for Policy Studies and began an organization called Think First Local DC, which seeks to make D.C. more “unique and vibrant.” In recent years, Shallal founded RAISE: Restaurants Advancing Industry Standards in Employment. The organization seeks to improve working conditions and wages in the restaurant industry. In his free time, Shallal is an avid mural painter, and his works can be found around D.C. He currently resides in Adams Morgan with his family.
Main Issues:
Income Inequality
– Increase funds for adult literacy programs
– Strengthen vocational programs at both high school and community college levels
– Support programs in helping residents find and keep living wage jobs
Entrepreneurship
– Provide benefits to socially and environmentally responsible businesses
– Host an Entrepreneurship Summit that includes government agencies
– Create the Office of Innovation that aids start-ups
Education
– Stop the fixation with the standardized test metric
– Continue the DCPS focus on teacher evaluation, but work with the WTU to shift the emphasis away from ranking and rating every teacher
Website: http://www.andy4dc.com/
Vincent Orange
Current job: D.C. City Councilman, At-Large
Background:
After receiving a law degree from Howard University, Orange worked as an accountant and attorney in Washington D.C. He represented Ward 5 as a councilmember from 1999-2007, and was elected to his current position in 2011. Orange was a staunch supporter of the recent minimum wage increase to $11.50. Orange states his most important issues are ethics reform, job creation, and education reform. He currently resides in Ward 5 with his family and is active within the Metropolitan AME Church.
Main Issues:
Minimum Wage/Housing
– Continue to adjust minimum wage according to inflation
– Increase affordable housing options for middle-income families
Jobs/Business
– Encourage agencies to spend budgets on local small businesses
– Pass the Jobs Training Act to better suit D.C. workforce for high-skill jobs
Website: http://www.orange4mayor.com/
Reta Lewis
Current job: State Department Official
Background:
Reta Lewis has held positions as a diplomat, public servant, and attorney. She began work in the public sector in 1991, when she served as Chief of Staff for the D.C. Department of Public Works. She then served in the Clinton White House as a Special Assistant. In 2010, Reta was appointed as the Special Representative for Global Intergovernmental Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. In this capacity, she was responsible for building relationships between the State Department, and both domestic and foreign local governments. Reta also served as the President of Executive Women in Government, a group which organizes women leaders in the public sector. She holds a a B.A. from the University of Georgia, a M.S. in the Administration of Justice from American University, and a law degree from Emory University School of Law. Reta currently lives in Ward 6.
Main Issues:
Jobs/Economy:
– Champion inclusivity in D.C.’s economy by supporting programs which reach out to minorities and women
– Partner with employers to offer training to low-skilled workers
Education
– Create more opportunities for adult education
– Allow teachers and parents to be driving force behind reforms
– Technologically update school across the District
Government Reform
– Strengthen authority of the inspector general
– End behind-the-scenes deals, make government more transparent
Website: http://www.retalewisformayor.com/
Muriel Bowser
Current job: D.C. City Councilwoman, Ward 4
Background:
Muriel Bowser, a native DC resident, was the first candidate to officially enter the 2014 mayoral race. If she wins, she will be the first female mayor of DC in twenty years. She is known for her close political relationship with former mayor Adrian Fenty, and she has been an active council member.
Main Issues:
Bowser’s campaign is largely focused on dealing with the recent growth of DC. She wants to reform education in DC. by “connecting the dots” between preschool, K-12, college, and the workforce.
Website: http://murielformayor.com
Vincent Gray
Current job: Mayor of the District of Columbia
Background:
Vincent Gray is the incumbent mayor seeking his second term. However, there are still many voters who do not trust him because of the corruption surrounding his first campaign in 2010. But he has somewhat rebounded since then and his approval ratings are high.
Main Issues:
Gray’s campaign has been focused on highlighting the achievements of his first term, such as declining unemployment, and how the city is progressing in the proper direction. His major goal is to “make this city affordable,” by creating affordable early childhood education, increasing minimum wage, and creating more jobs in DC.
Website: http://vincegray2014.com/site/
Carlos Allen
Current job: Businessman and musician
Background:
Carlos Allen is best known for crashing a state dinner at the White House in 2009. He is originally from Panama; he moved to America when he was six years old. He tried to run for mayor in 2010 but his nomination petition was challenged.
Main Issues:
Allen wants to reduce the economic inequality in DC by funding job training for unemployed residents, but he describes himself as neither a socialist nor a capitalist: “I combine the two together.”
Website: http://www.carlosallenformayor.com
Tommy Wells
Current job: D.C. City Councilman, Ward 6
Background:
Tommy Wells is a councilmember who was the second candidate to officially enter the mayoral race. He is also one of the only white candidates. This may prove to be a challenge in DC, which has been led only by African Americans since 1975.
Main Issues:
Wells’s main focus is to “restore integrity to our elected government,” and eliminate corruption in the city, like the corruption surrounding Mayor Gray’s past campaign. He wants there to be more transparency in governmental operations. He also cares about reforming campaign finance. In fact, he is his own campaign fundraising chair and he is not taking corporate contributions.
Website: http://www.tommywells.org