Election Day voting begins in D.C.’s primary races

Election Day voting has begun in D.C.’s primaries, where a slate of incumbent council members are hoping to stave off challengers and retain their seats. In Ward 7, voters will pick from a crowded field to determine the likely successor to outgoing Council member Vincent C. Gray (D).

This year’s election also features competitive council races in Wards 4 and 8. In Ward 2, Council member Brooke Pinto (D) is running unopposed. The at-large council seat held by Robert C. White Jr. (D) is also on the Democratic primary ballot; the other at-large seat in this year’s cycle, held by incumbent Christina Henderson (I-At Large) and set aside for someone from the non-majority party, will be determined in November.

Voters on Tuesday are also selecting nominees for the nonvoting House delegate seat held by Eleanor Holmes Norton (D), as well candidates for D.C.’s “shadow” senator and representative — nonvoting congressional positions that are generally tasked with promoting District statehood.

Polls are open until 8 p.m.

Ward 7 has been the center of the most captivating race in this year’s election cycle, as 10 candidates are jockeying to succeed Gray, who is not running for reelection amid health challenges.

Crime, education, the ward’s economy and the future of the RFK Stadium complex have been key issues in this race. Adding to the intrigue: Ward 7 added thousands of residents after a redistricting process that stretched its border farther west across the Anacostia River. In recent days, some candidates in the field have looked to separate themselves from the pack through strategic ads and last-minute endorsement announcements, including from sitting members of the council.

In Ward 8, Council member Trayon White Sr. (D) is being challenged by two community leaders: former Ballou High School principal Rahman Branch and Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Salim Adofo.

White has a strong base and long track record of service and activism in the ward, making a case to voters that he’s the only candidate with the experience to advocate for D.C.’s most disadvantaged ward. But White’s opponents have questioned his track record as a legislator. And they say it’s time for a new approach toward remedying the ward’s intractable issues, like reducing violence and poverty, while improving economic outcomes for residents.

Ward 4 Council member Janeese Lewis George (D) is up for reelection for the first time since she joined the council in 2020. The self-described Democratic socialist is being challenged by Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Lisa Gore and Paul Johnson, a municipal investment banker.

Johnson and Gore have looked to portray Lewis George as too liberal on matters around public safety; George, in turn, has reminded voters that she’s the only candidate in the race who has worked as a prosecutor. She has defended her voting record, accusing her opponents of mischaracterizing her track record on the city’s police budget.

Election Day in Ward 4 started off slow at Powell Elementary in Columbia Heights. Voters walked through the door every few minutes, many casting their ballots before work.

In the at-large Democratic primary, Robert C. White Jr. (D) is facing a challenge from Rodney “Red” Grant — an entertainer who along with White unsuccessfully ran for D.C. mayor two years ago. White is hoping to retain his seat, pitching voters on his leadership of the council’s housing committee and other legislative proposals. Grant, who runs a pair of programs focused on helping city youths, has argued that he’s more in tune with young people than White and pledged to build on that work if elected.

At the federal level, voters Tuesday are also selecting candidates for D.C.’s nonvoting positions in Congress. Norton is running for reelection for the 17th time. Kelly Mikel Williams, who has worked in local and federal government and previously ran against Norton, is challenging her once again. Rounding out the ballot are competitive contests for the city’s “shadow” senator, where candidate Ankit Jain is running against Eugene D. Kinlow and shadow representative, where incumbent Oye Owolewa is being challenged by Linda L. Gray.

This story is developing and will be updated.