The political establishment in Washington D.C. maintained its status quo following the primary election. However, the results show that the voters are beginning to move toward a more balanced view of the city. In the three citywide races, the incumbent parties were able to coast to victory. Phil Mendelson, Anita Bonds and Muriel Bowser were all victorious.
Primary Election Results
The results of the primary election may well affect the races in the ward races. For instance, in the Ward 3 and 5 council races, Mary Cheh and Kenyan McDuffie decided not to seek reelection. They will be replaced by two candidates, namely Matt Frumin and Zachary Parker.
Brianne Nadeau’s victory in the Ward 1 council race has made it hard to believe that the new council members will be as friendly to the policies of the incumbent parties as they were to the moderate ones.
Where’s the Independent Candidate?
Although it’s still not clear if an independent candidate will emerge in November, it’s widely believed that progressives will have more power on the Council due to the victories of the primary winners. Although Phil Mendelson and Muriel Bowser still hold most of the levers of power, moderates will likely have fewer reliable votes.
On the other hand, the mood at the election night party held by Muriel Bowser at Franklin Hall was very positive. The crowd was still filled with people who were still happy to see that the city’s political establishment remained the same. Among the individuals who were spotted at the event were former lawmakers Jack Evans and Brandon Todd, as well as developers Bo Menkiti and David Jannarone.
On the other hand, the results of the primary election were pouring in, which could make it difficult for the mayor to implement her agenda. During the event, she also gave her congratulations to the winners of the races, namely Nadeau, Parker and Allen. However, the applause that was generated for Mendelson and Bonds quickly dwindled, and some of the attendees booed the mayor.
According to Nadeau, the results of the primary election showed that the voters support progressive values on issues such as public safety and affordable housing. Although the city’s top leadership may not have been removed, the people want a different direction.
Despite the results of the primary election, Mendelson isn’t exactly sure how the people will feel about the government’s actions. He noted that his challenger, Erin Palmer, performed better than her last challenger, Ed Lazere, four years ago.
