Heather Curtis
WMAL.com
WASHINGTON – Former D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray confirmed rumors Thursday he will be running for a seat on the city council. He said he chose to run for the Ward 7 seat instead of an at-large one because Ward 7 is his home.
Despite serving most recently as mayor and before that chairman of the council, Gray said he doesn’t view a Ward 7 council seat as a demotion. “I’m a public servant fundamentally,” Gray said.
Washingtonian Editor at-Large Harry Jaffe said there’s no guarantee Gray will be elected to his former council seat. “Politics is a tough sport, and he’s not immediately going to be coronated as council member. He has to run. He has to win,” Jaffe said.
This will be the first time Gray’s name has appeared on a city ballot since he lost the Democratic mayoral primary to current Mayor Muriel Bowser in 2014. The primary happened while the U.S. Attorney’s Office investigated whether he was involved in a shadow campaign to raise money for his mayoral bid in 2010. That investigation ended in December 2015 without any charges being filed against Gray. While the investigation was happening, Bowser called for Gray to resign.
“I think that he hasn’t gotten over that, and I think that he’s…this is get even time for Vince Gray,” said Jaffe.
Gray strongly refuted that. “There’s no way I would do this as some way to seek retribution. There’s too much work to be done in this city. There’s too much effort that needs to be made. You can’t spend time doing that,” he told reporters.
Gray said his decision to run was prompted in part by Ward 7 residents who told him they’re disappointed with how they are being represented on the council. One particular frustration, according to Gray, is the lack of response residents get when they contact the office of current Ward 7 Council Member Yvette Alexander.
If elected Gray said his priorities would include reducing crime and unemployment and increasing development, especially at Skyland Town Center. He said the city needs to find a new anchor store for Skyland now that Wal-Mart backed out of a plan to build a store there.
“It was a dastardly act that was done by Wal-Mart, incredibly disingenuous,” Gray said. Wal-Mart’s decision was part of a worldwide downsizing move that also included closing 269 stores.
Gray made the Skyland Town Center development project a priority when he was mayor.
When asked whether he’s considering a run for mayor in 2018, Gray said he has nothing on his agenda at this point except for Ward 7.
(Photo: CNN)
