Former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean emerged as the victor in the D.C. Democratic presidential primary Tuesday.
Dean received 43 percent of the vote and the Rev. Al Sharpton received 34 percent. Carol Moseley Braun, a former Illinois Senator, got 12 percent and Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich garnered 8 percent of the vote.
The five other major Democratic candidates - Retired Gen. Wesley Clark of Arkansas, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, Rep. Dick Gephardt of Missouri, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut - opted not to appear on the ballot.
Noah Black, president of the College Democrats, said, "That really took away from what the people of D.C. were hoping for. It's not that legitimate when people can't vote for who they want."
The D.C. primary is a nonbinding vote and will not directly affect which delegates will attend the Democratic National Convention to officially choose a presidential candidate.
Delegates to the Democratic National Convention will be selected by the Democratic Party at a caucus in February.
This year, for the first time, the District's primary was the first in the nation, sparking some controversy over whether this move was within Democratic National Committee rules. Before, the D.C. primary took place in May.
The bill was introduced by D.C. Councilman Jack Evans and supported by activists who want the District's residents to have federal voting rights.
"The reason he did this was to highlight D.C.'s lack of voting rights," said John Ralls, chief of staff for Evans. "The best way to do this is to make all the candidates come to D.C. and campaign."
As for the controversy over holding a primary before New Hampshire, Ralls said, "D.C. is not technically a state and is therefore not violating any rules."
Ralls said the event was a mixed success and that this primary has received significantly more attention than past primaries. However, he was disappointed that five Democratic candidates would not appear on the ballot.
Ralls predicted that the results of the primary, though nonbinding, may have some affect on the national Democratic election.
"I think if Dean walks away with a decisive win, he'll be able to stand up to all the critics and say that an urban city with an African-American majority voted for him," Ralls said. He believes this could help Dean defend himself from criticism about his positions on minorities.
AU law professor Jamin Raskin sees this primary as an important step toward D.C. voting rights. He called the primary a "victory for creative tactics" in the ongoing campaign.
Raskin said the primary raises awareness of the District's lack of federal representation in Congress, though he said, "It will be a while before national political culture focuses seriously on the district."
AU history professor Allan Lichtman sees the importance of this race as the only primary in a predominantly black population. He does not think there is much interest in this contest outside of the District.
"There's very little attention being paid to this primary," Lichtman said. "People only marginally care and aside from Howard Dean, all the major candidates are skipping."
Because of this fact, Lichtman does not think the D.C. primary results will have any significance to the national Democratic election. He does not believe Tuesday's primary provides hope for D.C. voting rights. "As long as there is a Republican Congress there is no chance, and even the Democratic Congress didn't do much," he said.
Black agreed that the District's primary lacks national impact.
"The party always gives deference to Iowa and New Hampshire," he said.
About 15 percent of registered voters turned out for the primary. Recent Democratic primaries in the District have attracted an average of 10 percent, according to The Washington Post.
