D.C.’s major power players won big in the midterm elections Tuesday, as Mayor Muriel Bowser, Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson were all reelected with overwhelming support.
Ward 3 D.C. Council
In Ward 3, which includes American University, Democrat Matthew Frumin cruised to victory in the D.C. Council race, defeating Republican David Krucoff by a margin of over 52 percentage points, according to preliminary results from the D.C. Board of Elections.
Frumin will replace retiring Councilmember Mary Cheh, who has held the seat since 2007.
In a statement posted on social media, Frumin called his election “a dream come true.” He praised the candidates he defeated — nearly a dozen people ran in the Democratic primary — and pledged to help make the city “as safe, welcoming and green as it can be.”
Krucoff, who won the endorsement of The Washington Post but gained little traction among residents, congratulated Frumin on Twitter Wednesday. A self-described moderate Republican, Krucoff had tried convincing voters they should send a “passionately pragmatic” conservative voice to the entirely Democratic Council.
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions
It will take several days to know who won the two ANC seats on AU’s campus. Neither district had any candidate on the ballot, but there appeared to be at least one write-in candidate for each seat: freshman Micah Rogers in 3E07 and sophomore Rohin Ghosh in 3E08.
Board of Elections data showed just three votes cast in 3E07 and 12 votes cast in 3E08. Because the elections board does not distinguish write-in votes by name in its preliminary results, it was not immediately clear whether Rogers or Ghosh were elected.
Initiative 82
One of the most hotly contested ballot measures was Initiative 82, which passed with 74 percent of the vote, according to preliminary data. This measure will alter the way tipped workers are paid in the district. The minimum wage will be incrementally increased for tipped employees each year until 2027 — it is currently at $5.35 — to match that of non-tipped employees, which is at $16.10. Prior to the initiative, employers were required by law to make up for their workers’ pay if the tips didn't reach minimum wage.
Opponents raised concerns the initiative would hurt small and independent restaurants and bars especially after the pandemic. Additionally, many restaurants may implement service charges, leaving customers less likely to tip. Proponents argued the two-tiered wage system makes income too unpredictable and is inherently problematic, forcing workers to rely on strangers' biases as they decide how much to tip.
Board of Education
Eric Goulet appeared on track to secure the Board of Education seat for Ward 3 against Michael Sriqui with nearly 54 percent of the vote as of Thursday morning, according to the D.C. Board of Elections. Current BOE seatholder Ruth Wattenberg did not run for reelection.
After losing in the primary for Ward 3 Council earlier this year, Goulet launched his campaign for BOE and was endorsed by The Washington Post. Sriqui is a current ANC commissioner from the Palisades in District 3D04. His campaign was heavily focused on the fact that he was the only candidate with children enrolled in D.C. public schools; Goulet’s children attend private school.
At-large
In the competitive race for an at-large D.C. Council seat, Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie ousted the incumbent progressive Councilmember Elissa Silverman by a three point margin.
The race was one of the most closely watched in the district. McDuffie, who represents Ward 5 as a Democrat, left the party to compete for the at-large seat as an independent after a judge found him unqualified to run for attorney general. Silverman conceded Wednesday night when a newly counted batch of mail-in ballots made McDuffie’s lead too large to close.
Democrat Brian Schwalb won the attorney general’s race unopposed, and at-large Democratic Councilmember Anita Bonds was also reelected. The at-large race allowed voters to choose two candidates among the eight on the ballot.
