VOL. 54, NO. 4 • NOVEMBER 8 - 14, 2018
We Salute Our Veterans for Their Service and Sacrifice
Fall Colors in Full Bloom Page 44
Mayor Muriel Bowser Wins Second Term
Silverman, Bonds Victors in At-large Council Race
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins
Reeder Promises ‘She’ll Be Back’
D.C. Mayor Bowser, a political figure both lauded and criticized for her shepherding of the District during a period of economic development, spikes in homicide and widening inequality, will serve another four-year term as city executive. On Tuesday night, Bowser won re-election with more
By Sam P.K. Collins WI Contributing Writer @SamPKCollins
After months of political intrigue and jockeying resembling a political reality television show, D.C. Councilmembers Anita Bonds (D) and Elissa Silverman (I) retained their seats in an At-large council race that highlighted significant local issues and revealed deep-seated racial and political schisms. Shortly before the D.C. Board of Elections declared her a winner, Silverman, reluctant to relish in her victory, made known her commitment to continuing her progressive streak, mending fences with political rivals and addressing the concerns of the District’s most vulnerable residents. “We’re making sure that we take care of families, implement paid family leave and close our achievement gaps in the schools,” said Silverman while celebrating with campaign staff and supporters at Tabard Inn in Northwest. On Tuesday night, she gained nearly 27 percent of the vote compared to Reeder’s 15 percent. “We need the right strategies to [help residents] overcome poverty and reduce health disparities. This race brought up the need to have challenging conversations about people feeling left out of the prosperity. I’m interested in work-
AT LARGE Page 46
DC MAYOR Page 9
5 Ben Jealous /Courtesy photo 5 Elissa Silverman /Courtesy photo
5 Stacey Abrams /Courtesy photo
See Page 12 for our report on the Maryland Governor’s election
Predictions Fall Short for Black Gubernatorial Candidates Gillum, Jealous Lose with Honor; Abrams May Gain Runoff By Stacy M. Brown WI Senior Writer In a televised interview early Tuesday, former talk show host Melissa Harris-Perry said Democratic gubernatorial candidates Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (Fla.) and Stacey Abrams (Ga.) will change the way Democrats campaign in the south for decades to come. In saying so, Harris-Perry was clear that would be the case regardless of the outcome. Still, despite inspiring campaigns that brought out celebrities
like Oprah Winfrey, P. Diddy and former President Barack Obama, both Gillum and Abrams fell short of making history. Unofficial projections show that Republican Ron DeSantis edged Gillum by a razor-thin margin. Abrams lost to Georgia Republican Jack Kemp in a race that wasn’t as close as many anticipated. “Gillum and Abrams, no matter what, they have changed the idea that Democrats should not be fighting for these seats in the
FLORIDA/GEORGIA Page 18
5Mayor Andrew Gillum /Courtesy photo
5Mayor Muriel Bowser cast her vote early Tuesday morning and greeted supporters late in the evening as she declared victory for a second mayoral term in the District of Columbia. / Photo by Roy Lewis
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