The city of Washington, D.C., held elections for mayor and city council on November 4, 2014. A primary election took place on April 1, 2014. The filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was January 2, 2014.

The District of Columbia holds closed primaries, meaning only voters registered with that political party can vote in the primary. Citizens had to complete party affiliation changes by March 3, 2014, in order to vote in the primary.^[1] Candidates looking to qualify for the ballot as an independent candidate needed to turn in petitions 90 days prior to the November 4 election, which was August 6, 2014.

Seven of Washington, D.C.'s city council seats were up for election. These included the chairmanship, two at-large seats, and wards 1, 3, 5 and 6.

An incumbent ran for re-election in every race except Ward 6. Ward 6 incumbent Tommy Wells (D) ran in the Democratic primary for Mayor on April 1, but lost. Two incumbents were eliminated in the primary election: Mayor Vincent Gray (D) and Ward 1 incumbent Jim Graham (D). Gray lost to Ward 4 representative Muriel Bowser (D), while Graham lost to newcomer Brianne Nadeau (D).

Incumbents who ran in the general election included Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) and Anita Bonds (D), Mary Cheh (D) and Kenyan McDuffie (D) in the at-large race and wards 1, 3 and 5, respectively.

On November 4, Muriel Bowser won the mayoral race, making her the second female mayor in Washington, D.C.'s history.^[2] Phil Mendelson won re-election as the Chairman of City Council. At-large incumbent Anita Bonds also won re-election. She will be joined by Elissa Silverman (I), who won election to an at-large seat. Brianne Nadeau was elected to the Ward 1 seat, while Charles Allen (D) won the Ward 6 seat. Incumbents Mary Cheh in Ward 3 and Kenyan McDuffie in Ward 5 both won re-election.

Public transportation, cost of living, school reform and marijuana were some of the key issues that shaped Washington, D.C.'s 2014 election cycle.

Mayor

Candidate list

April 1 Democratic primary candidates:

Carlos Allen
Muriel Bowser a
Christian A. Carter
Jack Evans
Vincent Gray - Incumbent Gray was first elected to office in 2010.
Michael Green
Reta Jo Lewis
Vincent Orange
Luis Poblete
Frank Sewell
Andy Shallal
Octavia Wells
Tommy Wells

November 4 General election candidates:

Polling

2014 Mayor of Washington, D.C.
Poll	Muriel Bowser	David Catania	Carol Schwartz	Other	Undecided	Margin of error	Sample size

Economic Growth DC CapitalDecision2014 Poll (September 28-30, 2014)	35%	27%	11%	0%	27%	+/-3	1,023
NBC4/Washington Post/Marist DC Poll (September 14-16, 2014)	43%	24%	17%	1%	15%	+/-3	1,070
AVERAGES	39%	25.5%	14%	0.5%	21%	+/-3	1,046.5
Note: The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org.

Election results

**Mayor of Washington, D.C. General Election, 2014**
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Muriel Bowser	54.5%	96,666
	Independent	Nestor Djonkam	0.3%	460
	Independent	David Catania	34.6%	61,388
	Green	Faith	0.9%	1,520
	Independent	Carol Schwartz	7%	12,327
	Libertarian	Bruce Majors	0.7%	1,297
	Other	Write-in	0.9%	1,612
	Other	Under and Over Votes	1.2%	2,088
Total Votes				177,358
Source: Washington, D.C. Board of Elections - General Election Results

**Mayor of Washington, D.C. Democratic Primary Election Democratic Primary, 2014**
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Muriel Bowser	43.4%	42,045
Vincent Gray Incumbent	32.6%	31,613
Jack Evans	5%	4,877
Andy Shallal	3.3%	3,196
Reta Lewis	0.5%	490
Vincent Orange	2%	1,946
Carlos Allen	0.1%	120
Tommy Wells	12.8%	12,393
Write-in	0.2%	235
Total Votes		96,915
Source: Washington, D.C. Board of Elections - Primary Election Results

City council

Candidate list

Chairman

April 1 Democratic primary candidates:

Phil Mendelson a - Incumbent Mendelson was first elected in 1998.
Calvin Gurley

November 4 General election candidates:

At-Large

Note: Two at-large seats were up for election. Incumbent David Catania (I) did not run for re-election.

April 1 Democratic primary candidates:

Anita Bonds a - Incumbent Bonds was first elected in 2013.
Nate Bennett Fleming
Kathy Henderson
Chantel Mapp
Pedro Rubio
John Settles, II
Kevin Valentine Jr.

April 1 D.C. Statehood Green Party primary candidates:

November 4 General election candidates:

Ward 1

April 1 Democratic primary candidates:

Jim Graham - Incumbent Graham was first elected in 1998.
Brianne Nadeau a
Bryan Weaver
Beverley Wheeler

November 4 General election candidates:

Brianne Nadeau

John Vaught LaBeaume

Ernest E. Johnson

Ward 3

November 4 General election candidates:

Mary Cheh

Ryan Sabot

Ward 5

April 1 Democratic primary candidates:

Kathy Henderson
Paul Hines
Jacqueline Manning
Kenyan McDuffie a - Incumbent McDuffie was first elected in 2012.
Carolyn Steptoe

November 4 General election candidates:

Kenyan McDuffie

Preston Cornish

Ward 6

Note: Incumbent Tommy Wells did not run for re-election.

April 1 Democratic primary candidates:

November 4 General election candidates:

Charles Allen

Pranav Badhwar

Election results

General

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**Washington, D.C. Council, Chairman, 2014**
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Phil Mendelson Incumbent	77.8%	138,066
	Republican	Kris Hammond	6.8%	12,114
	Libertarian	Kyle Walker	2.1%	3,674
	Green	G. Lee Aikin	3.3%	5,930
	Independent	John C. Cheeks	3.9%	6,949
	Other	Write-in	0.5%	849
	Other	Over and Over Votes	5.5%	9,776
Total Votes				177,358
Source: Washington, D.C. Board of Elections - General Election Results

**Washington, D.C. Council, At-large, 2014**
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Anita Bonds Incumbent	24.1%	85,575
	Independent	Elissa Silverman	11.6%	41,300
	Independent	Michael D. Brown	8.1%	28,614
	Libertarian	Frederick Steiner	1.1%	3,766
	Independent	Eric J. Jones	1.2%	4,405
	Independent	Kishan Putta	1.7%	6,135
	Independent	Wendell Felder	0.8%	2,964
	Green	Eugene Puryear	3.5%	12,525
	Independent	Courtney R. Snowden	5.5%	19,551
	Independent	Brian Hart	2.5%	8,933
	Independent	Robert White	6.3%	22,198
	Independent	Calvin H. Gurley	1.3%	4,553
	Republican	Marc Morgan	2.8%	9,947
	Independent	Graylan Scott Hagler	3%	10,539
	Independent	Khalid Pitts	2.9%	10,392
	Other	Write-in	0.4%	1,472
	Other	Over and Under Votes	23.1%	81,847
Total Votes				354,716
Source: Washington, D.C. Board of Elections - General Election Results

**Washington, D.C. Council, Ward 1, 2014**
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Brianne Nadeau	75.3%	17,024
	Libertarian	John Vaught LaBeaume	3.7%	829
	Independent	Ernest E. Johnson	8.9%	2,021
	Other	Write-in	0.9%	207
	Other	Over and Under Votes	11.2%	2,535
Total Votes				22,616
Source: Washington, D.C. Board of Elections - General Election Results

**Washington, D.C. Council, Ward 3, 2014**
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Mary Cheh Incumbent	78%	20,314
	Libertarian	Ryan Sabot	11.3%	2,940
	Other	Write-in	1.4%	365
	Other	Over and Under Votes	9.3%	2,431
Total Votes				26,050
Source: Washington, D.C. Board of Elections - General Election Results

**Washington, D.C. Council, Ward 5, 2014**
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Kenyan McDuffie Incumbent	83.9%	19,290
	Libertarian	Preston Cornish	6.5%	1,488
	Other	Write-in	0.9%	199
	Other	Over and Under Votes	8.7%	2,007
Total Votes				22,984
Source: Washington, D.C. Board of Elections - General Election Results

**Washington, D.C. Council, Ward 6, 2014**
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Charles Allen	79.5%	23,668
	Libertarian	Pranav Badhwar	10.5%	3,127
	Other	Write-in	0.8%	237
	Other	Over and Under Votes	9.2%	2,751
Total Votes				29,783
Source: Washington, D.C. Board of Elections - General Election Results

Primary

**Washington D.C. Council Chairman Primary Election Democratic Primary, 2014**
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Phil Mendelson Incumbent	81.2%	69,138
Calvin Gurley	17.8%	15,178
Write-in	1%	825
Total Votes		85,141
Source: Washington D.C. Board of Elections

**Washington D.C. Council At-Large Primary Election Democratic Primary, 2014**
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Anita Bonds Incumbent	53.2%	43,586
Nate Bennett Fleming	22.3%	18,232
Pedro Rubio	7.4%	6,082
John Settles, II	13.2%	10,775
Kevin Valentine Jr.	3.1%	2,560
Write-in	0.8%	624
Total Votes		81,859
Source: Washington D.C. Board of Elections

**Washington D.C. Council Ward 1 Primary Election Democratic Primary, 2014**
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Brianne Nadeau	58.7%	6,688
Jim Graham Incumbent	40.8%	4,642
Write-in	0.5%	57
Total Votes		11,387
Source: Washington D.C. Board of Elections

**Washington D.C. Council Ward 3 Primary Election Democratic Primary, 2014**
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Mary Cheh Incumbent	95.8%	11,484
Write-in	4.2%	503
Total Votes		11,987
Source: Washington D.C. Board of Elections

**Washington D.C. Council Ward 5 Primary Election Democratic Primary, 2014**
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Kenyan McDuffie Incumbent	78.4%	9,532
Kathy Henderson	15%	1,822
Carolyn Steptoe	6.2%	755
Write-in	0.5%	56
Total Votes		12,165
Source: Washington D.C. Board of Elections

**Washington D.C. Council Ward 6 Primary Election Democratic Primary, 2014**
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Charles Allen	58.2%	8,851
Darrel Thompson	41.6%	6,329
Write-in	0.2%	38
Total Votes		15,218
Source: Washington D.C. Board of Elections

Issues

Because of the city's size and historical and political significance, Washington, D.C.'s municipal elections are naturally high-profile events. At the same time, they can also be complicated and difficult for voters to navigate. Below, Ballotpedia highlights some of Washington, D.C.'s key issues and explains how they impacted the city's 2014 municipal elections.

For more information on the major issues in Washington, D.C.'s municipal elections, see also the coverage by the Washington Post.

Public transportation

As with previous D.C. municipal elections, public transportation was a major issue in 2014. The focus was largely on the city's 36-mile long streetcar project, which can be seen on the map to the right.^[3] The streetcar project began in the early 2000s as part of an effort by city hall to alleviate what many viewed as an overburdened public bus and rail system. Since its inception, the project has faced several setbacks due to budget cuts and resistance from local neighborhoods and critics on city council, who criticized the program's efficacy and high cost. D.C.'s 2014 municipal candidates spoke out both in favor and against streetcars.^[4]

The conversation about public transportation also touched upon expanding bike lanes, revising bus lines and taking advantage of new urban transportation options such as Uber and Lyft.^[5]

Cost of living

Equally important in 2014 was D.C.'s cost of living. According to a study conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in September 2014, D.C. ranked first in the nation in terms of basic living expenses, outpacing other high-price cities such as San Francisco, New York City and San Diego.^[6] 2014's municipal candidates did not shy away from the issue. Some advocated dedicating additional city funds to affordable housing projects, while others pushed for tax incentive programs to encourage developers to build more low-income housing units.^[7]^[5]

School reform

As important as public transportation and cost of living were to D.C. citizens, school reform emerged as arguably the most dominant issue in the 2014 mayoral race.^[8] School reform has a long history in D.C., and prior to the 2014 elections the city's education system had seen dramatic improvements in terms of student performance, teacher quality and test scores, difficult problems remained.^[8] The key issue in 2014 was the uneven quality of D.C. schools. While some neighborhood schools had experienced the improvements described above, many others had not. The result was that schools with higher performance records, such as those in the northwestern part of the city, became highly competitive and, in some cases, over-enrolled. Conversely, lower performance schools, such as those east of the Anacostia River, became underused (see the map right). In the opinion of many D.C. citizens and political candidates, the uneven quality of local schools reflected not only a geographical divide, but a racial and socioeconomic one as well.^[9]

To address this problem, outgoing Mayor Vincent Gray's (D) administration introduced a plan in 2014 to redraw school boundaries that would assign students to specific neighborhood schools throughout the city. The plan also provided pathways for students to attend schools outside their assigned region - an especially important issue to families living in zones that lack high-performance schools.^[10] Opinions on the plan varied through the 2014 election cycle.

Some claimed that the new boundaries could prohibit students in lower-income areas from having access to the same quality of education available in higher-income areas. Others, however, pointed out that the new boundaries could force neighborhoods and the city to come face-to-face with the unevenness of D.C. schools. The 2014 mayoral candidates were particularly vocal about the plan. Muriel Bowser (D) vowed to undo the plan.^[11] David Catania (I) said that he would delay redrawing school boundaries in order to provide more time for lower-performance schools to improve. Carol Schwartz (I) also argued in favor of delaying implementation.^[8]^[12]

For general information on the public school system in Washington, D.C., see Ballotpedia's analysis here.

Marijuana

In the November general election, Washington, D.C. voters were asked to approve or disapprove a ballot measure aimed at legalizing the possession and use of small to medium amounts of marijuana. The measure, known as Initiative 71, allowed D.C. residents to possess up to two ounces of marijuana, to grow up to six cannabis plants and to use or sell marijuana related paraphernalia. The measure was passed on November 4, 2014.

Initiative 71 superseded Washington, D.C.'s current marijuana policies. In March 2014, the D.C. Council passed a law known as the Marijuana Decriminalization Bill. The bill reduced penalties for possessing an ounce of marijuana or less from six months in prison and a $1,000 fine to no jail time and a $25 fine for possession or a $100 fine for public use.^[13]

Supporters of the initiative argued that legalization will make marijuana users safer, while opponents argued that the initiative violates federal law.

Mayoral candidates Muriel Bowser and David Catania both came out in support of the initiative.^[13] Candidate Carol Schwartz said that she did not support legalization.^[14]

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term "Washington + D.C. + election"

Virginia Beach News Feed

External links

Suggest a link

Footnotes

[1] District of Columbia, "Board of Elections, Candidate Guide to Ballot Access," accessed December 17, 2013

[2] Washington Post, "D.C.’s first female mayor on Muriel Bowser, the next woman to win the office," November 6, 2014

[3] Next City, "How Transportation Is Shaping Three 2014 Mayoral Races," September 5, 2014

[4] Washington Post, "D.C. wants input on privatized streetcar system," June 26, 2012

[substance-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Washington Post, "With lengthy platform, David Catania says he is the mayoral candidate of substance," September 14, 2014

[6] Bureau of Labor Statistics: Housing: Before, During, And After The Great Recession September 2014.

[7] Muriel for Mayor, "Housing," accessed September 17, 2014

[school-8] 8.0 ^8.1 ^8.2 Washington Post, "D.C. mayor’s race seen as pivoting on candidate most trusted on school reform," September 1, 2014

[9] Washington Post, "D.C. school proposals trigger debate over future of neighborhood schools," April 12, 2014

[10] Washington Post, "D.C. Mayor Gray adopts new school boundary recommendations," August 21, 2014

[11] Washington Post, "Bowser: Slow down D.C. school boundary revamp — and vote! Nov. 4 no ‘walk-away’ win," May 23, 2014

[12] Washington Post, "D.C. school boundary proposal spurs citywide debate about quality," June 21, 2014

[pot-13] 13.0 ^13.1 Vox, "The small and scrappy campaign that could legalize marijuana in Washington, DC," October 7, 2014

[14] Washington Post, "Poll: D.C. voters poised to legalize pot, elevating national debate over marijuana," September 18, 2014

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Washington, D.C. municipal elections, 2014

Contents

Mayor

Candidate list

Polling

Election results

City council

Candidate list

Chairman

At-Large

Ward 1

Ward 3

Ward 5

Ward 6

Election results

General

Primary

Issues

Public transportation

Cost of living

School reform

Marijuana

Recent news

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2025 Elections

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Trending

Public Policy

Information for candidates

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