DMV New Liberals Statement on DC Ward 8 Election Results
Washington, DC – The DMV New Liberals are disheartened by the results of yesterday’s election for DC Ward 8 Councilmember. With less than 30% of the vote, Trayon White will return to his seat on the DC Council. Tonight’s results reflect a weakness in the ability of DC’s government to reflect the will of its constituents.
“The people of Ward 8, and all residents of DC, deserve honest, accountable leadership, not a revolving door of corruption and political theater,” DMV New Liberals Chapter Lead Karl Nielsen said. “Systems like Ranked Choice Voting and semi-open primaries foster a more robust democracy, respectively breaking pluralities and allowing for independent voters’ full participation in the electoral process.”
We thank the DC Council for funding the Ranked Choice Voting portion of Initiative 83, and support the Council’s swift implementation of semi-open primaries.
Corruption exists in many places across the country but DC’s lack of full autonomy and the omnipresent threat of congressional interference mean that tonight’s results are existential. We urge the DC Council to once again hold Mr. White accountable and expel him from public office, as there can be no tolerance for corruption in the District of Columbia.
Background
Trayon White has represented DC’s Ward 8 since 2017. On August 19, 2024, he was arrested on federal corruption charges, with the trial slated for January 2026. On February 4, the DC Council voted unanimously to expel him from the council, the first decision of its kind since the Council’s establishment in 1975. White’s expulsion triggered a special election yesterday, July 15.
Currently, the DC Council Charter has no stipulations against an expelled member running to reclaim their seat. An amendment to the DC Council Charter was introduced by Christina Henderson on June 9, 2025, to ban expelled members from serving on the Council for five years. Following approval from the Council, it will be brought to a referendum.
DC residents voted to implement ranked choice voting and semi-open primaries by referendum on November 4, 2024 by approving Initiative 83.
