Fenty and Gray Put Pedal to Metal in Mayoral Race

Who's up and who's down in the neck-and-neck race for Mayor?

D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray finished the weekend with solid showings against incumbent Mayor Adrian Fenty, scoring a 37-1 landslide victory in an endorsement vote Saturday night by the D.C. Latino Caucus, an official voice of Hispanics, The Washington Post's D.C. Wire reports. The vote means the Latino caucus is working on Gray's behalf against Fenty leading up to the Sept. 14 primary. Fenty was a no-show at the pre-vote forum. 

While some say fewer than 10,000 Hispanics will vote in the primary, a contest as close as the Mayoral race means those numbers could exceed the margin of victory.

Gray also scored overwhelmingly in Ward 7, East of the River, in a raucus and sometimes unruly forum on his home turf. Some controversy surrounded the debate as Fenty arrived with dozens of youth brought in for the occasion. After rounds of booing and interrupted debate, Gray won 226 votes to Fenty's 64.

Washington City Paper's Loose Lips reported that the big star at the debate was former Phoenix Suns great Kevin Johnson, the fiance of schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, who dropped a major political bomb on Friday, announcing the termination of 241 teachers, with a possible 700+ to come. Some called it an election-season gamble that is sure to motivate voters -- the question is, how many and for whom?

Mayor Fenty's week wasn't bad -- he had to win in Ward 2 and he did, but it wasn't decisive, according to Washington City Paper's Loose Lips.   Fenty got around 60 percent of the 160-some ballots cast by registered Democrats to Gray's 40 percent. "Ward 2 is thought of as Fenty country—and a 60 percent showing is kind of weak," said LL. "Fenty's got to rack up a bigger margin in the ward on Election Day, to offset Gray's strength in other neighborhoods, or he can kiss that District-owned Smart car goodbye."

Still in question is Ward 4. According to reporting by The Georgetown Dish and others, Fenty's home turf -- where he first challenged and defeated the iconic Charlene Drew Jarvis -- is up for grabs.

This year, with same-day registration and other new voting procedures, analysts say first-time voters such as those who turned 18 since the last election, and newcomers to the District who lack historical knowledge of the candidates or the issues, may be an easier group of voters to recruit.

Don't count the Mayor out. Fenty has loads of cash on hand, a deep organization, and a reputation for stamina. He's a honed, disciplined athlete, after all. 

This week, he'll need to be, as will Gray. To follow are just some of the election-related events on tap....

• Ward 5 Dems Candidate Forum:   July 26, 6:30 – 9:00 pm at Michigan Park Christian Church (1600 Taylor St. NE)
• Washington Interfaith Network Election Accountability Night:   July 26, 7:30 – 9:30 pm at Asbury United Methodist Church (11th and K Sts. NW)
• Ward 6 Dems Mayoral Candidates Forum and endorsement:  July 27, 7 – 9:00 pm at Eastern Market
• D.C. Senior Advocacy Coalition Forum:   July 29, 8:30 – 10:00 am at Mt. Vernon Methodist Church (900 Massachusetts Ave.)
• A Conversation with the Leading Candidates for Mayor and Council Chair (co-sponsored by: The Bar Association of the District of Columbia, the UDC David A. Clarke School of Law, the D.C. Appleseed, D.C. Vote, Consortium of Universities, the ACLU-NCA, the NAACP, the D.C. Consortium of Legal Services Providers, the Defeat Poverty D.C., and the Access to Justice Commission):   July 29, at 6:30 pm at UDC (The Windows Lounge, Building 38, 2nd Floor, 4200 Connecticut Ave NW)
• GLBT Chamber of Commerce Forum:   August 12, time TBD at Washington Hilton (1919 Connecticut Ave. NW)
• Jewish Community Relations Council Mayoral Forum:   August 24, 8:00 – 9:30 pm at Sixth and I Historic Synagogue (600 I St. NW)