Despite skepticism among some Ward 8 residents about the viability of a write-in council campaign this fall, some write-in candidates, like Olivia Henderson, are adamant about the nobility of their cause, even if a Republican threat looms large.
Henderson, a former Ward 8 advisory neighborhood commissioner, counted among a small group of write-in candidates who recently participated in a candidate forum at Congress Heights Senior Wellness Center in Southeast.
While she touted restorative justice and greater support for successful nonprofits as part of her policy agenda, Henderson often focused on the power that residents can wield when their council member actually listens to them.
She pledged to be that council member, citing past attempts to garner D.C. Councilmember Trayon White’s attention while serving as chair of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8D.
“We do hard work and it never goes to legislation,” Henderson told The Informer after the Sept. 11 forum. “If we’re the first voice to the council and you don’t accept our resolutions, then [that shows] you don’t want to use the statements of the people to get to legislation,” Henderson continued as she emphasized that will hire technically skilled Ward 8 residents in her office, if elected.
“Ward 8 residents have skills and knowledge to do council jobs, so why not use the people who put us in their position? They would fight for me in their community,” Henderson said.
White Denies Plea Deal, Trial Date Yet to be Set
White’s legal troubles have opened the electoral floodgates, not only in the form of write-in campaigns, but requests, here and there, for the Ward 8 council member to withdraw from the general election.
The most recent of those requests came from the D.C. Young Democrats who, on Sept. 8, asked White to drop out of the race before the Sept. 12 deadline.
On Sept. 12, White still hadn’t acquiesced to the D.C. Young Democrats. He maintained a similar attitude when he entered a “not guilty” plea that afternoon before Judge Rudolph Contreras with nearly 60 supporters in the pews of a federal courtroom watching.
Earlier in the month, White’s lawyer, Fred Cooke, rejected a plea deal presented by the prosecution, represented by John Crabb, Jr., Joshua Seth Rothstein, and Rebecca G. Ross. During the arraignment, he pushed back against their efforts to set a trial date of April 25, telling Judge Contreras that his team has to examine the two discoveries submitted by the prosecution.
Both sides settled on Nov. 13 for the date of a status hearing, which White’s legal team said would provide some time to develop a strategy. Judge Contreras hinted at the trial taking place sometime between April and July.
Eyone Williams, a workforce development specialist, counted among those who sat in the courtroom in support of White on Sept. 12. He expressed surprise that the prosecution didn’t reveal the contents of their discovery packet.
Even with what he called the federal court’s penchant for conducting a speedy trial, Williams said that a Supreme Court ruling in June limiting the scope of a federal anti-bribery law creates more uncertainty than what the prosecution purports.
“It’s almost hard to convict,” Williams told The Informer.
For WIlliams, White’s strong rapport with the Ward 8 community solidifies his seat, regardless of the verdict.
“He’s the king of Ward 8,” Williams said. “His right to hold office is not even in jeopardy. The Republican guy [Derenge] is a joke. Salim Adofo [should he decide to run] got a realistic chance, but if Trayon gets vindicated, no one got a chance.”
Write-In Candidates Show Passion, Glaring Lack of Know-How
On Sept. 11, the write-in candidates who registered with D.C. Board of Elections — Henderson, Michael Brown, and Khadijah Long — sat at the front of the common meeting room in the senior wellness center alongside Republican nominee Nate Derenge.
For several minutes, Henderson, Brown, Long, and Derenge didn’t focus much on their legislative prowess and knowledge of the legislative process. They instead touched on their vision for Ward 8, where seeds of distrust in government have been further sowed.
Long positioned herself as a grassroots candidate who could represent the ward’s best interests.
“I have a problem with people coming in and taking from Ward 8,” said Long, a Ward 8 senior. “What have you been doing before running for Ward 8 council? I gave [the clothes] off my back. I let people live in my home. A lot of these kids have been through trauma. What do you do when your father is incarcerated? They are afraid to do something else. We can’t be afraid of these kids.”
Brown, a retired electrician with years of entrepreneurial experience, also spoke about young people. While he acknowledged his lack of legislative know-how, he expressed a passion for workforce development.
“It makes no sense why our kids act the way they do,” Brown said. “Ward 8 is up and coming and we have .. resources. We have to change the mindset of our youth…They need to know they are a part of this city. We need to have programs for them to go into business instead of having that energy in the streets.”
Later, when responding to an audience member’s question about government corruption, Long expressed her desire for transparency and equal access to resources for all Ward 8 residents, especially seniors.
“We need to get rid of these cliques. I hope they do a thorough investigation,” Long said. “I want to review the grants. All I see are cars and houses. We really need to hold [officials] accountable.”
Derenge, a former congressional staffer for Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska) who’s in his second run for the Ward 8 D.C. Council seat, took more direct shots at Councilmember White.
The Ward 8 council member’s federal bribery charge, he said, highlighted rampant corruption in the D.C. Council that keeps Ward 8 residents mired in poverty.
“Trayon’s policy is just treating problems that don’t attack the [root] causes,” Derenge said.
“He should pay people the money he owes. It’s hard for the current council member to do oversight with kickbacks. It’s hard for the current council to do oversight with kickbacks.”
Derenge looked back on his last council run, telling The Informer that he watched up to 60 hours of council hearings to prepare a policy position centered on decreasing government investment in social programs that he says hinder progress.
As it related to his opponents, Derenge said that he doesn’t doubt their ability to learn the ins and outs of the job should one of them win the Ward 8 council seat.
“They will figure it out. I believe in their competence,” Derenge said. “It’s been four years. That’s how I built my platform. A regular person can’t pay attention. It’s a huge cost and I paid for it.”