When longtime Ward 8 leader Phil Pannell announced his write-in candidacy for the Ward 8 council seat, he did so with one caveat: he would step aside and support any other person who throws their hat in the ring.
In comes Markus Batchelor.
On Friday, less than 48 hours after his initial announcement, Pannell and Batchelor confirmed that Batchelor, a millennial Ward 8 leader, will stand in as a write-in candidate this fall.
For Batchelor, time is of the essence for Ward 8.
“Six months ago, I wanted the job. I thought we needed new leadership committed to moving us forward faster with the experience to hit the ground running on day one,” Batchelor told The Informer, emphasizing his political experience. “I served on the ward level as an advisory neighborhood commissioner. I’ve worked in the Wilson Building. I know the agencies. I’ve been a leader with integrity who brought people together to do things for Ward 8 residents.”
This development comes as D.C. Councilmember Trayon White fights a federal bribery charge. As White’s office struggles to provide constituent services, advisory neighborhood commissioners and at-large D.C. council members are scrambling to fill in the gaps. At the John A. Wilson Building, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) is preparing to launch an ad-hoc committee to explore White’s alleged dealings and the best course of action.
Batchelor, 31, ran for the Ward 8 D.C. Council seat earlier this year before suspending his campaign. White would later defeat Salim Adofo, chair of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 8C, and former Ballou High School principal Rahman Branch in the Democratic primary, with fewer than 20% of registered Ward 8 Democratic voters casting a ballot.
Per D.C. Board of Election, White’s name will appear on the general election ballot, alongside Republican nominee Nate Derenge, should he not drop out of the race before Sept. 12.
Since Monday, when White appeared before a federal judge, there have been rumblings about who would launch a write-in campaign and prevent what many consider a significantly damaging Republican victory in the Ward 8 D.C. Council general election. As previously reported, potential write-in candidates include Branch and D.C. Democratic Party Chair Charles Wilson. D.C. Women in Politics will soon launch a campaign of their own in support of a female candidate.
More to come as this story develops.