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DC Democratic State Party leaders Lenwood Johnson and Dan
Wedderburn confer outside Savoy Elementary where the Ward 8
Democrats held its biennial convention and election of officers.
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With visions of September 2010 dancing in their heads, Ward 8 Democrats convened its biennial convention and election at the newly opened Savoy Elementary School on Sept. 19. With no announced slate, the election held a bit of suspense for voters and required that each candidate run on his or her own merits.
The organization’s open positions were president, first vice president, second vice president, corresponding secretary, recording secretary, and treasurer.
Incumbent treasurer Darryl Ross won handily with no announced or write-in candidates. Second vice president, corresponding secretary and recording secretary were won by Lloyd Logan, Carmen McCall, and Theresa Kelly respectively.
The races for president and first vice president were contested and most watched.
President’s Slot Hotly Contested
Candidates for the president’s slot were incumbent and former Ward 8 Councilmember Sandra Allen jockeying against Jacque Patterson and Absalom Jordan to continue her tenure. Jordan is known for his environmental work with the Oxon Run Community Alliance and his current service as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner.
With a long history in Ward 8 and city politics Allen may have entered the race as an underdog. Some attendees felt Ward 8’s low voter turnout rates and little to no awareness of the organization outside the traditional establishment were signals for change. The race was characterized as one between the establishment and a new face.
Patterson is no stranger to Ward 8 politics. In 2004 he ran for Ward 8 Councilmember, 2006 school board candidate, and served as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner. Now he serves as a program manager with the Federal City Council, a powerful citywide organization often described as a hidden hand behind District politics.
This wasn’t the first electoral challenge between Allen and Patterson. They both vied for the position of Ward 8 Councilmember in 2004. Marion Barry bested them both in that run.
In the match-up for Ward 8 Democrats president, though, Patterson came out on top with a tally of 44 votes over Allen’s 33 votes. In his win Patterson exclaimed “Time to get busy! We’ve got work to do.” Patterson aims to increase community engagement in the organization through increased visibility such as a website. When asked if this leadership post is a step toward another Council run, Patterson demurred.
The other watched race was for first vice president. Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner 8A01 and chair Anthony Muhammad was up against write-in community activist R. Joyce Scott. Both well-known in the ward, Scott triumphed with vote tally of 55 to 19. Key to Scott’s agenda is corralling the Ward’s precinct captains to raise the turnout—just in time to make an impact in the 2010 election when Mayor Adrian Fenty will be on the ballot.
Patterson’s and Scott’s visibility and outreach efforts could spring the moribund organization back to life. Indicative of the challenge facing the group, there were only 88 people voting in the election.
The 40,000 Ward 8 Democratic registered residents were eligible to vote in the organization’s election and participate in the convention. Just as turnout was low on convention day, turnout has been less than remarkable during election season. Generally, turnout ranges from 30-40 percent.
Convention organizer Phil Pannell consistently puts turnout at the top of the convention’s agenda. Conventioneer Calvin Lockridge offered that the ward has a built-in get-out-the-vote machine with the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions. Commissioners represent approximately 2,000 residents and according to Lockridge, “2,000 votes that should be delivered to Ward 8.”
Engaging youth and young adults is another route to increase voter participation. Pannell commented that the District allows voter registration if a 17-year-old who will be 18 before the next election.
The Ward 8 Democrats also try to make students aware of the organization by sponsoring a scholarship. Despite distributing the application and other materials to area schools’ principals and counselors, awareness and response has been low. In the 2008-09 school year only two students applied.
Students and school personnel attending the convention lamented that sometimes principals and counselors don’t share the information because they don’t believe in their students. Anacostia High School librarian Ms. Nichols highlighted the communication and visibility disconnect between the political organization and the schools. She applauded Pannell for “coming to me to get today’s students to volunteer [at the convention].”
Students suggested meaningful interactions such as helping them learn about issues through debate team exercises, hosting internship and job opportunities, and implementing projects that have an immediate impact as ways to spark their interests.
The Ward 8 Democrats meet every third Saturday at the Washington Highland Library, 115 Atlantic Street SW. Ward 8 residents can reach Ward 8 Democrats president Jacque Patterson at 202-834-2553 and jacquedpatteson@yahoo.com. |
