Sandra Seegars has plenty of bumper stickers. They read: "No 1 Beer..No (Marion) Barry." Three of them are on her car. Seegars is upset with Barry's support of legislation banning the sale of single beers in Ward 8, which explains why so many liquor stores have contributed to her war chest. What the liquor stores probably don't know is that Seegars would like to replace them with gun stores. According to her most recent campaign finance report, Seegars, the former taxi cab commission member, has about $11,000 cash on hand.

"Marion Barry has lost his mind," Seegars says of Barry's vote on the beer ban."So we've got to get him out of there."

Barry says, "Sandra Seegars is out to lunch on this."

Barry says the sale of singles leads to health problems, trash and public urination, "and we won't have it anymore."

Another point that Seegars and Barry split on is the sale of guns. "As soon as we get a gun dealer, I'm going to buy a gun." Seegars says. "We should get rid of some of these liquor stores and churches and put in gun shops."

Barry doesn't want gun shops anywhere, and he opposes the one gun dealer who wants to open an office in Ward 8. On this issue, Barry has some common ground with one of his challengers, Charles Wilson. "We're rallying against that," Wilson says of neighborhood efforts to keep the gun dealer out of Ward 8.

Wilson is 32 years old and works as a consultant for an accounting firm. Sitting on the lawn of the Frederick Douglas Home, Wilson points to homes that he helped get grants for the Historic Preservation Office. The grants help to refurbish the homes in the neighborhood. "Fifty-three homes got those grants," he says with a great sense of pride and accomplishment.

But Wilson has an uphill battle trying to unseat Barry. "I have a lot of respect for his work," Wilson says of Barry. "He's always going to have a lot of support." Wilson plans to knock on as many doors as he can, "door to door, that's how I'm going to win." So far Wilson has raised about $6,000. Barry has already spent $75,000 and has another $33,000 in the bank.

A. Braxton-Jones is another candidate facing an uphill battle. But that's nothing new for the 34-year-old who was caught selling drugs as a kid and spent time in juvenile hall. "That spurned my passion for politics," he says. He graduated from the University of Maryland in 2002 with a degree in sociology. That same year he ran for an at-large council seat and received about 3,500 votes. In 2004 he won a seat on his ANC where he works to reduce crime and increase job opportunities. "We lack leadership in Ward 8," Braxton-Jones says. "The reality is not matching up with the ideas."

Like Wilson, Braxton-Jones admires the man he wants to replace. "Marion Barry was most effective when he was working with Pride Incorporated." he says, "I want to pick up where he left off."

But Barry, who says, "It's still my time," has a different idea of who should replace him. "My idea of who would succeed me is my son, but he's not interested in politics," Barry says. "He's trying to be a business person, be successful at that."

At 72 years old, Barry is running for his fifth term as a councilmember, with no plans of slowing down.

"I'm doing great," Barry says. "My heart is in good shape. My doctor is amazed about how much stamina I have."

Barry goes on. "I feel good, I look good. … I've got my challenges, sure, but I'm still here," he laughs, "still standing."

At least two other candidates in Ward 8 have dropped out because of challenges to their petitions by Seegars – Yavocka Young and Darrell Gaston. Gaston says he's considering running in the general election as an independent. Chanda McMahan's petitions were still in the challenge process as this article went to press, but it was unlikely she will be on the ballot. McMahan left this reporter four voicemails totaling more than an hour in length explaining why the petition process was so unfair. Seegars said she would have challenged more candidates’ petitions, but she ran out of time. She also took great pride in making one candidate cry at the board of elections hearing. "Poor baby," she said. Another candidate, Howard Brown could not be reached and did not file campaign finance reports.