Even before at-large DC Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie announced his resignation last month, everyone inside the John A. Wilson Building knew it was coming, especially his staff. But what did the general public — the taxpayers who fund the government — know? Not much.
Some may have heard that by law only a registered independent could be appointed to temporarily fill the vacancy created by McDuffie’s departure before the end of his term. In the absence of an official political party to make that interim appointment, the required selection fell to Council Chair Phil Mendelson with confirmation by the legislature.
According to Mendelson, the names of more than 40 people made it to the list he and his colleagues pondered. Some folks nominated themselves; others were recommended by another person.
The nearly 85,000 voters who are registered as independents in the District, including myself, never got to see the names on that list. No long-standing independent was even asked to serve in an advisory capacity to develop criteria that would be used for the selection.
Independents in DC keep getting the short shrift. Many of them signed petitions and voted in support of Initiative 83 because they wanted the city’s primary elections to become open. That citizen ballot measure was approved. However, the June 2026 primaries will remain closed, with only party members able to participate. Only ranked choice voting, the other aspect of the initiative, will be implemented.
During a press briefing earlier this week, Mendelson essentially admitted there wasn’t outside consultation during deliberations related to McDuffie’s replacement. Mendelson and his colleagues also didn’t rely on any specific written standards or qualifications. On his part it was mostly “subjective judgment,” he said.
Government and politics in DC have increasingly become an insiders’ game. Elected officials have distanced themselves from the people they claim to represent, too often making important decisions behind closed doors or using emergency resolutions and legislation to circumvent public scrutiny.
Providing indisputable evidence of that fact, the council on Tuesday approved Doni Crawford, staff director of McDuffie’s Committee on Business and Economic Development, to temporarily assume the at-large seat until a special election on June 16.
