The 2008 Council of the District of Columbia election was held on November 4, with primaries taking place on September 9. The only councilmember to lose their seat was Republican At-large member Carol Schwartz, who lost in the Republican primary for the At-large nomination.
Summary Democrats retained their 11 seats and remained the largest party on the Council, with no seats being lost to other parties or independents. Republicans lost their sole remaining seat on the Council, while lone Independent David Catania was joined by Michael A. Brown
At-large PositionIncumbentCandidatesMemberPartyFirstelectedStatusAt-large Kwame Brown 2004 Incumbent re-elected. Kwame Brown 47.7% Michael A. Brown 19.8% Patrick Mara 10.4% David Schwartzman 5.1% Mark H. Long 4.0% Dee Hunter 2.0%%Carol Schwartz 1996 Incumbent lost re-electionNew member elected.Independent gain.
Wards PositionIncumbentCandidatesMemberPartyFirst electedStatusWard 2Jack Evans 1991 (special) Incumbent re-elected Jack Evans 81.8% Christina Erland Culver 17.3%Ward 4Muriel Bowser 2006 Incumbent re-elected Muriel Bowser 97.1%Ward 7Yvette Alexander 2007 (special) Incumbent re-elected Yvette Alexander 87.0% Jimmy Johnson 7.6%Ward 8Marion Barry 2004 (special) Incumbent re-elected Marion Barry 91.6% Darrell Danny Gaston 4.3% Yavocka Young 3.8%
At-large
Three-term incumbent Republican Carol Schwartz failed to secure the nomination of her party to run for a fourth term in the primary, losing to younger challenger Patrick Mara. Mara ultimately lost to Independent candidate Michael A. Brown.
Democratic primary Candidates Kwame Brown, incumbent At-large Councilmember
Endorsements
Republican primary After being defeated by Mara in the primary election, Schwartz mounted a write-in campaign which was ultimately unsuccessful.
Candidates Patrick Mara, political consultant Carol Schwartz, incumbent At-large Councilmember
Endorsements
Statehood Green primary Candidates David Schwartzman, geologist
Endorsements
Independents Candidates Michael A. Brown, lobbyist Dee Hunter, community activist Mark H. Long, music distributor
Withdrawn Adam Clampitt
Endorsements
General election
Ward 2
Incumbent councilmember Jack Evans beat Republican challenger Christina Erland Culver to win re-election to his fifth full term on the Council.
Democratic primary Candidates Jack Evans, incumbent Ward 2 Councilmember Carey Silverman, president of the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association
Endorsements
Republican primary Candidates Christina Erland Culver, vice president of Dutko Worldwide
General election
Ward 4
Incumbent Muriel Bowser won re-election to her first full term in office following her victory in the 2007 special election.
Democratic primary Candidates Muriel Bowser, incumbent Ward 4 Councilmember Baruti Jahi, former president of the Shepherd Park Civic Association Malik F. Mendenhall-Johnson, youth advocate Paul E. Montague, former Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner who had been recalled
Endorsements
General Election
Ward 7
Incumbent Yvette Alexander won re-election to her first full term in office following her victory in the 2007 special election.
Democratic primary Candidates Yvette Alexander, incumbent Ward 7 Councilmember John Campbell, barber Villareal Johnson, organizational development consultant Robin Hammond Marlin, sanitarian
Endorsements
Independents Candidates Jimmy Johnson, government service employee
General Election
Ward 8
Incumbent and former Mayor Marion Barry won re-election to his second term as Ward 8 Councilmember.
Democratic primary During the petitioning phase of the primary, candidate Sandra Seegars challenged the validity of the signatures on the petitions of four candidates, with three withdrawing from the Democratic primary and two of those eventually appearing on the ballot as independent candidates.
Candidates Marion Barry, incumbent Ward 8 Councilmember Ahmad Braxton-Jones Howard Brown Sandra Seegars, former DC Taxicab commissioner Charles Wilson, community activist
Withdrawn Darrell Gaston Chanda McMahan Yavocka Young
Endorsements
Independents Candidates Darrell Gaston, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Yavocka Young
Endorsements
General Election
References