1994 Washington, D.C., mayoral election
On November 8, 1994, Washington, D.C., held an election for its mayor. It featured the return of Marion Barry, who served as mayor from 1979 until 1991.
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| Elections in the District of Columbia |
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Barry served six months in prison on a cocaine conviction. After his release from prison, Barry ran successfully for the Ward 8 city council seat in 1992, running under the slogan "He May Not Be Perfect, But He's Perfect for D.C." Upon this victory, Barry said he was "not interested in being mayor" again.[1]
This was by far the smallest Democratic victory margin in a partisan citywide election since the city was granted home rule.
Campaign
Democratic primary
Sharon Pratt Kelly succeeded Barry as mayor. In the second year of her term, Barry loyalists mounted a recall campaign, which, although unsuccessful, weakened her administration.
Councillor John Ray received the endorsement of The Washington Post and was favored to win the primary.[2] However, Barry ran a grassroots campaign, touting his record balancing the budget in 10 of his 12 years as mayor.[2]
General election
A major issue in the campaign was how to cut $140 million from the city budget, as mandated by Congress. Though Barry was seen by some as responsible for the bureaucracy[3] and Schwartz criticized Barry's proposals as old and ineffective,[4] Barry tied his personal redemption to the redemption of the city.
Results
Democratic primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Marion Barry | 66,777 | 47.18 | ||
| Democratic | John Ray | 52,088 | 36.80 | ||
| Democratic | Sharon Pratt Kelly (incumbent) | 18,717 | 13.22 | ||
| Democratic | Otis Holloman Troupe | 1,897 | 1.34 | ||
| Democratic | Write-in | 829 | 0.59 | ||
| Democratic | Don Reeves | 598 | 0.42 | ||
| Democratic | Osie Thorpe | 456 | 0.32 | ||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
Republican primary
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Carol Schwartz | 3,764 | 74.85 | ||
| Republican | Brian P. Moore | 641 | 12.75 | ||
| Republican | Write-in | 624 | 12.41 | ||
| Majority | |||||
| Turnout | |||||
General election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Marion Barry | 102,884 | 56.02 | -30.1 | |
| Republican | Carol Schwartz | 76,902 | 41.87 | +30.4 | |
| Independent | Write-in | 982 | 0.54 | ||
| Independent | Curtis Pree | 852 | 0.46 | ||
| DC Statehood | Jodean M. Marks | 695 | 0.38 | -0.31 | |
| Independent | Jesse Battle Jr. | 488 | 0.27 | ||
| Independent | Faith Dane | 423 | 0.23 | +0.16 | |
| Socialist Workers | Aaron Ruby | 423 | 0.23 | +0.12 | |
| Majority | 25,982 | 14.15 | -60.5 | ||
| Turnout | 183,649 | 50.75 | |||
See also
References
- "Former Mayor's Victory Worries Many in Capital". The New York Times. September 17, 1992. Retrieved July 30, 2008.
- "Marion Barry makes comeback, wins D.C. Democratic mayoral primary". Jet. 1994.
- "Marion Barry May Be More Than Just An Embarrassment". Businessweek.com. October 3, 1994. Archived from the original on May 23, 2011.
- Janofsky, Michael (November 9, 1994). "THE 1994 ELECTIONS: THE NATION THE CAPITAL; Barry Rebounds From Disgrace to Win Again in Washington". The New York Times. Retrieved May 27, 2010.
- "November 8 General Election". District of Columbia Board of Elections. Archived from the original on April 25, 2023. Retrieved May 13, 2023.