Metro Weekly

Powerful endorsement

Stein Democratic Club announces candidate choices

At their Monday, May 12, meeting, members of the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club voted to endorse candidates in several upcoming District elections.

For Ward 2, we endorse Jack Evans,” says Mario Acosta-Vélez, president of the club, adding that the incumbent City Councilmember Evans received 87 percent of the vote at the meeting. A candidate needs to receive at least 60 percent of the vote to be endorsed by the club.

Acosta-Vélez also announced that the group, one of the city’s most prominent gay political organizations, is endorsing City Councilmember Yvette Alexander (D), running to hold her Ward 7 seat; Eleanor Holmes Norton for reelection as D.C.’s delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives; and Mike Panetta for shadow representative. All three are running unopposed.

The club did not, however, make an endorsement in the race for shadow senator, Acosta-Vélez says.

”To our surprise Phil Pannell joined the race at the last minute… so basically we had three people: Phil Pannell, Paul Strauss and Robert Vinson Brannum running and no one got the endorsement for the shadow senator.”

In a runoff vote, Acosta-Vélez says Pannell received 54 percent of the vote and Strauss received 44 percent of the vote. ”No one got the 60 percent.”

For more information, visit www.steindemocrats.org

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