List of members of the Council of the District of Columbia

These lists include all members of the Council of the District of Columbia since its creation. All members are elected to 4-year terms (except for the initial 2-year terms for half the members elected to the first council, in 1974).

The eight wards of Washington D.C. (2012–2022)
The eight wards of Washington D.C. (2003–2013)

Tenure records

The chairman who served the longest uninterrupted period of time is Linda A. Cropp, who served 9 years, 146 days, from August 8, 1997, to January 1, 2007.[1] David A. Clarke served the longest as chairman, counting all terms (with interruptions), serving 10 years, 185 days (from January 3, 1983, to January 3, 1991, and again from September 27, 1993, to his death on March 28, 1997).[2] The chairman who served the shortest period of time is Kwame R. Brown, who served 521 days from January 2, 2011, to June 6, 2012.[3]

The council member who served the longest uninterrupted period of time is Jack Evans, who served 28 years from May 13, 1991 to January 17, 2020. Evans also holds the record for serving the longest period of time counting interrupted service. The council member who served the shortest period of time is Arrington Dixon, who served 121 days between his special appointment to an at-large seat on August 15, 1997, and December 14, 1997 (when David Catania was sworn in after winning a special election on December 3, 1997).

The at-large council member who served the longest uninterrupted period of time is Hilda Mason, who served 21 years, 273 days from April 2, 1977, to January 1, 1999. Mason also holds the record for serving the longest period of time counting interrupted service. The Group 1 at-large council member who served the longest uninterrupted period of time is John L. Ray, who served 17 years, 359 days from January 8, 1979, to January 1, 1997. Ray also holds the record for the Group 1 at-large council member serving the longest period of time counting interrupted service. The Group 1 at-large council member who served the shortest period of time is Arrington Dixon. The Group 2 at-large council member who served the longest uninterrupted period of time is Hilda Mason. Mason also holds the record for the Group 2 at-large council member serving the longest period of time counting interrupted service. The Group 1 at-large council member who served the shortest period of time is Sekou Biddle, who served 123 days from his appointment on January 7, 2011, until May 9, 2011 (his successor, Vincent Orange, was sworn in on May 10 after a special election held April 26, 2011).

Chairman

The chairman is elected in years divisible by 2 but not by 4: 1974, 1978, ..., 2010, 2014, etc., except to fill a vacancy.

  1. Sterling Tucker (D), 1975–1979
  2. Arrington Dixon (D), 1979–1983
  3. David A. Clarke (D), 1983–1991
  4. John A. Wilson (D), 1991–1993
  5. David A. Clarke (D), 1993–1997 (won special election after death of Wilson)
  6. Linda W. Cropp (D), 1997–2007 (won special election after death of Clarke)
  7. Vincent C. Gray (D), 2007–2011
  8. Kwame R. Brown (D), 2011–2012
  9. Phil Mendelson (D), 2012–present (won special election after Brown resigned)

At-large member

There are four at-large members at any time, elected in groups of two. Group 1 was elected in 1974 to 2-year terms and elected in years divisible by 4 thereafter: 1976, 1980, ..., 2008, 2012, etc. Group 2 is elected in years divisible by 2 but not by 4: 1974, 1978, ..., 2010, 2014, etc. In 1974, Group 1 consisted of Marion Barry and Jerry A. Moore, Jr.[4]

  1. Douglas E. Moore (D), 1975–1979
  2. Julius Hobson (Statehood), 1975–1977
  3. Marion Barry (D), 1975–1979
  4. Jerry A. Moore Jr. (R), 1975–1985
  5. Hilda Mason (Statehood), 1977–1999 (appointed by party and then won special election after death of Hobson)
  6. Betty Ann Kane (D), 1979–1991
  7. John L. Ray (D), 1979–1997 (appointed by party and then won special election after Barry became mayor)
  8. Carol Schwartz (R), 1985–1989
  9. William Lightfoot (I), 1989–1997
  10. Linda W. Cropp (D), 1991–1997
  11. Harold Brazil (D), 1997–2005
  12. Carol Schwartz (R), 1997–2009
  13. Arrington Dixon (D), 1997 (appointed by party after Cropp became chairman)
  14. David Catania (R; became I in 2004), 1997–2015 (won special election at end of Dixon's temporary appointment)
  15. Phil Mendelson (D), 1999–2012
  16. Kwame R. Brown (D), 2005–2011
  17. Michael A. Brown (I), 2009–2013
  18. Sekou Biddle (D), 2011 (appointed by party after Kwame Brown became chairman)
  19. Vincent Orange (D), 2011–2016 (won special election at end of Biddle's temporary appointment)
  20. Anita Bonds (D), 2012–present (appointed by party after Mendelson became chairman and later won a special election)
  21. David Grosso (I), 2013–2021
  22. Elissa Silverman (I), 2015–present
  23. Robert White (D), 2016–present (appointed by party following the resignation of Vincent Orange)
  24. Christina Henderson (I), 2021–present

Ward 1 member

The Ward 1 member is elected in years divisible by 2 but not by 4: 1974, 1978, ..., 2010, 2014, etc.

  1. David A. Clarke (D), 1975–1983
  2. Frank Smith (D), 1983–1999
  3. Jim Graham (D), 1999–2015
  4. Brianne Nadeau (D), 2015–present

Ward 2 member

The Ward 2 member was elected in 1974 to a 2-year term and elected in years divisible by 4 thereafter: 1976, 1980, ..., 2008, 2012, etc.

  1. John A. Wilson (D), 1975–1991
  2. Jack Evans (D), 1991–2020 (won special election after Wilson became chairman, resigned in January 2020, due to ethics violations)
  3. Brooke Pinto (D), 2020–present (won special election after Evans resigned)

Ward 3 member

The Ward 3 member is elected in years divisible by 2 but not by 4: 1974, 1978, ..., 2010, 2014, etc.

  1. Polly Shackleton (D), 1975–1987
  2. James E. Nathanson (D), 1987–1995
  3. Kathleen Patterson (D), 1995–2007
  4. Mary Cheh (D), 2007–present

Ward 4 member

The Ward 4 member was elected in 1974 to a 2-year term and elected in years divisible by 4 thereafter: 1976, 1980, ..., 2008, 2012, etc.

  1. Arrington Dixon (D), 1975–1979
  2. Charlene Drew Jarvis (D), 1979–2001 (won special election after Dixon became chairman)
  3. Adrian Fenty (D), 2001–2007
  4. Muriel Bowser (D), 2007–2015 (won special election after Fenty became mayor)
  5. Brandon Todd (D), 2015–2021 (won special election after Bowser became mayor)
  6. Janeese Lewis George (D), 2021–present

Ward 5 member

The Ward 5 member is elected in years divisible by 2 but not by 4: 1974, 1978, ..., 2010, 2014, etc.

  1. William Spaulding (D), 1975–1987
  2. Harry Thomas, Sr. (D), 1987–1999
  3. Vincent Orange (D), 1999–2007
  4. Harry Thomas, Jr. (D), 2007–2012 (resigned)
  5. Kenyan McDuffie (D), 2012–present (won special election after Thomas' resignation)

Ward 6 member

The Ward 6 member is elected in years divisible by 2 but not by 4: 1974, 1978, ..., 2010, 2014, etc.

  1. Nadine Winter (D), 1975–1991
  2. Harold Brazil (D), 1991–1997
  3. Sharon Ambrose (D), 1997–2007 (won special election after Brazil became at-large)
  4. Tommy Wells (D), 2007–2015
  5. Charles Allen (D), 2015–present

Ward 7 member

The Ward 7 member was elected in 1974 to a 2-year term and elected in years divisible by 4 thereafter: 1976, 1980, ..., 2008, 2012, etc.

  1. Willie Hardy (D), 1975–1981
  2. H. R. Crawford (D), 1981–1993
  3. Kevin P. Chavous (D), 1993–2005
  4. Vincent C. Gray (D), 2005–2007
  5. Yvette Alexander (D), 2007–2017 (won special election after Gray became chairman)
  6. Vincent C. Gray (D), 2017–present

Ward 8 member

The Ward 8 member was elected in 1974 to a 2-year term and elected in years divisible by 4 thereafter: 1976, 1980, ..., 2008, 2012, etc.

  1. James Coates (D), 1975–1977
  2. Wilhelmina Rolark (D), 1977–1993
  3. Marion Barry (D), 1993–1995
  4. Eydie Whittington (D), 1995–1997 (won special election after Barry became mayor)
  5. Sandy Allen (D), 1997–2005
  6. Marion Barry (D), 2005–2014
  7. LaRuby May (D), 2015–2017 (won special election after Barry died)
  8. Trayon White (D), 2017–present

Table

Background colors indicate party:

Democratic Republican Statehood independent
Period Year Chairman At large Ward 1 Ward 2 Ward 3 Ward 4 Ward 5 Ward 6 Ward 7 Ward 8   Mayor Composition
1 1975 Tucker D. Moore Hobson Barry J. Moore Clarke Wilson Shackleton Dixon Spaulding Winter Hardy Coates Washington
1976
2 1977 Mason Rolark
1978
3 1979 Dixon Kane Ray Jarvis Barry
1980
4 1981 Crawford
1982
5 1983 Clarke Smith
1984
6 1985 Schwartz
1986
7 1987 Nathanson Thomas Sr.
1988
8 1989 Lightfoot
1990
9 1991 Wilson Cropp Evans Brazil Kelly
1992
10 1993 Clarke Chavous Barry
1994
11 1995 Patterson Whittington Barry
1996
12 1997 Cropp Dixon Brazil Schwartz Ambrose S. Allen
1998 Catania
13 1999 Mendelson Graham Orange Williams
2000
14 2001 Fenty
2002
15 2003
2004 Catania
16 2005 K. Brown Gray Barry
2006
17 2007 Gray Cheh Bowser Thomas Jr. Wells Alexander Fenty
2008
18 2009 M. Brown
2010
19 2011 K. Brown Biddle Gray
Orange
2012 Mendelson Bonds McDuffie
20 2013 Grosso
2014
21 2015 Silverman Nadeau Todd C. Allen May Bowser
2016
22 2017 R. White Gray T. White
2018
23 2019
2020 Pinto
24 2021 Henderson George

See also

References
  1. Williams, Vanessa (July 23, 1997). "Cropp Coasts to Victory In Election for Chairman: Only 2.6 Percent Turn Out to Select D.C. Council". The Washington Post. p. B3; "Cropp Takes Oath, Criticizes Rescue Package". The Washington Post. August 9, 1997. p. D5; Nakamura, David (January 2, 2007). "Fenty, Champing at the Bit, Set to Take Up City's Reins". The Washington Post. p. A1.
  2. Williams, Juan (November 3, 1982). "Barry Leads Democrats To Victory". The Washington Post. p. A1; Pianin, Eric; Sherwood, Tom (January 3, 1983). "Barry, Council Members Sworn In". The Washington Post. p. A1; Sanchez, Rene (January 3, 1991). "A New Council Voices Promises of Progress". The Washington Post. p. A8; Sanchez, Rene (September 16, 1993). "How Clarke Pulled Off a Rout: Voters, Political Observers Point to His Energy, 'Regular Guy' Image". The Washington Post. p. B1; Powell, Michael; Williams, Vanessa (March 29, 1997). "D.C. Council Chairman David A. Clarke Dies: Political Career Began in Civil Rights Era". The Washington Post. p. A1.
  3. Craig, Tim (November 3, 2010). "Thomas Is Ordered to Turn Over Papers". The Washington Post. p. B5; Stewart, Nikita; Craig, Tim; DeBonis, Mike (January 3, 2011). "Tax Hike Possible, Gray Says". The Washington Post. p. A1; Wilber, Del Quentin; Craig, Tim (June 7, 2012). "D.C. Council Chair Quits After Fraud Charges". The Washington Post. p. A1.
  4. Robinson, Timothy S. (November 3, 1976). "Carter Takes D.C. Handily; Fauntroy, Barry, Moore Win: Fauntroy, Barry, Moore Re-Elected". The Washington Post. p. A1.
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