Indicted D.C. Council member Trayon White secures third term despite ongoing bribery case

Ward 8 voters on Tuesday sent incumbent Trayon White back to the D.C. Council for a third term, even as the embattled lawmaker faces a federal bribery case that clouds his political future.

Mr. White, the Democratic nominee in a city run overwhelmingly by Democrats, won 84% of the vote against Republican challenger Nate Derenge’s 16%. 

Both men faced challenges from several write-in candidates who jumped into the race after Mr. White’s arrest earlier this year, but none affected the outcome.

And though most observers expected Mr. White to win reelection handily, many also predict the councilman will have to step down or be forced out next year, either by federal prosecutors or by his colleagues on the council, which is conducting its own investigation of the bribery charges. The council’s probe is expected to conclude next month.

District voters also approved a ballot measure with 74% of the vote to institute ranked-choice voting in the city. 

The new system would require voters to rank up to five candidates in order of preference, with a candidate needing at least 50% of the vote to be declared the winner. 

Proponents argue ranked-choice voting gives independents a fighting chance in the District’s local primaries — the most contested races in D.C.’s deep blue political scene.  

Mr. White’s likely victory at the ballot box Tuesday comes as he is set to return to federal court in the bribery case next week. 

The councilman has been accused of agreeing to take $156,000 in exchange for influencing government contracts.

The arrest affidavit alleges to provide damning evidence against Mr. White — court documents appear to have photos of the lawmaker pocketing cash-stuffed envelopes from an FBI informant on multiple occasions this summer. 

The filing also includes audio recordings that allegedly capture Mr. White, 40, discussing other potential fraud schemes with the informant.    

But the councilman pleaded not guilty to charges in September and maintained his intent to run for a third term on the city’s legislative body. He was first elected in 2016.

Financial support for the councilman’s campaign dried up after the bribery charges.

Mr. White contributed the only $2,000 his campaign received last month, according to campaign finance reports, making that $15,000 of his own money he’s put toward his reelection.

The campaign brought in $93,000 total but also took on $45,000 in debt. The campaign can pay back the roughly $30,000 owed to vendors who helped Mr. White on the trail, but if not, the councilman will have to cover the bill himself.

Mr. White already racked up $80,000 in unpaid campaign debt from his failed 2022 mayoral bid and his 2020 reelection campaign. It’s unclear if he’s paid down any of that balance.

The financial and legal troubles quieted Mr. White’s campaign in the closing weeks, though it didn’t affect Tuesday’s outcome.

Civic activists and advisory neighborhood commissioners have told The Washington Times that the best case outcome is to return Mr. White to office. That way, there was no threat of Mr. Derenge, the Republican contender, winning a seat on a council that is almost entirely run by Democrats. 

Elsewhere in the District, Democrat Wendell Felder, an advisory neighborhood commissioner, won the open seat for Ward 7 against Republican Noah Montgomery. 

The seat became available after former mayor and current councilmember Vincent Gray decided not to run for reelection due to ongoing health challenges. 

Incumbent at-large councilmembers Robert White, a Democrat, and Christina Henderson, an independent, were both elected back into office. Fellow incumbents Brooke Pinto, Ward 2 Democrat, and Janeese Lewis George, Ward 4 Democrat, will also return to the council after running uncontested races.