Bowser ousts Gray in D.C. primary

Muriel Bowser of D.C. The councilwoman defeated scandal-plagued incumbent Vincent Gray in the Democratic primary for mayor of the nation’s capital, a race that has grown increasingly bitter in recent weeks. Gray’s situation was hurt by federal prosecutors last month who said he knew about an illegal fundraising scheme that helped him win in 2010. The mayor denied any wrongdoing, but his numbers dropped.

Turnout appeared to be low in this liberal stronghold on Tuesday, with results trickling in slowly after polls closed at 6 p.m. But by midnight, with nearly 90 percent of precincts reporting, Bowser Gray led 44 percent to 33 percent in D.C. according to his electoral commission. Gray, 71, resigned shortly after those results came out. He congratulated the 41-year-old Bowser early on. address and reviewed a list of the city’s accomplishments during his tenure.

“I think there will be a campaign that will be an election … in November,” he said at the end of his speech. “We will work hard to make sure we get the best candidate D.C. has to be its next mayor.” Bowser relentlessly sought to turn the campaign into a referendum on Gray’s ethics.

“We believe that corruption at City Hall is unacceptable,” he said in his victory speech. “We believe that the mayor must break new ground and impose moral authority on management. “In accepting the nomination of Bowser — who, if she wins, would be the city’s second female mayor — she also emphasized that it’s time for party unity.

“Many of our friends were with other candidates,” he said. “It is our job to let them know that I will also be their mayor. Today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow we’re going to talk to them about our vision for the District of Columbia, we’re going to win their support… so they’ll be with us in November.” Bowser is now David Catania, a veteran Republican who has become an independent alderman Some polls indicated that while Catania could run a close race against Gray, he looked less viable against Bowser.

Still, there is some competitive potential in the general election, a rarity in a city where the winner of the Democratic primary is usually also the de facto winner of the mayoral seat. Race is also an important part of local politics in D.C., which has a large African-American population. Bowser, like Gray, is African American. Catania white.