The DC Statehood Green Party is challenging a loophole in election law that makes it easy for Democratic candidates to evade a rule designed to prevent one-party government in the District of Columbia.
“One-party rule in DC is not serving the interests of democracy or the needs of the people,” said David Schwartzman, the party’s endorsed candidate for Shadow U.S. Senator (http://www.davidschwartzman.com). “These conversions from Democrat to Independent in order to run for the non-Democratic seat undermine fair and honest elections. Phony Independents are an affront to the Home Rule Act.”
In advance of the April 1 primary election, the DC Statehood Green Party is circulating a pledge among candidates and other local leaders active in city politics that honors the spirit of the 1973 Home Rule Act. The text of the pledge is appended below.
An important provision in the Act attempts to prevent single-party control over city government by allowing each party only one candidate for the two At-Large Council seats contested in each general election. The intended effect of this provision is to set aside two of the four At-Large seats for nonmembers of the majority party.
DC Statehood Green Party leaders noted that some Democratic candidates have flouted this rule by reregistering independent, taking advantage of the Home Rule Act’s lack of time constraints on such reregistrations.
The pledge challenges the Council and DC Board of Ethics and Elections to review the Home Rule Act and add language prohibiting candidates from switching parties to not less than a year before the November general election.
Some prominent Democrats agree that one-party rule is not in the District’s best interests and have signed the pledge, including Timothy Cooper, Mai Abdul Rahman, Arturo Griffiths, and Renée Bowser,
“For the betterment of the Council and our city, one-party rule needs to end,” said Eugene Puryear, the Statehood Green Party’s endorsed At-Large Council candidate (http://www.EugenePuryear.com). “It is now time to enact legislation enforcing the wise intentions of the framers of Home Rule.”
• We Pledge to Honor the Spirit of Home Rule’s Prohibition of One-Party Rule
As registered DC voters and candidates, we oppose the practice of switching registration from the majority Democratic Party to Independent in order to run for the At-Large Council seat not filled by the primary nomination of the Democratic Party candidate.
In recent elections, at least three Democratic candidates have evaded election law and the spirit of the Home Rule Act by reregistering as Independents. We believe that DC’s long-term interests are served by political diversity.
The drafters of the Home Rule Act intended to ensure diversity on the Council by allowing only one candidate from each party for the two At-Large Council seats in each general election. Each party’s candidate is nominated in primary elections. Thus only one potential Democratic Party candidate can be elected in a regular election for At-Large Council since there are two seats up for election.
The intent of the Home Rule Act is expressed in specific language: “Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, at no time shall there be more than three members (including the Chairman) serving at large on the Council who are affiliated with the same political party.” (Source: TITLE IV — THE DISTRICT CHARTER, PART A — THE COUNCIL, Subpart 1 — Creation of the Council, CREATION AND MEMBERSHIP, SEC. 401. [D.C. Code 1-221] (d) (3), http://www.abfa.com/ogc/tit4.htm#401)
Switching registration to Independent during an election year subverts the intent of the founders of Home Rule and undermines democracy because it perpetually reproduces one-party rule.
We pledge to restore the intent of the Home Rule Act by urging the Council and the DC Board of Elections and Ethics to review the law and close this loophole. This can be accomplished with a requirement blocking change of registration for a candidate filing for the At-Large Council seat to not less than one year before the general election.
Until this law is changed, we the undersigned strongly deplore the practice of registration-switching for the general election on November 4, 2014 and subsequent elections.
DC Statehood Green Party Candidates running in 2014
Candidate for DC Delegate to the U.S. House
• Natale Stracuzzi, http://stracuzziforcongress.wordpress.com
Candidate for Shadow U.S. Senator
• David Schwartzman, http://www.davidschwartzman.com
Candidate for Mayor
• Faith Dane, http://faith4mayor.com
Candidates for the nomination for At-Large Member of Council
• G. Lee Aikin, http://gleeaikin.blogspot.com
• Eugene Puryear, http://www.EugenePuryear.com