Commissioner-council system

On June 1, 1967, President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered that the 3-member commissioner system that had governed the District for nearly 100 years be replaced by a single commissioner and a 9-member city council all appointed by the President. The commissioner, sometimes referred to as the mayor-commissioner, would be able to veto the actions of the council, and council could overrule the veto with a 3/4ths majority.^[1] Congress had 60 days for either house to reject the rule. Only the House introduced a disapproval resolution, supported by Republicans and Southern Democrats, but it failed 244–160.^[2] Each member of the council served a 3-year term starting February 1, with seats staggered by three years; except for those appointed initially in 1967. In the event that a member's term expired, they would remain a member until a replacement was confirmed and sworn in. By law, a maximum of six members could be from any one party.

Because of a low salary and the fact that terms lasted until a replacement was available, membership was quite fluid. (Changes in italics)

Nov 3, 1967 – Sept 13, 1968 – John W. Heckiner (Chair), Walter E. Fauntroy (vice-chair), Stanley J. Anderson, Margaret A. Haywood, John A. Nevius, Polly Shackleton, William S. Thompson, J. C. Turner, Joseph P. Yeldell. (Haywood, Turner and Yelldell had terms that ended on Feb 1, 1968, but all three were reappointed.)^[3]^[4]
Sept 13, 1968 – Oct 18, 1968 – Heckiner (Chair), Fauntroy (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Nevius, Shackleton, Thompson, Yeldell. (Turner resigned.)
Oct 18, 1968 – March 13, 1969 – Heckiner (Chair), Fauntroy (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Nevius, Shackleton, Thompson, Phillip J. Daugherty and Yeldell. (Daugherty was appointed to fill Turner's seat.)^[5]
March 13, 1969 – July 11, 1969 – Gilbert Hahn, Jr (Chair), Sterling Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Rev. Jerry A Moore, Jr., Shackleton, Thompson, Daugherty and Yeldell. (Hahn, Tucker and Moore replaced Hechinger, Fauntroy and Nevius respectively; Nixon's first appointments as he shifted the council from majority Democrat to majority Republican.)^[6]
July 11, 1969 – Oct 16, 1969 – Hahn (Chair), Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Shackleton, Moore, Daugherty and Yeldell. (Thompson resigned to be a judge.)
Oct 16, 1969 – April 3, 1970 – Hahn (Chair), Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Shackleton, Moore, Dr. Henry S. Robinson, Daugherty and Yeldell. (Robinson appointed to fill Thompson's seat.)^[7]
April 3, 1970 – Nov 30, 1970 – Hahn (Chair), Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Rev. Carlton W. Veazey, Moore, Robinson, Daugherty and Yeldell. (Anderson and Robinson were reappointed and Veazey replaced Shackleton.)^[8]
Nov 30, 1970 – June 22, 1971 – Hahn (Chair), Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Veazey, Moore, Robinson and Daugherty. (Yeldell resigned to run for delegate.)^[9]
June 22, 1971 – Nov 30, 1971 – Hahn (Chair), Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Veazey, Moore, Robinson, Henry K. Willard II and Yeldell. (Haywood was reappointed, Yeldell was appointed to his own vacancy and Willard replaced Daugherty.) ^[10]
Nov 30, 1971 – Jan 17, 1972 – Hahn (Chair), Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Veazey, Moore, Robinson, Willard. (Yeldell resigned to become the city's human resources director.)^[11]
Jan 17, 1972 – March 18, 1972 – Hahn (Chair), Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Veazey, Moore, Robinson, Willard and Tedson J. Meyers (Meyers appointed to fill Yeldell's seat.)
March 18, 1972 – May 3, 1972 – Hahn (Chair),^[12] Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Veazey, Robinson, Willard and Meyers. (Moore resigned to run for delegate.)^[13]
May 3, 1972 – June 20, 1972 – Nevius (Chair), Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Veazey, Robinson, Willard and Meyers. (Nevius appointed to replace Hahn as chair.)
June 20, 1972 – July 11, 1972 – Nevius (Chair), Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Haywood, Veazey, Robinson and Meyers. (Willard retired to focus on business.)^[14]
July 11, 1972 – Oct 2, 1972 – Nevius (Chair), Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Veazey, Robinson and Meyers. (Haywood resigned to become a judge.)
Oct 2, 1972 – Aug 8, 1973 – Nevius (Chair), Tucker (vice-chair), Anderson, Marjorie Parker, Veazey, Moore, Robinson, Rockwood H. Foster and Meyers. (Foster replaced Willard, Parker replaced Haywood and Moore reappointed to the seat he vacated.)
Aug 8, 1973 – Jan 2, 1975 – Nevius (Chair), Tucker (vice-chair), Marguerite C. Selden, Parker, Antoinette Ford, Moore, Robinson, Foster and Meyers. (Selden replaced Anderson, Ford replaced Veazey and Robinson was reappointed.)

On October 30, 1973, members voted to represent areas of town. They did not use the ward system, which had been created for the school board, but instead used the service area system created by the mayor in 1970. There were 8 wards, 9 service areas and 9 members of the council.^[15] They were assigned:

Service area 1 (upper Ga Ave Corridor) – Moore
Service area 2 (upper NE) – Robinson
Service area 3 (NE, east of Anacostia) – Parker
Service area 4 (SE east of Anacostia) – Ford
Service area 5 (Capitol Hill and just east of Anacostia River) – Selden
Service area 6 (Model citys, Ivy City, Stanton Park and Trinidad) – Tucker
Service area 7 (Adams Morgan) – Tucker
Service area 8 (west of Rock Creek park) – Foster
Service area 9 (downtown and SW) – Meyers and Parker

Appointed members and tenure

John W. Heckiner (1967–1969, chair)
Walter E. Fauntroy (1967–1969, vice-chair)
Stanley J. Anderson (1967–1973)
Margaret A. Haywood (1967–1972)
John A. Nevius (1967–1969, 1972–1975 as chair)
Polly Shackleton (1967–1970)
William S. Thompson (1967–1969)
J.C. Turner (1967–1968)
Joseph P. Yeldell (1967–1970) (1971)
Phillip J. Daugherty (1968–1971)
Gilbert Hahn, Jr (1969–1972, chair)
Sterling Tucker (1969–1975, vice-chair, longest serving member)
Rev. Jerry A Moore, Jr. (1969–1972, 1972–1975)
Dr. Henry S. Robinson (1969–1975)
Rev. Carlton W. Veazey (1970–1973)
Henry K. Willard II (1971–1972)
Tedson J. Meyers (1972–1975)
Marjorie Parker (1972–1975)
Rockwood H. Foster (1972–1975)
Marguerite C. Selden (1973–1975)
Antoinette Ford (1973–1975)

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.^[16] 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).^[17] 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.^[18]

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

Sterling Tucker (D), 1975–1979
Arrington Dixon (D), 1979–1983
David A. Clarke (D), 1983–1991
John A. Wilson (D), 1991–1993
David A. Clarke (D), 1993–1997 (won special election after death of Wilson)
Linda W. Cropp (D), 1997–2007 (won special election after death of Clarke)
Vincent C. Gray (D), 2007–2011
Kwame R. Brown (D), 2011–2012
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.^[19]

Douglas E. Moore (D), 1975–1979
Julius Hobson (Statehood), 1975–1977
Marion Barry (D), 1975–1979
Jerry A. Moore Jr. (R), 1975–1985
Hilda Mason (Statehood), 1977–1999 (appointed by party and then won special election after death of Hobson)
Betty Ann Kane (D), 1979–1991
John L. Ray (D), 1979–1997 (appointed by party and then won special election after Barry became mayor)
Carol Schwartz (R), 1985–1989
William Lightfoot (I), 1989–1997
Linda W. Cropp (D), 1991–1997
Harold Brazil (D), 1997–2005
Carol Schwartz (R), 1997–2009
Arrington Dixon (D), 1997 (appointed by party after Cropp became chairman)
David Catania (R; became I in 2004), 1997–2015 (won special election at end of Dixon's temporary appointment)
Phil Mendelson (D), 1999–2012
Kwame R. Brown (D), 2005–2011
Michael A. Brown (I), 2009–2013
Sekou Biddle (D), 2011 (appointed by party after Kwame Brown became chairman)
Vincent Orange (D), 2011–2016 (won special election at end of Biddle's temporary appointment)
Anita Bonds (D), 2012–present (appointed by party after Mendelson became chairman and later won a special election)
David Grosso (I), 2013–2021
Elissa Silverman (I), 2015–2023
Robert White (D), 2016–present (appointed by party following the resignation of Vincent Orange)
Christina Henderson (I), 2021–present
Kenyan McDuffie (I), 2023–present

Ward 1 member

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

David A. Clarke (D), 1975–1983
Frank Smith (D), 1983–1999
Jim Graham (D), 1999–2015
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.

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

Polly Shackleton (D), 1975–1987
James E. Nathanson (D), 1987–1995
Kathleen Patterson (D), 1995–2007
Mary Cheh (D), 2007–2023
Matthew Frumin (D), 2023–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.

Arrington Dixon (D), 1975–1979
Charlene Drew Jarvis (D), 1979–2001 (won special election after Dixon became chairman)
Adrian Fenty (D), 2001–2007
Muriel Bowser (D), 2007–2015 (won special election after Fenty became mayor)
Brandon Todd (D), 2015–2021 (won special election after Bowser became mayor)
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.

William Spaulding (D), 1975–1987
Harry Thomas, Sr. (D), 1987–1999
Vincent Orange (D), 1999–2007
Harry Thomas, Jr. (D), 2007–2012 (resigned)
Kenyan McDuffie (D), 2012–2023 (won special election after Thomas' resignation)
Zachary Parker (D), 2023–present

Ward 6 member

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

Nadine Winter (D), 1975–1991
Harold Brazil (D), 1991–1997
Sharon Ambrose (D), 1997–2007 (won special election after Brazil became at-large)
Tommy Wells (D), 2007–2015
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.

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

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

Table

Background colors indicate party:

Year	Chair	At-large councillors				Ward-level councillors								Makeup
Year	Chair	At-large councillors				1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Makeup
1975	Tucker	D. Moore	Hobson	Barry	J. Moore	Clarke	Wilson	Shackleton	Dixon	Spaulding	Winter	Hardy	Coates
1976			Hobson										Coates
1977			Mason										Rolark
1978
1979	Dixon	Kane		Ray					Jarvis
1980
1981												Crawford
1982
1983	Clarke					Smith
1984
1985					Schwartz
1986
1987								Nathanson		Thomas Sr.
1988
1989					Lightfoot
1990
1991	Wilson	Cropp					Evans				Brazil
1992	Wilson
1993	Clarke											Chavous	Barry
1994													Barry
1995								Patterson					Whittington
1996													Whittington
1997	Cropp	Dixon		Brazil	Schwartz						Ambrose		S. Allen
1998		Catania
1999			Mendelson			Graham				Orange
2000
2001									Fenty
2002
2003
2004		Catania
2005				K. Brown								Gray	Barry
2006												Gray
2007	Gray							Cheh	Bowser	Thomas Jr.	Wells	Alexander
2008
2009					M. Brown
2010
2011	K. Brown			Biddle
2011	K. Brown			Orange
2012	Mendelson		Bonds							McDuffie
2013					Grosso
2014
2015		Silverman				Nadeau			Todd		C. Allen		May
2016													May
2017				R. White								Gray	T. White
2018
2019
2020							Pinto
2021					Henderson				George
2022					Henderson				George

References

^ Carper, Elsie (2 June 1967). "Johnson Orders New D.C. Rule". The Washington Post.
^ Carper, Elsie (10 August 1967). "House Accepts new D.C. Rule". The Washington Post.
^ Kaiser, Robert G. (4 November 1967). "City's New Council Takes Oath". The Washington Post.
^ "City Life: Judges, D.C. Aides Confirmed". The Washington Post. 12 March 1968.
^ "Helping Hand for a New Councilman". The Washington Post. 19 October 1968.
^ Asher, Robert L. (14 March 1969). "Hahn Takes Office. GOP Seeks a New Leader". The Washington Post.
^ "Sworn In". The Washington Post. 17 Oct 1969.
^ "Senate Confirms Council Nominees". The Washington Post. April 3, 1970.
^ Green, Stephen; Levy, Claudia (21 June 1972). "Arena Pushed By Nixon". The Washington Post.
^ "D.C. Council Swears in 3 Members". The Washington Post. 23 June 1971.
^ Prince, Richard (14 Jan 1972). "Nixon Selects D.C. Lawyer To Fill Seat on City Council". The Washington Post.
^ "Council Action Limits Fat Content Of Hamburger, Sausage on Sale". The Washington Post. 3 May 1972.
^ Prince, Richard (16 Mar 1972). "Moore Expected to Announce Delegate Candidacy Friday". The Washington Post.
^ Anders, Michael (12 August 1972). "Rockwood Foster Picked for Council". The Evening Star.
^ Scharfenberg, Kirk (30 Oct 1973). "D.C. Split Into Areas By Council". The Washington Post.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ 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.
^ 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.