Muriel Bowser

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Muriel Bowser
Muriel Bowser official photo.jpg
8th Mayor of the District of Columbia
Assumed office
January 2, 2015
Preceded byVincent C. Gray
Member of the Council of the District of Columbia from Ward 4
In office
January 2, 2007 – January 2, 2015
Preceded byAdrian Fenty
Succeeded byBrandon Todd
Member of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission
for District 4B09
In office
January 2, 2005 – January 2, 2007
Preceded bySandra Battle
Succeeded byDouglass Sloan
Personal details
Born
Muriel Elizabeth Bowser

(1972-08-02) August 2, 1972 (age 49)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Children1
EducationChatham University (BA)
American University (MPP)
Signature

Muriel Elizabeth Bowser (born August 2, 1972) is an American politician serving as the eighth mayor of the District of Columbia since 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented Ward 4 as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 2007 to 2015. She is the second female mayor of the District of Columbia after Sharon Pratt, and the first woman to be reelected to that position.

Elected to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in 2004, Bowser was elected to the council in a special election in 2007, to succeed Adrian Fenty, who had been elected Mayor. She was reelected in 2008 and 2012 and ran for mayor in the 2014 election. She defeated incumbent mayor Vincent C. Gray in the Democratic primary and won the general election against three Independent and two minor party candidates with 55% of the vote. In 2018, she won a second term with 76% of the vote.

Early life and education[]

The youngest of six children of Joe and Joan Bowser,[1] Bowser was born in Washington, and grew up in North Michigan Park in northeast D.C.[2] In 1990, she graduated from Elizabeth Seton High School, a private all-girls Catholic high school located in Bladensburg, Maryland.[3][4] She received a college scholarship due to her above average grades.[5] Bowser graduated from Chatham College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a bachelor's degree in history, and she graduated from the American University School of Public Affairs with a Masters in Public Policy.[6] In 2015, she bought a home in Colonial Village, [7] moving from a Riggs Park duplex[8] where she had lived since 2000.[9] She is a lifelong Catholic.[10] Bowser says she never envisioned herself as a politician or mayor, but possibly as an agency administrator.[10]

Political career 2004–2014[]

Advisory Neighborhood Commission[]

Bowser began her political career in 2004, running unopposed for the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC). She represented district 4B09, which includes the neighborhood of Riggs Park.[11][12][13] She was unopposed again in 2006 when she ran for re-election.[14]

Council of the District of Columbia[]

Bowser's official Council photo

2007 election[]

Adrian Fenty, Member of the Council of the District of Columbia representing Ward 4, ran for Mayor of the District of Columbia. Bowser was his campaign coordinator for Ward 4.[15] When Fenty was elected mayor in 2006, a special election was called to fill his council seat. Bowser, among many others, announced her candidacy for it.[15]

During a political forum with 17 of the 19 council candidates in attendance, Bowser was the only candidate present who supported Fenty's proposed takeover of the District public school system, saying that the school system needed to change.[16]

When Fenty announced his support of Bowser,[17] some critics claimed that, if elected, she would always vote as Fenty wished, ignoring the needs of her constituents.[12][18]

Other critics took note of developers who had contributed to Bowser's campaign, claiming she would favor developers over her constituents.[19] While an ANC commissioner, Bowser had voted in favor of a zoning variance for a condominium development to be built by a developer who had contributed several hundred dollars to her campaign, which some critics derided as a conflict of interest.[20] Bowser maintained that she had supported the development project before running for Council.[19]

The editorial page of The Washington Post favored Bowser in the election.[21] The local councils of the AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union, and the Fraternal Order of Police also endorsed Bowser in the election, but the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees endorsed her opponent, Michael A. Brown.[22][23][24]

Bowser won the special election with 40% of the vote.[25]

2008 election[]

In 2008, Bowser announced her reelection campaign for the council. Three individuals ran against her in the Democratic primary,[26] namely: Baruti Akil Jahi, former president of the Shepherd Park Citizens Association;[27] Malik Mendenhall-Johnson, then serving as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner of 4B04;[28] and Paul E. Montague, who had been Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner of 4B07 before being recalled in 2004.[29] Both Jahi and Mendenhall-Johnson criticized Bowser, saying she was a rubber stamp for Mayor Fenty and that she was unconcerned with her constituents' needs.[30]

No candidates' names were on the ballot for the Republican or D.C. Statehood Green primaries.[26]

The Washington Post's editorial department endorsed Bowser's candidacy.[31] The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club also voted to endorse Bowser's reelection.[32]

Bowser won the Democratic Party primary election, receiving 75 percent of votes.[33] Jahi received 19%, Montague received 3%, and Mendenhall-Johnson received 2%.[33] With no one else appearing on the subsequent general election ballot,[34] Bowser won the general election with 97 percent of the vote.[35]

In 2011, Bowser was appointed to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority board of governors, a position she held until 2015.[36][37][38]

2012 election[]

Bowser ran for reelection in 2012.[39] Bowser said she would not turn down donations from corporations.[39] Candidate Max Skolnik criticized Bowser for receiving campaign contributions from developers, corporate bundlers, and lobbyists, saying that Bowser would favor the interests of these corporate donors.[39] Bowser said she was not in favor of banning corporations from making political donations altogether, saying that doing so would make it more difficult to track where campaign donations come from.[39] She also said that corporations are banned from donating to federal elections, but that corporations still find ways to give to campaigns.[40]

Bowser's candidacy was endorsed by the editorial boards of The Washington Post[41] and the Washington City Paper.[42]

Bowser won the Democratic primary with 66% of the vote, to Renee L. Bowser's (no relation) 13%, Max Skolnik's 9%, Baruti Jahi's 5%, Judi Jones' 3%, and Calvin Gurley's 2%.[43] Unopposed in the general election,[44] she was elected with 97% of the vote.[45]

2014 election[]

On March 23, 2013, Bowser announced that she would run for Mayor of the District of Columbia in the 2014 election.[46] Her campaign's chair was former council member William Lightfoot.[47]

Bowser emphasized that she can connect with longtime residents concerned about the rapid changes occurring in the District, while still celebrating the changes that had occurred.[48] Bowser disdained business-as-usual and corruption in the District's government.[48] She favored free Metro fares for students.[49] She was against increasing the minimum wage only for employees of large retailers.[50] Bowser was criticized for being too inexperienced for the position,[48] with too few legislative accomplishments while on the council,[51] and for having a platform that was short on details.[52] She limited the number of debates by only agreeing to participate after the field of candidates had been set, which postponed the first debate until August.[53]

Bowser was endorsed by EMILY's List[54] and the editorial board of The Washington Post.[55] She won the Democratic mayoral primary election with 43 percent of the vote.[56] To raise funds for her campaign she accepted contributions in excess of legal limits, for which she was fined after winning the election.[57]

In the general election, Bowser was on the ballot with Independents David Catania, Nestor Djonkam and Carol Schwartz, D.C. Statehood Green Faith Dane and Libertarian Bruce Majors. No Republican filed.[58] Bowser won the election with 80,824 votes (54.53%) to Catania's 35% and Schwartz's 7%, and took office on January 2, 2015.[59]

Mayor of the District of Columbia[]

Animal control[]

In 2017, Bowser proposed several animal regulations, including a ban on backyard chickens, a requirement that all cats be licensed, and a provision that seemed to outlaw leaving dog feces in private yards for more than 24 hours.[60] Following public backlash, the City Administrator clarified that "this is not a war on pets" and the proposals were withdrawn.[60] Later the same year, the Department of Health began to enforce an existing law banning dogs from outdoor bar patios.[61] Following public objections, the D.C. Council changed the law to allow business owners to decide whether or not to allow dogs.[62]

Arts and culture[]

Asserting legal authority that was questioned by the D.C. Council, in 2019 Bowser illegally took control of the art collection owned by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and sought to bring the organization under her control.[63] Bowser's power struggle saw staff of the Commission locked out of their jobs without warning.[64] Bowser used her third ever veto to block legislation that would have preserved the independence of the organization, which also provides grants to hundreds of artists.[65]

Autonomous vehicles[]

In February 2018, Bowser announced the formation of a work group, with members drawn from various agencies, to explore the benefits of, and prepare the District for, autonomous vehicle technology. The city and the Southwest Business Improvement District are also exploring possibilities for a pilot shuttle program along 10th Street, S.W., possibly to supplement an existing service that connects visitors to popular District destinations. A "Request for Information" was released to firms with expertise in autonomous vehicle development.[66]

Budgeting[]

Bowser released the first budget of her second term in March 2019. The budget increased spending by 8.2% though revenue growth was expected around three percent. D.C. Auditor Kathy Patterson said the budget was not sustainable and fiscally irresponsible. Bowser responded by hailing her plan to make the DC Circulator free of charge.[67][68]

On multiple occasions, D.C. government agencies under Bowser's authority and led by her appointees lost millions in federal money because deadlines were missed. Over the course of Bowser's first administration, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development offered the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development millions for lead remediation of its aging housing supply. The DHCD target of remediating lead paint in 225 homes was not met, federal grant money was not spent, and eventually the program closed.[69]

In 2019, local organizations providing assistance to at risk populations missed out in $3.75 million when the responsible D.C. Government body failed to submit a timely application. Eleanor Holmes Norton and other D.C. officials pleaded with federal authorities to grant D.C. leniency so that local programs including Reading Partners D.C., The Literacy Lab, and City Year D.C. could receive funding.[70]

Campaign finance[]

In 2015, Bowser's allies formed FreshPAC, a political action committee intended to advance her agenda.[71] The initiative was the first PAC in District politics so closely aligned with a sitting mayor and created by a former campaign treasurer. Thanks to a legislative loophole regulating off-year fundraising, FreshPAC accepted unlimited contributions. Bowser supporters had quickly raised more than $300,000 and had a goal of collecting $1 million by year's end.[71][72] FreshPAC was chaired by Earle "Chico" Horton III, a lobbyist for a major corporation that sought Bowser's support.[73] Many of the highest donors participated in a trip to China with the mayor.[74] Following outcry from the Washington Post, members of the D.C. Council, and other stakeholders, FreshPAC was shut down in November 2015.[72] Bowser said she thought FreshPAC was a good thing but its message was distorted.[75]

In 2017, the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance fined Bowser's campaign committee $13,000 for accepting contributions beyond legal maximums during her 2014 mayoral campaign. The excess contributions totaled more than $11,000 from more than a dozen developers and contractors, as well as from landlord Sanford Capital, whom the Bowser administration had been slow to fine despite being responsible for more than 1,000 housing code violations. Some of the same contributors later contributed to FreshPAC. Bowser's campaign returned the illegal contributions.[57]

In 2018, the D.C. Council unanimously passed campaign finance legislation that sought to remove the influence of developers and other large donors from politics by publicly financing campaigns.[76][77] Bowser was staunchly opposed to the act and said that she would not provide financing for implementation of the law.[76][77]

Contracting[]

In 2016, the head of D.C.'s Department of General Services resigned and contracting officials were fired following the award of a large construction project.[78] One of the fired employees filed a $10 million whistleblower lawsuit alleging that he had been terminated for the failure to channel contracts to Fort Myer Construction, a major Bowser campaign donor; the other made similar allegations in an administrative proceeding. The episode prompted an investigation by Councilmember Mary Cheh. In 2017, Cheh's report found that in addition to the questionable firings, a city employee had illegally shared confidential information with Fort Myer about a competitor's bid on a separate project. The report found that the D.C. City Administrator - the top Bowser appointed official - had urged quick settlement of unresolved contract disputes with Fort Myer in an attempt to appease it. These actions led to a $4 million in payouts to the firm, an outcome that the District has previously opposed.[79] After fighting unsuccessfully to keep the findings from public view, Bowser refused to comment on any of the points in the report.[80]

COVID-19 pandemic response[]

Black residents in D.C. were killed by COVID-19 at 5.9 times the rate of white people, the worst disparity in any major city.[81] An investigation attributed the unequal toll to multiple strategic missteps by Bowser's administration. Among the shortcomings, a testing site was not established anywhere east of the Anacostia River and Bowser's health team was slow to solicit bids.[81] In a rush to reopen the District in June 2020, her administration removed data from the government's website to avoid displaying how it had failed to meet a key metric.[82]

In November 2020, Bowser traveled to Delaware with senior staff for a celebration of Joe Biden's victory despite the elevated risk of Coronavirus in the state and a travel advisory discouraging visits. Bowser claimed the trip to the festivities were "essential" while critics pointed out that she violated her own protocols.[83]

As the pandemic subsided and vaccines became more readily available, Bowser's instructions on masking created confusion among business owners and the public. In April 2021, Bowser issued a mayoral order that patrons could enter dining establishments unmasked if they provided proof of vaccination upon request. After confused businesses owners asked for clarification, the mayoral order was removed.[84]

In response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant, in July 2021 Bowser announced a new indoor mask mandate. On the day that the reinstated mandate took effect, Bowser was found to have officiated an indoor wedding while unmasked.[85][86]

Crime[]

During her first year as mayor, the district saw a 40% increase in homicides.[87] Bowser sought to address the spike by proposing legislation allowing law enforcement officials to perform warrantless searches of violent ex-offenders. The bill was widely opposed by citizen's groups and the D.C. Council, and did not pass.[87]

In 2016, District homicides fell by 17%, to 135,[88] and dropped again in 2017 to 116, or about the same level prior to a 2015 spike.[89][90] There were 160 homicides in 2018, an increase of 40 percent from the previous year and the most since 2015.[91][92] Murders continued to rise in 2019, and by September 19, the homicide rate in the District reached 125, a 17 percent increase from the previous year.[93] 2021 marked the fourth straight year of increasing homicides, including a weekend in May in which 11 people were shot in the District.[94] By July 2021, DC had recorded 100 homicides, the earliest point in the year it had reached this milestone since 2003.[95]

In 2021, carjackings in DC skyrocketed, reaching more than four times the level of the previous year.[96] Following a tragic attack in which a Pakistani Uber driver named Mohammad Anwar was killed as the result of a brazen carjacking, Bowser released a tweet explaining that carjackings were a crime of opportunity, giving the impression that Anwar was responsible for his own death.[97] Bowser later deleted the tweet, claiming that it was scheduled to go out before the death, but did not apologize or immediately offer any condolences to Anwar's family or condemnation of his killers, who are black, sparking backlash and accusations of racial bias.[98][97]

In 2021, the District's forensic crime lab lost its accreditation following a probe that determined the lab concealed conflicting findings and pressured examiners to change results in a firearms case and other mistakes.[99][100] The investigation led to an criminal investigation of the lab's errors and the resignation of its head, Dr. Jenifer Smith. Days after the news about the lab was first reported, Bowser honored Smith as part of the “Washington Women of Excellence Awards.”[99]

Development[]

In February 2015, Bowser cancelled the creation of a public facility for art exhibitions, lectures and educational activities by the Institute for Contemporary Expression. Approved by Gray, the project involved a privately funded conversion of the historic but unused Franklin School and had its first event planned for September 2015.[101][102] Bowser cited financial concerns for the decision, but critics noted that several of the firms who earlier competed unsuccessfully for the property were among her donors.[101] As of October 2015, proposals were still being considered.[103]

In September 2015, Bowser announced a deal with Monumental Sports owner Ted Leonsis to build a practice facility for the Washington Wizards.[104] Under the deal, District taxpayers would pay 90 percent of the estimated $55 million cost.[104] The government's portion was split between direct government expenditure and Events DC, a D.C.-government-funded body which operates with an independent board.[105] In July 2016, before construction had started, it was announced that costs would exceed estimates by $10 million while the number of seats in the facility would likely decrease.[106] Under the agreement with the developer, the District will be responsible for cost overruns.[107] Once the St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena was completed, operations costs exceeded estimates and the Events DC board approved more than $1 million in additional costs to cover the shortfall.[108] A contract for a firm to find naming rights for the facility was funded at $180,000 per year.[108]

In May 2019, the D.C. auditor found that the Housing Production Trust Fund, which gives developers funding for affordable housing, had awarded funding to proposals that scored poorly and in one case received the lowest score. The successful but low rated projects were all proposed by developers who had made contributions to the mayor's campaign.[109]

Education[]

In 2015, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson routinely bent or broke school placement rules to give preferential treatment to well-connected parents seeking prized enrollments at particular D.C. public schools. Two senior Bowser appointees were among seven parents who benefited from Henderson's misuse of authority by being permitted to bypass the competitive DCPS lottery system.[110] Deputy Mayor Courtney Snowden, who makes $196,000 a year, jumped a waitlist of more than 1000 names to enroll her child.[111] In 2018, it was revealed that Bowser's recently appointed Schools chancellor Antwan Wilson had similarly manipulated the system to transfer Wilson's teenage daughter to a preferred school. Wilson and other staff resigned while Bowser refused a request to testify about Wilson's statement that she was aware of the placement, calling an inquiry "political circus."[112] By 2018, management of D.C. Public Schools prompted investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Education and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.[113]

Emergency services[]

In February 2016, Bowser's appointee as medical director of the fire department resigned from her post after one year on the job. Explaining her decision, Jullette Saussy said that she could not be complicit in a failed agency and that its performance was putting Washingtonian's lives at risk. In response, Bowser's spokesperson said that she was committed to achieving change.[114]

Environment[]

In January 2018, Bowser announced a $4.7 million investment in two islands in the Anacostia River, 45 acre Kingman Island and 5 acre Heritage Island. She also designated portions of each island as a "state conservation area," which restricts their use to limited purposes including recreation and education. The funds will be used for improvements to the islands, including outdoor classrooms, walkways, a floating lab platform and bathrooms.[115]

Government transparency[]

In early 2018, the members of the D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability voted unanimously not to renew the contract of Traci Hughes, head of D.C.'s government transparency entity, the Office of Open Government. Activists said Hughes was being punished for her enforcement of District regulations on government transparency. In the preceding year, she had faulted at least two public boards controlled by Bowser appointees for failure to comply with the city's Open Meetings Act, and had issued a decision that the board of United Medical Center, the District's troubled public hospital, had broken that law by secretly discussing and voting to close the facility's nursery and delivery rooms.[116] Hughes said after her dismissal that she had had to resist pressure to ease off in her role of policing District agencies' compliance with the Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act; and that she had been subjected to "personal attacks in an effort to keep [her] from issuing an opinion" relating to Open Meetings Act compliance by the D.C. Commission on Selection and Tenure of Administrative Law Judges.[117]

Gun control[]

Bowser at a March for Our Lives rally in 2018

Bowser is a strong advocate of gun control, characterizing herself in her inaugural speech in January 2015 as "a mayor who hates guns."[118] Bowser has encouraged the D.C. Council to ban bump stocks, with the aim of forcing congressional Republicans to take a stand on the record on gun control and gun violence.[clarification needed][119] Bowser was also "unusually supportive" of the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C. in March 2018, and in 2018 was said to be positioning herself as a national figure in the gun control movement.[120]

Health care[]

In 2016, United Medical Center was the sole government-owned hospital in D.C. In March of that year, on the advice of the Director of Health Care Finance, the D.C Council awarded the management of UMC to Veritas, a two-year-old politically connected firm.[121] The husband of the Veritas CEO was a major donor to the Bowser campaign in 2014, and a longtime health-care executive with experience overseeing troubled hospitals.[122] Veritas however failed to improve the quality of care and its tenure saw several cases of preventable patient deaths and negligence. By March 2017, the director of D.C.’s Department of Health was warning the UMC board about serious safety lapses in the hospital's obstetrics unit. By August, the Department of Health had shut down the ward due to its failure to meet minimum standards.[123][124] Earlier, in July 2017, the hospital allowed a week to pass between the death of a nursing home patient and notification to his family. In August, another patient died under questionable circumstances. In September, the nurses union voted "no confidence" in the hospital's leadership and said that unsafe nurse-patient ratios and a lack of proper equipment were unaddressed.[125] Bowser administration officials refused repeated requests to disclose the specific medical lapses and ultimately the council voted to remove Veritas.[126]

The opioid epidemic ravaged D.C., with a higher rate of fatal overdoses in 2017 among African Americans in D.C. than whites in West Virginia or New Hampshire. Though funding was available, the Department of Behavioral Health failed to establish adequate treatment programs.[127] In December 2018, the District announced an "ambitious" plan aiming to cut opioid deaths by half within about two years, using a combination of treatment, tracking and education. The plan was written by a "group of D.C. agencies, doctors, substance abuse treatment providers, council members and individuals in recovery." Several of the plan's recommendations were described as "vague," or merely expanding on existing programs.[128][129]

Upon taking office in 2015, Bowser set a goal to halve the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the District by 2020. In 2019, the District continued to have one of the highest rates in the country. The number of diagnoses in the previous year was 360, decreasing by 13 and 5 during each of the previous two years of Bowser's term.[130]

Homelessness[]

Bowser pledged to end chronic homelessness in the District.[131] In 2018, the results of an annual survey required by federal law reflected a 7.6% drop in the homeless population from 2017, following a 17.3% drop the year before. The estimated total homeless population of 6,904 was, however, still slightly higher than it had been in 2013.[132]

Bowser's approach to resolving the homelessness issue, focusing on homeless families, has been the subject of criticism. During the winter of 2015, the District saw an increase of more than 250 percent over any previous year, in homeless families housed in shelters and overflow motel rooms, although part of the increase was due to the administration's decision to move families into motel rooms before freezing temperatures would require it do so under the law.[131] In February 2016, Bowser unveiled a plan to provide housing for homeless families following the closure of District of Columbia General Hospital.[133] Without any community consultation or input, Bowser announced the location of one shelter in each of the District's eight wards and refused to say how the sites were selected.[133][134][135] In March 2016, it was revealed that many of the sites selected were connected to Bowser's contributors.[136] Under Bowser's plan, the monthly cost per unit was $4,500 on average each year for at least the next 20 years.[136] Frustrated by the D.C. Council's efforts to devise its own plan, Bowser lashed out with expletives at Chairman Phil Mendelson.[137][138]

Housing oversight[]

In 2018, Bowser nominated Joshua Lopez, former chief campaign aide to both Bowser and ex-Mayor Adrian Fenty, to serve on the board of the D.C. Housing Authority, which reviews contracts and sets policy for public housing. Over the objections of certain council members who considered Lopez unqualified for the position, Bowser proceeded with the nomination, which the Council approved by a vote of 10–3.[139] In April 2018, Lopez held a loudspeaker at a rally while a representative of the Nation of Islam spoke, calling Councilmember Elissa Silverman "a fake jew." Bowser called upon Lopez to apologize but resisted public calls for his resignation.[140][141]

Immigration[]

Upon the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, and following statements by the President-elect threatening to pull federal funding from sanctuary cities, Bowser issued a statement reaffirming the District's status as a sanctuary city.[142] Soon thereafter Bowser was confronted by a throng of about 100 protesters who were angry that she had not responded more forcefully—as had mayors of some other sanctuary cities—in denouncing Trump's policies and in defending immigrants.[143][144][145] In January 2017, following Trump's inauguration and the issuance of a Presidential Executive Order threatening to withhold Federal funding from sanctuary cities, Bowser affirmed that the District would maintain its status as such.[146]

In November 2017, Bowser announced that the District was joining seven other cities in a partnership with the National Immigration Forum to assist some 2,000 green card holders who work for the D.C. Government, as well as family members, in applying for U.S. citizenship. The partnership would provide information, legal help, citizenship test coaching and assist in finding language classes. Participation in the program could save an applicant as much as $2,000 in legal fees.[147]

Protests[]

Bowser speaking at a protest in 2017

Mayor Bowser demonstrated support for the Black Lives Matter movement following the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests. She renamed the stretch of 16th Street NW in front of the White House, "Black Lives Matter Plaza" and had a mural painted spanning the entire street.[148] DC-based leaders of Black Lives Matter said the act was a distraction from real policy changes and called on the Mayor to defund the police.[148] In response, Black Lives Matter organizers painted "DEFUND THE POLICE" in the same bright letters, feet away from the mural Bowser ordered.[149]

On January 6, 2021, pro-Trump rioters and insurrectionists stormed the US Capitol, in protest of the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Democrat Joe Biden defeated incumbent Republican President Donald Trump. Bowser imposed a curfew in response, to 6:00 pm that night and end at 6:00 am the following day,[150] though it was ignored by numerous pro-Trump rioters and insurrectionists.[151]

During the 2021 Cuban protests in July, the words "CUBA LIBRE" (translated to "FREE CUBA") were painted in front of the Cuban embassy in support of the Cuban people and opposition to the country’s communist regime. By July 20, the words were removed by the Bowser administration, who classified the words as "unauthorized". Bowser received criticism for her double standard of praising Raul Castro in 2016, her allowance of painting "Black Lives Matter" on the same street and her future plans to make the area a permanent dedication to Black Lives Matter.[152][153]

Public services[]

In January 2016, traffic throughout the D.C. region was paralyzed by an inch of snow on untreated roads.[154][155] More than 1,000 accidents were reported and some commuters abandoned their cars amidst impassable roads.[154][155] Bowser apologized for an inadequate response in the District, explaining that "we should have been there earlier."[155]

For a larger storm later in the same season, a report by the D.C. auditor found that the District had spent over $40 million on removal, much of it charged to the District's credit cards.[156] The District incurred tens of thousands of dollars in credit card fees. In an unprecedented move, JPMorgan Chase shut off the government's line of credit until some of the card balances could be paid. Some of the contractors who benefited most from the snow removal expenses were important Bowser donors, the D.C. auditor found.[156]

Public utilities[]

In October 2015, Bowser changed her position to support the $6.4-billion merger between two public utilities, Exelon and Pepco. Opponents of the merger decried the lack of transparency in the deal and Bowser's reversal.[157] Community activists raised ethics concerns, claiming that Bowser was swayed by a $25 million pledge to rename the future MLS Soccer Stadium as Pepco Park.[158] In December 2015, it was revealed that Exelon had paid the chairman of FreshPAC, a political action committee affiliated with Bowser's allies, as a lobbyist.[159]

Sexual harassment[]

In December 2017, Bowser ordered that 30,000 employees of the District receive sexual harassment training by February 2018. Under the order, 1,500 supervisors must also complete advanced, in-person training.[160] At the time, Bowser administration personnel could not say how much taxpayers had paid to resolve sexual harassment claims against the city, or how many such claims there had been. In March 2018, it was reported that taxpayers had recently spent at least $735,000 to settle such suits. Bowser's aides acknowledged they did not have a full grasp of the problem, and the city plans to set up a system to track complaints and settlements.[161]

Traffic safety[]

In 2015, Bowser announced Vision Zero, a traffic safety initiative that aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities by 2024. To launch the event, Bowser, supporters, and D.C. government employees stood at intersections and waved green signs imploring motorists to slow down.[162] The following year, the number of traffic fatalities increased from 26 to 28 and the number of crash injuries increased from 12,122 to 12,430. Pedestrian fatalities within the total dropped from 15 to 9, during a period when pedestrian deaths nationally had jumped upward by 11 percent.[163] In 2017, traffic fatalities continued to rise.[164] Following a pair of biking fatalities in the summer of 2018, cyclists protested that Bowser had failed at promoting traffic safety.[165] In 2019, a prominent bike advocate was struck and killed by a driver along a stretch of road that was known to be dangerous.[166]

In May 2020, Bowser announced that the default speed limits in D.C. would be reduced to 20 mph, claiming that "slower speeds can help improve safety".[167]

Transportation[]

As part of her first State of the District Address in March 2015, Bowser promised to get the DC Streetcar "up and running." In September, Bowser as well as the director of the D.C. Department of Transportation promised that the streetcar would be operational by the end of the year.[168][169] The H Street/Benning line began public service operations on February 27, 2016.[170][171]

Urban development[]

After Bowser took office in 2015, she created a new cabinet post to focus on development in the city's poorest areas. She named former Council candidate Courtney Snowden to the new position.[172] In 2017, the Inspector General found that Snowden had improperly used city employees to care for her child.[173] Bowser said that appropriate management action had been taken in response to staff babysitting, without specifying what was done.[174]

In October 2017, Bowser announced a $3 million infusion into housing and retail projects in D.C. Wards 7 and 8 in an effort to remedy the scarcity of grocery stores in the District's poorest wards.[175] District Wards 7 and 8 have only three grocery stores between them, or 50,000 people for every grocery store, compared to 10,000 per store in wealthy Ward 3.[176] Bowser awarded $2.1 million to the Jair Lynch group for redevelopment of a shopping center, and $880,000 to South Capitol Affordable Housing to assist in building out the Good Food Markets project, which also includes 195 units of affordable housing as well as commercial space. Previous attempts to attract grocery stores to these areas have failed.[175]

Youth services[]

In April 2016, the D.C. Trust, a government-funded entity that disbursed grants throughout the District to non-profits providing youth services, declared bankruptcy and announced plans to dissolve. The decision was attributed in part to overspending by and for staff at the agency.[177][178] The agency, also known as the City Youth Investment Trust Corp., had suffered a history of abuse and mismanagement.[179] Former councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. was found guilty on felony charges for embezzling $350,000 of the trust's funds between 2007 and 2009. In 2013, Congressional investigators concluded that the agency lacked controls to properly administer a $20 million-a-year, federally funded school-voucher program. Then in January 2016, the agency's board, four of whom had been appointed by Mayor Bowser, learned that a former executive director and a former senior financial officer had used funds to pay tens of thousands of dollars in credit-card charges, including some for personal use. Bowser had recently provided $700,000 in taxpayer funding to the agency. The board members did not know how much of the funding remained or how youth services could be continued.[177]

In 2019, a 9 year old and a 10 year old were handcuffed by the Metropolitan Police Department in separate incidents, sparking public outrage after videos of the incidents were circulated. While the Attorney General said that he would review department policies, Bowser said that "every case is different" and asked whether it was appropriate to circulate photos of juveniles.[180][181]

Other positions[]

Bowser supports the outfitting of Metropolitan Police Department with body cameras and has requested $6 million in her 2016 budget proposal to complete the task. Her proposal includes a provision that would make all footage from the cameras exempt from Freedom of Information Act requests, with the goal "to respect privacy."[182][183][184]

Involvement in national politics[]

In mid-May 2016, ahead of the 2016 District of Columbia Democratic primary, Bowser endorsed Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy.[185]

Bowser delivered a speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, in which she advocated for D.C. statehood.[186]

In late January 2020, Bowser endorsed Michael Bloomberg's campaign in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.[187] In March, after Bloomberg had withdrawn from the race, she endorsed Joe Biden's campaign.[188]

At the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Bowser delivered a speech remotely from Black Lives Matter Plaza.[189]

2018 election[]

Bowser filed to run for re-election in 2018.[190] James Butler, Ernest E. Johnson, and Jeremiah D. Stanback filed to run against her in the Democratic Party primary election.[190] Ann C. Wilcox filed to run as a D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate.[191] No one filed as a mayoral candidate in either the Republican Party primary election or the Libertarian Party primary election.[192][193] Noting the nominal opposition and some "stumbles" during her first term, The Washington Post endorsed Bowser's re-election, citing the District's economic prosperity and Bowser's having fulfilled her promise to restore integrity to government.[194] She then won the June 19 Democratic Primary with 83% of the vote, after her most formidable potential challenger, former mayor Vincent C. Gray, declined to enter the race.[195][196][197] She went on to win the November 8 general election with just under 80% of the vote against two Independent candidates and one Libertarian.[198]

During the election, Bowser sought to unseat incumbent Councilmember Elissa Silverman, who had frequently questioned the mayor. Bowser endorsed political newcomer Dionne Reeder and provided her with volunteer and fundraising support. Reeder lost by a significant margin and Bowser was not able to deliver a victory in her home base of Ward 4.[199]

Electoral history[]

2004[]

2004 Advisory Neighborhood Commission, 4B09, general election[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel E. Bowser 966 98
  write-in 22 2

2006[]

2006 Advisory Neighborhood Commission, 4B09, general election[14]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel E. Bowser 601 90
  write-in 70 10

2007[]

2007 Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 4, special election[25]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser 5,064 40
Democratic Michael A. Brown 3,433 27
Democratic Charles Gaither 683 5
Democratic Dwight E. Singleton 602 5
D.C. Statehood Green Renee Bowser 583 5
Democratic Graylan Scott Hagler 468 4
Democratic Tony Towns 390 3
Democratic Robert G. Childs 339 3
Democratic Artee Milligan 170 1
Independent Judi Jones 154 1
Democratic Carroll Green 117 1
Democratic Lisa P. Bass 110 1
Democratic Douglas Ned Sloan 98 1
Democratic Marlena D. Edwards 97 1
Democratic T. A. Uqdah 82 1
Democratic Lisa Comfort Bradford 72 1
Democratic Michael T. Green 49 0
Democratic James Clark 17 0
Democratic Roy Howell 10 0
  write-in 29 0

2008[]

2008 Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 4, Democratic Party primary election[33]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser 7,132 75
Democratic Baruti Jahi 1,800 19
Democratic Paul E. Montague 302 3
Democratic Malik F. Mendenhall-Johnson 236 2
  write-in 58 1
2008 Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 4, general election[35]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser 30,888 97
  write-in 936 3

2012[]

2012 Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 4, Democratic Party primary election[43]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser 7,541 66
Democratic Renee L. Bowser 1,523 13
Democratic Max Skolnik 1,042 9
Democratic Baruti Jahi 619 5
Democratic Judi Jones 371 3
Democratic Calvin Gurley 268 2
  write-in 32 0
2012 Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 4, general election[45]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser 33,045 97
  write-in 933 3

2014[]

2014 Mayor of the District of Columbia, Democratic Party primary election[200]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel E. Bowser 42,045 43
Democratic Vincent C. Gray 31,613 33
Democratic Tommy Wells 12,393 13
Democratic Jack Evans 4,877 5
Democratic Andy Shallal 3,196 3
Democratic Vincent Orange 1,946 2
Democratic Reta Lewis 490 1
Democratic Carlos Allen 120 0
  write-in 235 0
2014 Mayor of the District of Columbia, general election[201]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel E. Bowser 88,439 54
Independent David A. Catania 57,375 35
Independent Carol Schwartz 11,625 7
D.C. Statehood Green Faith Dane 1,348 1
Libertarian Bruce Majors 1,164 1
Independent Nestor Djonkam 421 0
  write-in 1,493 1

2018[]

2018 Mayor of the District of Columbia, Democratic Party primary election[202]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser (incumbent) 58,431 80
Democratic James Butler 7,532 10
Democratic Ernest E. Johnson 4,444 6
Democratic Write-in 2,787 4
Total votes 100
2018 Mayor of the District of Columbia, general election[203]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser 162,199 80
D.C. Statehood Green Ann Wilcox 19,979 10
Independent Dustin Canter 14,783 7
Libertarian Martin Moulton 7,152 3
Total votes 204,113 100

Personal life[]

Bowser has never married. In May 2018, she announced that she had adopted a baby whom she named Miranda Elizabeth Bowser.[204][205]

Bowser's eldest sister, Mercia, died of COVID-19 on February 24, 2021. Mayor Bowser wrote, "Mercia was loved immensely and will be missed greatly, as she joins the legion of angels who have gone home too soon due to the pandemic."[206]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ DeBonis, Mike (March 4, 2014). "Five things you don't know about Muriel Bowser, promising 'fresh start' as D.C. mayor". The Washington Post.
  2. ^ Stewart, Nikita (August 20, 2008). "In Primary, Bowser Asserts Independence". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 31, 2020.
  3. ^ "Annual Report, 2006-2007" (PDF). Elizabeth Seton High School. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2008.
  4. ^ "Elizabeth Seton: Class of 1990". The Washington Post. June 14, 1990. p. MD11A.
  5. ^ Harriston, Keith (May 19, 1990). "Academics Pay Off for Teen Individualists". The Washington Post. p. B1. ProQuest 140204721.
  6. ^ Local elections 2008: Muriel Bowser. The Washington Post. Retrieved June 27, 2008.
  7. ^ Neibauer, Michael (January 4, 2016). "Here's what Mayor Muriel Bowser paid for her new home". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved January 4, 2016.
  8. ^ Suderman, Alan (April 26, 2013). "Muriel's Vetting". Washington City Paper.
  9. ^ Drake, Ingrid. Possible Contenders in the Ward 4 Race[permanent dead link] (pdf). DC North. January 2007.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Jaffe, Harry (September 24, 2014). "Muriel Bowser Is No Adrian Fenty". Washingtonian.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Certified Summary Results Archived July 25, 2011, at the Wayback Machine (pdf). District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. November 18, 2004.
  12. ^ Jump up to: a b Woodlee, Yolanda; Silverman, Elissa. "Hopefuls Begin Staking Out Fenty's and Gray's Seats", The Washington Post. September 20, 2006.
  13. ^ Ward 4 with ANC & SMD Boundary. District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. Retrieved June 30, 2008.
  14. ^ Jump up to: a b "Certified Official Results Report". District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. November 21, 2006. Archived from the original (pdf) on November 30, 2006.
  15. ^ Jump up to: a b Silverman, Elissa. Fenty a Strong Presence in Crowded Ward 4 Race to Replace Him. The Washington Post. January 23, 2007.
  16. ^ Silverman, Elissa; Woodlee, Yolanda. Fenty's School Takeover Plan Gets Rough Reception. The Washington Post. March 2, 2007.
  17. ^ Chen, Eve. Fenty Supports ANC Commissioner as Successor. WTOP. January 21, 2007.
  18. ^ Woodlee, Yolanda. Candidates Focus On Fundraising In Wards 4, 7, The Washington Post. March 6, 2007.
  19. ^ Jump up to: a b Woodlee, Yolanda. Top Fundraisers Feel The Heat in Ward 4. The Washington Post. April 27, 2007.
  20. ^ Woodlee, Yolanda; Silverman, Elissa. Who Will Fenty Support in Ward 7?, The Washington Post. March 8, 2007.
  21. ^ The D.C. Special Election: Muriel Bowser in Ward 4 and Victor Vandell in Ward 7 are the best bets for council. The Washington Post. April 15, 2007.
  22. ^ Muriel Bowser Receives the Metropolitan Council, AFL-CIO Endorsement Archived September 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine (pdf). Muriel Bowser for Ward 4 2008. Press release. April 10, 2007.
  23. ^ Silverman, Elissa; Labb, Theola. Dueling Endorsements for Vacant Seats. The Washington Post. March 22, 2007.
  24. ^ Muriel Bowser Endorsed By The Fraternal Order of Police, Metropolitan Police Department Labor Committee Archived September 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine (pdf). Fraternal Order of Police, Metropolitan Police Department Labor Committee. Press release. March 15, 2007.
  25. ^ Jump up to: a b Certified Official Results Report (pdf). District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. May 11, 2007.
  26. ^ Jump up to: a b List of Candidates for the September 9, 2008 Congressional and Council Primary Election Archived July 30, 2008, at the Wayback Machine (pdf). District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. July 3, 2008.
  27. ^ Stewart, Nikita. Local Election Season Quietly Kicks Off. The Washington Post. May 11, 2008.
  28. ^ Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B. Government of the District of Columbia. Retrieved July 15, 2008.
  29. ^ Stewart, Nikita R. And They're Off! The Washington Post. May 11, 2008.
  30. ^ Stewart, Nikita. "In Primary, Bowser Asserts Independence". The Washington Post. August 20, 2008. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
  31. ^ "The D.C. Council Primary: Our choices in next Tuesday's election". The Washington Post. September 3, 2008. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
  32. ^ DeBonis, Mike. Incumbents Rake In Stein Club Endorsements. Washington City Paper. June 19, 2008.
  33. ^ Jump up to: a b c Certified Results. District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. September 26, 2008.
  34. ^ "List of Candidates in Ballot Order for the November 4, 2008 General Election" (PDF). District of Columbia Board of Board of Elections and Ethics.
  35. ^ Jump up to: a b Certified Results. District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. November 24, 2008.
  36. ^ Bowser, Bulger join Metro Board; New members represent the District of Columbia July 21, 2011 WMATA.com Archived March 19, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  37. ^ Two D.C. Council members concerned by Metro hiring practices By Chuck Neubauer - Washington Times - Sunday, April 15, 2012
  38. ^ Muriel Bowser talks Metro, bikes, development, education, and more by David Alpert; GreaterGreaterWashington.org October 13, 2014
  39. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Suderman, Alan (January 20, 2012). "Bowser Defends Corporate Giving, And Lots of It". Washington City Paper.
  40. ^ Stewart, Nikita (March 8, 2012). "Bowser looks to be bouncing back". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  41. ^ "Our choices for D.C. Council" (editorial). The Washington Post. March 18, 2012. p. A20.
  42. ^ Schaffer, Michael (March 21, 2012). "Vote This Way on April 3!". Washington City Paper.
  43. ^ Jump up to: a b "Council Primary Official Results" (PDF). District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. April 19, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 10, 2012. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  44. ^ Suderman, Alan (July 30, 2012). "How Many People Does It Take to Host a Party?". Washington City Paper.
  45. ^ Jump up to: a b Certified Results. District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics. November 6, 2012.
  46. ^ DeBonis, Mike; Stewart, Nikita (March 23, 2013). "Muriel Bowser launches bid for D.C. mayor". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on April 1, 2013. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
  47. ^ Noble, Andrea (April 16, 2014). "Minority parties see power grab for D.C. vote". The Washington Times. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014.
  48. ^ Jump up to: a b c DeBonis, Mike (March 4, 2014). "Muriel Bowser tries to escape Fenty's shadow, other Gray challengers in D.C. mayor race". The Washington Post.
  49. ^ DeBonis, Mike (June 26, 2013). "Sales tax cut likely to get D.C. Council's okay". The Washington Post.
  50. ^ DeBonis, Mike (June 27, 2013). "Higher minimum pay nearer in District". The Washington Post. p. B1.
  51. ^ McCartney, Robert (February 10, 2014). "Muriel Bowser seems to be the candidate to beat among rivals to D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray". The Washington Post.
  52. ^ Barras, Jonetta Rose (September 10, 2014). "Muriel Bowser runs for mayor, ready or not" (editorial). The Washington Post.
  53. ^ King, Colbert (September 10, 2014). "Muriel Bowser runs for mayor, ready or not". The Washington Post.
  54. ^ Freed, Benjamin (February 25, 2013). "Political Groups Line Up to Endorse DC's Mayoral Candidates, Real and Hypothetical". Washingtonian Magazine.
  55. ^ "Muriel Bowser for District Mayor" (editorial). The Washington Post. February 20, 2014.
  56. ^ DeBonis, Mike (April 2, 2014). "Muriel Bowser wins". The Washington Post.
  57. ^ Jump up to: a b Davis, Aaron (June 8, 2017). "D.C. Mayor Bowser fined $13,000 for illegal campaign contributions". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  58. ^ "Sample Ballot, General Election, November 4, 2014" (PDF). District of Columbia Board of Elections. 2014. Retrieved October 15, 2014.
  59. ^ DeBonis, Mikie; Davis, Aaron C. (November 5, 2014). "Bowser is elected D.C. mayor, defeating independents Catania and Schwartz". The Washington Post.
  60. ^ Jump up to: a b Jamison, Peter (May 11, 2017). "'This is not a war on pets': D.C. mayor backs off proposed chicken ban". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved May 11, 2017.
  61. ^ Jamison, Peter (October 1, 2017). "D.C. tries to ban dogs from bar patios, and lawmakers bite back". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved October 1, 2017.
  62. ^ Chason, Rachel (October 3, 2017). "Dc Politics After howls of protest, pups can return to restaurant patios in D.C." The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved October 3, 2017.
  63. ^ With Veto Override and Damning Legal Memo, Bowser Loses Twice in Latest Arts Commission Scuffle
  64. ^ McGlone, Peggy (September 12, 2019). "Battle between D.C. Mayor Bowser and the city's arts commission escalates". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
  65. ^ Lefrak, Mikaela (October 8, 2019). "Mayor Bowser Issues Third-Ever Veto Amid Power Struggle Over Arts Commission". Wamu. Washington DC. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
  66. ^ D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser lays out the welcome mat for self-driving cars, The Washington Post, February 13, 2018.
  67. ^ Henry, John (March 26, 2019). "DC Auditor: Mayor Bowser's budget proposal 'not sustainable'". WTOP. Washington DC. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  68. ^ Jamison, Peter (March 25, 2019). "D.C. auditor says mayor's budget is 'not fiscally responsible'". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved March 25, 2019.
  69. ^ Baskin, Morgan (February 21, 2019). "D.C. Chronically Failed to Spend Federal Funds to Remediate Lead Paint Hazards, HUD Says". Washington City Paper. Washington DC. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  70. ^ Abamu, Jenny (April 4, 2019). "D.C. Officials Miss AmeriCorps Application Deadline, Putting Funding At Risk". WAMU. Washington DC. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  71. ^ Jump up to: a b Davis, Aaron C. (October 20, 2015). "Divided D.C. Council takes aim at Mayor Bowser's super PAC". The Washington Post.
  72. ^ Jump up to: a b Davis, Aaron C. (November 11, 2015). "D.C. mayor's allies reluctantly shut down controversial PAC". The Washington Post.
  73. ^ "FreshPAC's chairman lobbying for Exelon was legal, but unseemly". The Washington Post. December 18, 2015.
  74. ^ Davis, Aaron C. (November 7, 2015). "D.C. mayor's delegation to China includes some top PAC contributors". The Washington Post.
  75. ^ Holman, Craig (April 15, 2016). "There's nothing to fear in fair elections". The Washington Post.
  76. ^ Jump up to: a b Chason, Rachel (January 9, 2018). "D.C. Council unanimously votes to create public campaign finance program". The Washington Post.
  77. ^ Jump up to: a b Chason, Rachel (January 5, 2018). "Mayor Bowser and D.C. Council at odds over public campaign financing". The Washington Post.
  78. ^ Nirappil, Fenit (December 8, 2016). "Whistleblower suit: D.C. employee fired after refusing to steer contracts to Bowser donor". The Washington Post.
  79. ^ Davis, Aaron (June 14, 2017). "D.C. Council report: Bowser administration favored top donor in contracting". The Washington Post.
  80. ^ Jamison, Peter (June 15, 2017). "Bowser says she will not investigate evidence of illegal leak in contracting process". The Washington Post.
  81. ^ Jump up to: a b Christopher, Peak (July 15, 2020). "Investigation Uncovers Missteps In Washington, D.C.'s Coronavirus Response". NPR. Washington, D.C. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
  82. ^ Cheslow, Daniella (September 14, 2020). "Emails Suggest D.C. Removed COVID-19 Data From Website As Officials Pushed To Reopen". NPR. Washington, D.C. Retrieved September 14, 2020.
  83. ^ Zauzmer, Julie (November 10, 2020). "Bowser defends trip to Delaware to celebrate Biden win, despite travel advisories". Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
  84. ^ Stein, Perry (May 1, 2021). "To mask or not to mask? Mayor's order stokes confusion in D.C." Washington Post. Washington, D.C. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
  85. ^ Stein, Perry (August 1, 2021). "VIDEO: DC Mayor Bowser officiates large wedding after new indoor mask mandate". Fox 5 DC. Washington, D.C. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  86. ^ "Analysis | Mayor Bowser's poor spin about not following her own mask mandate". Washington Post.
  87. ^ Jump up to: a b Davis, Aaron (October 21, 2015). "D.C. mayor's plan for 'warrantless searches' appears dead on arrival". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
  88. ^ Homicides remain steady in the Washington region, The Washington Post, December 31, 2016
  89. ^ Homicides were down in the region, but 2017 was marked by sobering teen deaths, The Washington Post, December 31, 2017
  90. ^ Michelle Basch, Michelle (May 15, 2018). "DC's top cop predicts 'good summer' despite rise in homicides". Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  91. ^ "D.C.'s homicide rate is spiking. The city must take action". The Washington Post. October 11, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  92. ^ "Homicides spike in District as shootings become more lethal, police say". The Washington Post. Washington DC. December 31, 2018. Retrieved October 11, 2018.
  93. ^ Haynes, Madisson (September 19, 2019). "Police search for 2 suspects with AK-style weapons in Columbia Heights shooting that left 1 dead, 5 injured". Retrieved September 19, 2019.
  94. ^ Hermann, Peter (May 3, 2021). "At least 11 people shot during a violent weekend in the District". Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  95. ^ Leshan, Bruce (July 12, 2021). "Mayor Bowser asks White House for help after 100 homicides in DC". Retrieved July 12, 2021.
  96. ^ Satterfield, Kolbie (March 18, 2021). "Police: More than 100 carjackings reported in DMV so far this year, a drastic jump from last year". Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  97. ^ Jump up to: a b Pusatory, Matt (September 19, 2019). "DC mayor faces criticism over carjacking tweet". Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  98. ^ "DC Mayor Muriel Bowser slammed for 'blaming victim' in tweet after Uber Eats driver dies during carjacking". meaww.com. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  99. ^ Jump up to: a b Moore, Jack (May 19, 2021). "Director of embattled DC crime lab stepping down". WTOP. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  100. ^ Moore, Jack (April 30, 2021). "Probe of DC crime lab could 'blow up' criminal justice system". WTOP. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
  101. ^ Jump up to: a b Kennicott, Philip (November 11, 2015). "A setback for D.C. arts and culture, years in the making". The Washington Post.
  102. ^ Capps, Kriston (February 13, 2015). "Six Reasons Bowser Should Reconsider Pulling ICE from the Franklin School". The Washington City Paper.
  103. ^ Clabaugh, Jeff (October 23, 2015). "D.C. receives new proposals for historic Franklin School". Washington Business Journal.
  104. ^ Jump up to: a b Sommer, Will (September 15, 2015). "Taxes Will Fund 90 Percent of Wizards Practice Site". washingtoncitypaper.com.
  105. ^ Pyke, Alan (March 22, 2016). "Taxpayer-Backed Arena Deal Gets New Scrutiny Amid Radical Housing Shortage". Thinkprogress.org.
  106. ^ O'Connell, Jonathan (July 28, 2016). "Cost of Wizards practice facility rises $10 million before construction can even begin". The Washington Post.
  107. ^ D.C. to pay cost overruns for Wizards facility, The Washington Post, December 16, 2015
  108. ^ Jump up to: a b Cooper, Rebecca (May 15, 2019). "D.C. reconciles true costs of running new arena at St. Elizabeths". Washington Business Journal. Washington DC. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  109. ^ Nirappil, Fenit (May 30, 2019). "Audit: Bowser administration awarded millions to developers with low-ranking proposals". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
  110. ^ Jamison, Peter (May 10, 2017). "Second mayoral appointee identified in school-lottery scandal". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  111. ^ Jamison, Peter (May 17, 2017). "Secret report shows 'special' treatment for public officials in D.C. school lottery". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  112. ^ Jamison, Peter (March 8, 2018). "A short guide to the D.C. Public Schools scandals". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved March 8, 2018.
  113. ^ Devork, Petula (May 17, 2017). "D.C.'s school scandals are barely registering with the public. That shows how little we value education". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved September 17, 2017.
  114. ^ Hermann, Peter (February 9, 2016). "D.C. Council unanimously votes to create public campaign finance program letter". The Washington Post.
  115. ^ Bowser commits $4.7 million to long-neglected islands in Anacostia River, The Washington Post, January 12, 2018
  116. ^ D.C. will not reappoint open government watchdog who ruled against city, The Washington Post, February 2, 2018
  117. ^ Jamison, Peter (February 5, 2018). "D.C.'s open-government watchdog took her job seriously. Then she lost it". The Washington Post.
  118. ^ Muriel Bowser: ‘You have a mayor who hates guns’, The Washington Post, January 9, 2015
  119. ^ Bowser to introduce legislation banning bump stocks in District, The Washington Post, February 26, 2018
  120. ^ Bowser — the ‘mayor who hates guns’ — champions March for Our Lives and steps into national spotlight, The Washington Post, March 23, 2018
  121. ^ D.C.’s public hospital needs $17 million taxpayer subsidy, officials say The Washington Post, December 12, 2017.
  122. ^ D.C. Council approves subpoenas for public hospital’s former consultants, The Washington Post, March 14, 2018
  123. ^ Simmons-Duffin, Selena (October 30, 2017). "Timeline: A Quick Guide To Veritas' United Medical Center Contract". WAMU. Washington DC. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  124. ^ Jamison, Peter (August 14, 2017). "Dangerous mistakes led to shutdown of United Medical Center obstetrics ward". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  125. ^ Reed, Tina (October 3, 2017). "Nurses union votes 'no confidence' in United Medical Center leadership". Washington Business Journal. Washington DC. Retrieved August 14, 2017.
  126. ^ Jamison, Peter (October 30, 2017). "'Simply unacceptable': D.C. Council members press hospital operator on patient's death". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved October 30, 2017.
  127. ^ Jamison, Peter (December 19, 2018). "Pure incompetence". Washington Business Journal. Washington DC. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
  128. ^ In long-awaited plan, D.C. aims to reduce opioid deaths by half by late 2020, The Washington Post, December 24, 2018
  129. ^ DC plans to cut opioid deaths in half by 2020 WUSA-9, December 26, 2018
  130. ^ Fenit Nirappil (August 29, 2019). "D.C. will not meet goal of cutting in half new HIV diagnoses by 2020". The Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  131. ^ Jump up to: a b Davis, Aaron (October 31, 2015). "More D.C. families are living in homeless shelters at the start of winter than ever before — and it's by design". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  132. ^ D. C. homeless population drops for second straight year, report finds, The Washington Post, May 8, 2018.
  133. ^ Jump up to: a b McDermott, Ryan (October 21, 2015). "D.C. mayor's homeless shelter plan lacks transparency, critics say". Washington Times. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  134. ^ Davis, Aaron (February 9, 2017). "District mayor reveals sites proposed for homeless shelters across city". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  135. ^ Davis, Aaron (October 31, 2015). "D.C. mayor refuses to say how she picked sites for new homeless shelters". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  136. ^ Jump up to: a b Davis, Aaron (March 16, 2016). "Homeless shelter plan could be profitable for Bowser's backers". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
  137. ^ Nirappali, Firat (May 17, 2016). "D.C. Council head blasts Bowser for 'obfuscation" over shelters; she fires back with expletive". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 15, 2017.
  138. ^ Martin Austermuhle. "Words Fly After D.C. Council Alters Plan To Close D.C. General Homeless Shelter". WAMU. Washington DC. Retrieved May 17, 2016.
  139. ^ Giaborone, Andrew (February 22, 2018). "Bowser Buddy Joshua Lopez Finally Gets a Seat on a High-Stakes D.C. Board". Washington City Paper. Washington, DC. Retrieved February 22, 2018.
  140. ^ Nirappil, Fenit; Jamison, Peter (April 27, 2018). "At a rally to end divisive politics in D.C., speaker calls lawmaker a 'fake Jew'". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  141. ^ Lefrak, Mikaela (April 27, 2018). "Bowser Appointee Apologizes For Rally Speaker's Anti-Semitic Statements". WAMU. Washington, DC. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  142. ^ Press release, November 14, 2016
  143. ^ Ackland, Matt (November 17, 2016). "Protesters confront Mayor Bowser over DC immigrant raids; resolution hearing held". Fox 5. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
  144. ^ Jamison, Peter (November 19, 2016). "In the District, jitters over impending Trump era". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  145. ^ Video: Bowser Gets In Heated Confrontation With Protesters Archived July 20, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, DCist, November 16, 2016
  146. ^ D.C. Is Still A Sanctuary City, Mayor Bowser Says, Regardless Of Trump's Threats Archived May 23, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, DCist, January 25, 2017
  147. ^ Bowser announces partnership to help D.C. employees, families become citizens, The Washington Post, November 14, 2017
  148. ^ Jump up to: a b Fenit Nirappil, Julie Zauzmer and Rachel Chason (June 5, 2020). "'Black Lives Matter': In giant yellow letters, D.C. mayor sends message to Trump". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved June 5, 2020.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  149. ^ Rebecca Tan, Michael E. Miller, Rachel Chason, Samantha Schmidt and Teddy Amenabar (June 7, 2020). "Protesters paint 'Defund the police' right next to D.C.'s 'Black Lives Matter' mural". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved June 7, 2020.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
  150. ^ Durkee, Alison (January 6, 2021). "D.C. Mayor Orders Curfew As Trump Supporters Storm Capitol Building". Forbes. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  151. ^ "After Chaos, Insurrection And Death, Pro-Trump Rioters Defy D.C. Curfew". NPR. Archived from the original on January 7, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  152. ^ Drenan, Courtney (July 20, 2021). "DC officials remove 'Cuba Libre' tribute, but plan to shut down streets to make BLM mural permanent". BPR. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  153. ^ Miller, Andrew Mark (July 20, 2021). "Washington DC removes 'Cuba Libre' street painting from in front of Cuban embassy". Fox News. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  154. ^ Jump up to: a b Barbash, Fred (January 21, 2016). "An inch of snow, icy roads unleash 9 hours of traffic chaos across D.C. region". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  155. ^ Jump up to: a b c Devorak, Petula (January 21, 2016). "Forget ISIS. The most powerful city on earth can't handle a dusting of snow". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  156. ^ Jump up to: a b Davis, Aaron (January 11, 2017). "For 1 storm, D.C. spent $40 million on snow removal, some of the funds improperly, audit finds". The Washington Post. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  157. ^ Davis, Aaron C. (October 6, 2015). "D.C. Mayor reverses course and backs Pepco-Exelon merger". The Washington Post.
  158. ^ Davis, Aaron C. (November 11, 2015). "Opponents of Pepco-Exelon merger call for ethics investigation of Bowser". The Washington Post.
  159. ^ Madden, Patrick (December 16, 2015). "Exelon Paid FreshPAC Chairman To Lobby D.C. Government About Merger". WAMU.
  160. ^ Bowser mandates training for 30,000 District employees to combat sexual harassment, The Washington Post, December 19, 2017
  161. ^ Nirappil, Fenit (March 15, 2018). "D.C. taxpayers have recently paid at least $735,000 to settle sexual harassment lawsuits". The Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
  162. ^ GIAMBRONE, Andrew (April 24, 2015). "Bowser Kicks Off First Day of School With "Slow Down" Campaign". The Washington City Paper.
  163. ^ DiCaro, Martin (March 31, 2017). "How Is D.C. Doing One Year Into 'Vision Zero' Plan To Eliminate Roadway Fatalities?". The Washington City Paper.
  164. ^ Lazo, Luo (March 14, 2018). "Traffic deaths continue to soar despite cities' pledges to get them to 'Zero'". The Washington Post.
  165. ^ Lazo, Luo (July 18, 2018). "Bike And Pedestrian Advocates Plan To Protest D.C.'s Failure To Prevent Road Deaths". DCist. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
  166. ^ Giambrone, Andrew (April 19, 2019). "Driver fatally strikes beloved bike advocate in Northeast, marking first 2019 D.C. cyclist death". Curbed.
  167. ^ Lazo, Luz (May 29, 2020). "D.C. cuts speed limit to 20 mph to curb pedestrian deaths". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
  168. ^ Sommer, Will (September 18, 2015). "Bowser: Streetcar Will Run By End of 2015". Washington City Paper. Washington DC. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  169. ^ Laris, Michael (April 1, 2015). "Big challenges in D.C. Mayor Bowser's vow to activate, expand streetcar line". The Washington Post.
  170. ^ Freed, Benjamin (December 4, 2015). "The DC Streetcar Won't Run in 2015". Washingtonian.
  171. ^ Michael Laris (February 27, 2016). "D.C. streetcar makes its first voyages on H Street. 'Is it really happening?'". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
  172. ^ Michael Neibauer (April 1, 2015). "Bowser names cabinet member to focus on development in overlooked communities". Washington Business Journal. Washington DC. Retrieved April 1, 2017.
  173. ^ fox5dc.com staff (November 28, 2017). "DC's deputy mayor used city employees to care for child during work, says Inspector General's report". Fox 5 DC. Washington DC. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  174. ^ Peter Jamison (November 27, 2017). "D.C. deputy mayor used employees for babysitting, inspector general finds". The Washington Post. Washington DC. Retrieved November 27, 2017.
  175. ^ Jump up to: a b Mayor Bowser's office awards $3 million to begin closing the ‘grocery gap’, The Washington Post, October 19, 2017
  176. ^ As D.C. prospers, supermarkets proliferate — except in poor areas, The Washington Post, June 27, 2017
  177. ^ Jump up to: a b Davis, Aaron C. (April 26, 2016). "Mismanagement has bankrupted a D.C. nonprofit, endangering programs for at-risk youths, board members say". The Washington Post.
  178. ^ D.C. Youth Group That Got Taxpayer Millions Goes Bankrupt, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, April 27, 2016
  179. ^ 'This Was a Disaster': Youth Nonprofits Speak Out After DC Trust's Collapse, Washington City Paper, April 29, 2016
  180. ^ Hermann, Peter (April 5, 2019). "10-year-old boy handcuffed in robbery case is 'totally innocent,' authorities say". The Washington Post.
  181. ^ Lambert, Evan (April 5, 2019). "DC Police investigating after video shows officer handcuffing 9-year-old boy". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 13, 2019. Retrieved April 26, 2019.
  182. ^ Washington City Paper: "Bowser Wants Body Cam Footage Exempt from Open Records Law" by Will Sommer April 13, 2015
  183. ^ "D.C. Mayor Doesn't Want You To See Police Body Camera Footage" by Jason Cherkis The Huffington Post April 14, 2015
  184. ^ "D.C. Council raises alarms over Mayor Bowser's budget" By Aaron C. Davis The Washington Post, April 13, 2015
  185. ^ Stein, Perry. "D.C. mayor, most council members endorse Hillary Clinton ahead of D.C. primary". Washington Post. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  186. ^ Davis, Aaron C. (July 27, 2016). "D.C. mayor pushes statehood issue at Democratic National Convention". Washington Post. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  187. ^ Schwartzman, Paul; Nirappil, Fenit. "D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser endorses Mike Bloomberg for president". Washington Post.
  188. ^ Williams, Elliot C. (March 11, 2020). "Morning Roundup: Mayor Bowser Endorses Joe Biden". DCist. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  189. ^ Wainman, Laura; Valerio, Mike (August 17, 2020). "'Story of our nation's capital is a story of reckoning' | Mayor Bowser speaks on racial justice at DNC". wusa9.com. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  190. ^ Jump up to: a b "List of Democratic Candidates in the June 19, 2018 Primary Election Archived March 28, 2018, at the Wayback Machine". District of Columbia Board of Elections. March 22, 2018.
  191. ^ "List of DC Statehood Green Candidates in the June 19, 2018 Primary Election Archived March 29, 2018, at the Wayback Machine". District of Columbia Board of Elections. March 22, 2018.
  192. ^ "List of Republican Candidates in the June 19, 2018 Primary Election Archived March 27, 2018, at the Wayback Machine". District of Columbia Board of Elections. March 22, 2018.
  193. ^ "List of Libertarian Candidates in the June 19, 2018 Primary Election Archived March 27, 2018, at the Wayback Machine". District of Columbia Board of Elections. March 22, 2018.
  194. ^ Muriel Bowser for D.C. mayor — and our endorsements for the D.C. Council, The Washington Post, June 1, 2018
  195. ^ Schwartzman, Paul (March 11, 2018). "A student, a homeless man and an ex-lawyer: Who says D.C. mayor has no election challengers?". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  196. ^ "District of Columbia Primary Election Results". The Washington Post. June 18, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  197. ^ Jamison, Peter (March 22, 2018). "It's official: D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has no serious primary challengers". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  198. ^ "District of Columbia Election Results". The Washington Post. April 6, 2019. Retrieved December 2, 2019.
  199. ^ King, Colby (November 7, 2018). "Muriel Bowser won her reelection battle, but she lost clout citywide". The Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved November 7, 2018.
  200. ^ "Mayoral Primary Official Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. April 1, 2014. Archived from the original on April 12, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  201. ^ "General Election Official Results". District of Columbia Board of Elections. November 4, 2014. Archived from the original on December 20, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  202. ^ 2018 Primary Election Results, District of Columbia Board of Elections
  203. ^ "District of Columbia Election Results". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 16, 2018.
  204. ^ Weil, Martin (May 21, 2018). "D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says she has adopted a baby". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  205. ^ Nirappil, Fenit (September 6, 2018). "D.C. Mayor Bowser shows off baby for first time in 'Today' show interview". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 12, 2020.
  206. ^ Zauzmer, Julie (February 24, 2021). "Mercia Bowser, sister of D.C. mayor, dies of coronavirus at age 64". Washington Post. Retrieved February 25, 2021.

External links[]

Council of the District of Columbia
Preceded by
Adrian Fenty 		Member of the Council of the District of Columbia
from Ward 4
2007–2015 		Succeeded by
Brandon Todd
Party political offices
Preceded by
Vincent Gray 		Democratic nominee for Mayor of the District of Columbia
2014, 2018 		Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by
Vincent Gray 		Mayor of the District of Columbia
2015–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from ""