Anacostia Heavy to Challenge Barry
Councilmember Marion Barry might have some real competition in Ward 8. Yavocka Young, an Anacostia resident and longtime local business booster, tells LL she’s gearing up for a Democratic council run against the mayor-for-life. She expects to file her papers before the end of the week.
Asked about the incumbent, Young plays nice. “I think there are many people like me that feel that a change in leadership is necessary in order to move the ward to the next level. In life, you’re effective at certain things for certain times,” she says. “I’m looking at it more as…a baton pass.”
Her priorities? “Quality-of-life issues and economic development” is about as specific as it gets at this point.
Young, 39, wouldn’t name any of her supporters, but did describe her base as “basically young urban professionals,” plus “some longtime Anacostians who know my history in the ward.” Young, 39, has been a homeowner for 15 years and has held positions with the Anacostia Economic Development Corp., the East of the River newspaper, and, currently, the Main Street Anacostia nonprofit. (WCP reporter Amanda S. Miller wrote up her efforts to pretty up Historic Anacostia back in 2006.)
Thus far, the only other official entrant in the Ward 8 race is Congress Heights rabble-rouser and perennial also-ran Sandra “S.S.” Seegars, who couldn’t quite gain five percent against Barry four years ago.
Photo by Pilar Vergara
4 Responses to “Anacostia Heavy to Challenge Barry”
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March 18th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Ms. Miller needs her own parade. Mr. Barry has one on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 12 noon.
It’s nominally the MLK Parade but the web site makes it clear it’s all about Mr. Barry —
see http://www.mlkparade.org/
March 19th, 2008 at 8:51 am
“might have some real competition?”
Mike, oh Mike. Wow, this post isn’t doing much to boost your bona fides as a keen political analyst in DC. Have you ever seen a poll of Barry’s support in Ward 8? That’s assuredly a “no,” I assume — as you would understand the term “strong competition” is a silly term to use when discussing Marion vs. anyone else in Ward 8.
But surely you’ve been to events in Ward 8 where Marion has appeared, right? You know when he goes to community events and everybody gives him a standing ovation and yells and screams for him? Or, heck, when he simply walks onto the stage at the Mayor’s inaugural ball and gets a louder ovation than Mayor Fenty himself? Yeah, that’s not the kind of thing that will ever happen for Yavoka Young — or anyone else in DC politics. She seems like an otherwise competent Council candidate, but let’s be clear: We might not like him ,his past, or his politics, but as long as Marion is on the ticket, there will be no “strong competition.”
March 19th, 2008 at 1:18 pm
DC Native: No one in DC can work a room like Marion Barry. I was in DC Government during his last two mayoral terms and witnessed it many times.
But go to the web site and you will see my point. The parade and party are ostensibly in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. but the text is all about Marion.
April 2nd, 2008 at 11:25 am
The more candidates the more it absolutely guarantees Marian,s position for life, sad as it is-espicially when you remember when he really had power he didn’t do JACK for Anacostia. Follow the money.