L. Jeannette Mobley, a Ward 5 resident and seasoned political activist, spent much of April 20 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, working toward her quest to represent D.C. voters as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago from Aug. 19-22.
Mobley targeted voters in the congressional district that consists of Wards 3, 4, 5 and 7, and offered campaign literature about the “Protecting Democracy: Ride’N With Biden,” which included Christine Warnke, Dave Donaldson and Phil Thomas of Ward 3, Charles Gaither of Ward 4 and Hazel Thomas of Ward 5, joining Mobley and Jimmie Williams of Ward 7.
With polls open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Mobley and her slate’s efforts bore fruit as they were elected as delegates to the DNC, which will be held at Chicago’s United Center.
“I feel very honored to have the opportunity to represent the citizens of Washington, D.C. at the Democratic convention in Chicago to help place the name of Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice president in nomination,” Mobley told The Informer.
In the other congressional district — the “DC4Biden” slate — with Democrats in Wards 1, 2, 6 and 8, the Rev. E. Gail Holness of Ward 1, Monica Roache and John Fanning of Ward 2 and Amber Hewitt, David Meadows and Troy Donté Prestwood of Ward 8 emerged victorious and will go to the convention as well.
“We are going to Chicago to stand for democracy,” Prestwood declared.
The Delegate Process
In the District, local Democrats have two levels of delegates.
First, the election process that Mobley and her slate participated in allows District Democrats to choose who will represent them at the convention. However, Charles Wilson, the chairman of the D.C. Democratic State Committee said there is another level.
“There are delegates representing D.C. who are on the Democratic National Committee, such as myself and Linda Gray, who is our party’s vice chair,” Wilson, 49, said. “The city’s national committeeman and committeewoman, Kevin Chavous and Denise Reed, are automatic delegates. D.C. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson are automatic delegates because of the positions they hold. Plus, people like Donna Brazile are delegates from D.C. because they are appointed by the DNC.”
Wilson said D.C. Council members are not automatic delegates. He said council members must run in the congressional district they represent or if they are at-large, become a delegate candidate in the ward in which they live.
Wilson said delegates are responsible for their travel to the convention. He said the local party has a hotel in the host city set aside for the delegation. Wilson said District Democrats will have fundraisers to help some delegates with the costs of attending the convention.
Holness said she will champion President Biden and Vice President Harris while at the convention but said another cause will be advocated while in Chicago.
“We need our fellow Democrats to support D.C. statehood,” she said. “We will let our fellow Democrats know how we are disenfranchised in Washington, D.C.”
Prestwood, who leads the Ward 8 Democrats, said the Chicago convention will be his second as a delegate. He noted his participation as a delegate in 2020 but said the coronavirus pandemic prevented proceedings from actually taking place in Milwaukee, the selected site, and everything was done virtually.
Prestwood said he looks forward to traveling to Chicago and like his slate mate, Holness, advocating for the presidential ticket and D.C. statehood.
“We are going to bring D.C. values to the convention and fight for what is right,” Prestwood told The Informer. “We hope our message resonates with them.”