Shapiro Will Not Run
Peter Shapiro, in a surprise move, has opted out of the April 23 special election to permanently fill D.C. Chairman Phil Mendelson's former at-large seat on the D.C. Council.
"I will not be running," said Shapiro, 49. "There is too much uncertainty with this many people in the field. I am committed to public service but I do not feel like investing in another race at this time."
Shapiro, a District native, ran for the Democratic Party nomination for an at-large seat on the D.C. Council in the April 3 primary. D.C. Council member Vincent Orange won the primary and was elected to fill the seat by a large margin in the Nov. 6, general election.
While the campaign was Shapiro's first in the District, he's no stranger to political realm. Shapiro was elected to the Prince George's County Council in 1998 and served until 2004.
Shapiro represented District 2 which includes cities and towns such as Brentwood, Hyattsville and Mount Rainier. He was also elected to serve as chairman of the county council.
In 2009, he moved to Chevy Chase in Northwest. Currently, he's the director of the Chesapeake Center for Public Leadership in Northwest.
Shapiro placed third after Orange and former D.C. Council member Sekou Biddle in the April 3 primary, polling at 10.56 percent of the vote. Some political analysts say that had Shapiro not been in the race, Biddle could have emerged as the victor over Orange.
Petitions for the special election have been picked up by 20 individuals, including interim D.C. Council member Anita Bonds (D-At Large), former D.C. Council member Michael Brown, former Ward 7 D.C. State Board of Education member Dorothy Douglas, and Ward 1 D.C. State Board of Education member Patrick Mara.
Shapiro had indicated to various media and political operatives that he would run for Mendelson's seat as late as November 2012. While he's not running, he is supporting a candidate.
"I believe Elissa Silverman would be the best person to be the next at-large council member," he said, referring to the former Washington City Paper and Post journalist. "She is dynamite and has a sharp mind and temperament. I trust her political orientation and I will support her if she qualifies to get on the ballot."
Shapiro isn't done with politics, though.
"I am not going to rule out running for another office in the future," he said.
McCoy Will Run in 2014
Nick McCoy, a black Democratic Party activist with strong ties to the city's gay community, has confirmed that he will not run in the April 23 special election to fill D.C. Councilman Phil Mendelson's seat.
However, he does have political aspirations.
"I do plan to run in 2014 for an at-large D.C. Council member seat," said McCoy, 36. "I am not ready to commit to run this particular race."
McCoy, a resident of Ward 2 in Northwest, has worked on the campaigns of D.C. Council member David Catania (I-At Large) and advocated for such causes as same-sex marriage in the District and Maryland and for the Martin Luther King Memorial dedication.
He hosted a "D.C. Public Forum" on Sept. 9, 2012 that included The Washington Informer, The Washington Blade, WPFW-FM and DC Mic Check. Panelists and audience members quizzed D.C. Council members on their plans for the city. The forum, which took place at Busboys and Poets in Northwest included D.C. Council members Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), Vincent Orange (D-At Large), Yvette Alexander (D-Ward 7) and Michael Brown (I-At Large).
However, McCoy makes no secret of his desire to be a D.C. Council member.
"I consider myself an activist at-large and I think I will be a good [at-large] council member someday," he said.