Marion Barry returns to Ward 8

This is not original reporting. All information has been compiled from The Washington Post articles "Voters in D.C. Say Yes to Barry- Again" and "Remarkable Victory Feels so Familiar" on Sept. 15, 2004.

Former mayor of D.C. Marion Barry, defeated incumbent Sandy Allen in the Ward 8 City Council race on September 14, according to The Washington Post. Two other incumbent members of the D.C. Council were defeated by large margins as well.

Barry defeated Allen by sweeping 57 percent of the Ward 8 votes, according to The Washington Post. Allen received only 25 percent. In addition, the at-large council seat was turned over to Kwame R. Brown, who defeated 14-year incumbent Harold Brazil by receiving 52 percent of the votes. Thirty-two percent of the votes went to Brazil.

Ward 7 also replaced incumbent Kevin Chavous with newcomer Vincent C. Gray, who received 49 percent of the votes to Chavous' 30 percent, according to The Washington Post.

Barry, Gray and Brown have all focused on increasing affordable housing projects in neighborhoods and not increasing taxes to fund the possibility of a Major League Baseball stadium that might house the Montreal Expos.

Barry served as the mayor of D.C. for approximately 12 years before he was arrested on drug possession charges and was forced to leave office to serve jail time, according to The Washington Post. However, only a few months after his return from prison, Barry won the Ward 8 Council seat in 1992 and then went on to serve as mayor for a second term.

According to The Washington Post, Barry appears to be one of the most persistent political figures in returning to office countless times despite health and legal problems. Currently, Barry is diagnosed with both diabetes and high blood pressure; he also had surgery for prostate cancer.

Though Allen supporters claim that Barry is too feeble for the job, a Ward 8 majority is behind him. "He's just like Jesus," said Desiree Walker.