Democratic primary for DC Council held against a backdrop of crime in the nation's capital

Tuesday’s Democratic primary in heavily Democratic Washington D.C. will largely focus on crime, policing and law enforcement — hot-button issues in a city where violent crime spiked dramatically last year. Although the numbers for homicides and carjackings are down so far in 2024, the political dynamics and tensions from last year’s crime spree continue to play out this year, with leftist and centrist wings of the Democratic Party facing off in multiple races. Five of the 13 council seats are on the ballot, with easily the most competitive being the 10-candidate race to replace retiring Ward 7 councilmember Vincent Gray. The primary is largely viewed as a de facto election in a city where the Democratic Party dominates political life.