Tag: phil mendelson

DC Council chair announces nominee to fill McDuffie’s at-large seat – WTOP News

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A former staff member for council member Kenyan McDuffie has been nominated to take his seat. McDuffie left the seat to run for mayor.

There’s a new nominee to the D.C. Council and she’s no stranger to the District.

A former staff member for council member Kenyan McDuffie has been nominated to take his seat. McDuffie left the seat to run for mayor, explaining his motivation for doing so in a recent interview with WTOP.

D.C. Council Chair Phil Mendelson announced Monday that Doni Crawford was his nominee to fill the vacancy created by McDuffie’s departure.

“I am honored that the chairman selected me as his proposed appointee,” Crawford said.

She’s a former staff member who worked under McDuffie. She also was a committee director on the Committee on Business and Economic Development.

“Nearly 10 years ago, I came to the city with a simple belief that government done right can help people build better lives,” Crawford said Monday. “I believe in a D.C. where every resident has the opportunity to thrive, and where our economy remains competitive with the region.”

There will be a vote by the D.C. Council on Tuesday to decide whether to confirm Crawford. She needs at least seven votes to be appointed to the at-large seat.

“I know I must earn the trust of residents, and I’m ready to do that through listening, collaboration and service,” she said.

The person appointed to the at-large seat will be in the position through the special election in June.

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© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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Valerie Bonk

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January 19, 2026
DC police to get 13% pay raise – WTOP News

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Mayor Muriel Bowser and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson announced a new collective bargaining agreement with the D.C. Fraternal Order of Police Union.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announces a collective bargaining agreement with the union that represents the city’s police force.
(WTOP/Linh Bui)
WTOP/Linh Bui

The agreement includes a 13% pay raise for D.C. police officers.
(WTOP/Linh Bui)
WTOP/Linh Bui

Mayor Muriel Bowser and Council Chairman Phil Mendelson announced a new collective bargaining agreement with the D.C. Fraternal Order of Police Union.

It includes a 13% pay raise for officers, sergeants, lieutenants and above in the D.C. police department. That raise is effective starting Oct. 1.

“They have a challenging job in normal circumstances. They’ve had an even more challenging job in the last weeks,” Bowser said. “They’ve played an important role in driving down crime, not just in the last two weeks, but especially in the last two years. And we are so grateful for their work.”

Mayor Bowser shared new initiatives to recruit and retain officers: expanding the take-home vehicle policy by adding 100 vehicles, supporting the removal of the mandatory retirement age, and partnering with the University of the District of Columbia to offer college credit for academy training.

“We’re going to make sure that Washington, D.C., is the best big city to be a police officer,” Bowser said. “And this is work that we’re committed to doing together.”

The D.C. police department has shrank over the past decade and is currently at 3,188 sworn officers. The goal is to increase that to 4,000. This year, the department hired 135 new recruits and welcomed 124 cadets.

The pay increases include cost-of-living adjustments and break down to 4.5% in fiscal year 2024, followed by 4.25% in fiscal years 2025 and 2026. In total, it will cost about $200 million over four years.

Mendelson said he will move emergency legislation at the council’s September meeting.

“I fully expect that the council will be approving this contract on the 17th so that it can be implemented as quickly as possible,” he said.

Chairman of the D.C. police union Gregg Pemberton applauded Bowser and Mendelson; he said the labor agreement is a “start.”

“There’s a lot more that needs to be done to fix the police department,” he said.

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© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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Linh Bui

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September 3, 2025
DC Council member Vincent Gray suffers 2nd stroke in 3 years – WTOP News

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The Ward 7 council member had been working to improve his mobility for months, but a spokesperson called Gray’s most recent stroke “a setback in that regard.”

In this file photo, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray prepares to testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs at a hearing on statehood for D.C., on Capitol Hill Monday, Sept. 15, 2014. Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that Gray would not face charges in connection to the probe of how his 2010 election campaign was funded. Seven others have pleaded guilty to various charges stemming from the four-year investigation.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)(AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

In this file photo, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray prepares to testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs at a hearing on statehood for D.C., on Capitol Hill Monday, Sept. 15, 2014. Federal prosecutors announced Wednesday that Gray would not face charges in connection to the probe of how his 2010 election campaign was funded. Seven others have pleaded guilty to various charges stemming from the four-year investigation.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)(AP/J. Scott Applewhite)

D.C. Council member and former Mayor Vincent Gray suffered another stroke in April and has been receiving physical therapy ever since.

In an emailed statement to WTOP, spokesperson Chuck Thies wrote Gray’s recovery from a “recent, minor stroke is proceeding.” The Ward 7 council member had been working to improve his mobility for months, but Thies called Gray’s most recent stroke “a setback in that regard.”

“What we know for certain is that the Councilmember’s cognitive abilities are unaffected by this stroke or the one he experienced in 2021,” Thies wrote.

Gray is undergoing daily physical therapy and plans to continue on council business while he recovers. In a separate statement, Thies confirmed that Gray still plans to attend George Washington University’s commencement on the National Mall on Sunday, where he is set to be awarded an honorary doctoral degree in public service.

The 81-year-old commented on his health Thursday after Chairman Phil Mendelson wished him a speedy recovery on X. In a social media post, Gray called the stroke “a health setback,” and added that he has had “no subsequent issues.”

It is Gray’s second stroke in three years. In 2021, he was hospitalized for bronchitis when he had a mild stroke. He still worked on other council business while in the hospital.

In December of 2023, Gray announced that he won’t be running for reelection in 2024, closing out a nearly two-decade-long career in public service. His term is set to end on January 2025.

Gray began his first term on the council in 2005 and served as D.C. mayor from 2011-2015.

The Washington Post was first to report Gray’s health status.

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Jose Umana

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May 17, 2024