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Tag: vincent gray

  • DC Council member, former Mayor Vincent Gray has dementia, won’t vote on legislation for rest of term – WTOP News

    DC Council member, former Mayor Vincent Gray has dementia, won’t vote on legislation for rest of term – WTOP News

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    D.C. Council member Vincent Gray announced Thursday he has dementia, and will no longer vote on legislation or other matters before the Council.

    A file photo of former D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

    D.C. Council member Vincent Gray announced Thursday he has dementia and will no longer vote on legislation or other matters before the Council.

    “This is not an easy decision, but it is the right decision,” Gray said in a statement.

    Gray, who represents Ward 7, has 68 days remaining on his current term. He announced in December 2023 that he wouldn’t run for reelection after suffering a stroke two years before. In May of this year, Gray had another stroke.

    “Every person in a position of responsibility who has cognitive decline must make their own decision about how and when to adjust. It is my duty to represent the best interests of District residents, often on complex matters. I do not want to cast a vote on an issue which I may not be able to fully consider,” Gray’s statement said.

    His announcement comes after his children petitioned a D.C. court to appoint a guardian and conservator over him. The Washington Post, which first reported the petition, also reported a judge has ruled to appoint Gray a guardian and conservator due to his inability to handle his personal and financial affairs.

    The chairman of the D.C. Council, Phil Mendelson, applauded Gray’s transparency about his health in a statement to WTOP, a sentiment echoed by Mayor Muriel Bowser.

    “After a long and distinguished career in DC Government, this is a selfless decision to put our city and the residents of Ward 7 first. I join DC residents in wishing Councilmember Gray well and thanking him for all that he has done for our city,” Bowser said in a post on the social media platform X.

    Wendell Felder, who has previously worked in D.C.’s executive office of the mayor, won the Democratic primary crowded with candidates hoping to replace Gray. He’ll be the heavy favorite in the general election against Republican candidate Noah Montgomery.

    The 81-year-old Gray first joined the D.C. Council in 2005 before serving as mayor from 2011 to 2015. He returned to the Council in 2017.

    “I have complete confidence in the collective judgment of my Council peers. My mind is at ease regarding all matters slated to come before the Council between now and the New Year,” Gray said.

    This story is developing. Stay with WTOP for updates.

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Thomas Robertson

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  • ‘My first example of a public servant’: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, community leaders mourn death of Joe Bowser – WTOP News

    ‘My first example of a public servant’: DC Mayor Muriel Bowser, community leaders mourn death of Joe Bowser – WTOP News

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    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she’s heartbroken about the passing of her father, Joe Bowser, who died Friday. He was 88 years old.

    DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is joined by her father and mother Joe and Joan Bowser during her inauguration in D.C. on Jan. 2, 2015. (Screenshot courtesy DC Office of Cable Television)(Courtesy DC Office of Cable Television)

    D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she’s heartbroken about the passing of her father, Joe Bowser, who died Friday. He was 88 years old.

    In a statement on his death, Mayor Bowser said that she owes her career in public service to her father.

    “For 52 years, my dad has been at my side — guiding me, cheering for me, loving me,” Mayor Bowser said. “He was the first person to take me to a community meeting. The first person to teach me that if something needs to be fixed, then step up and fix it — and finish any job you start.

    Mayor Bowser called her father “bold” and “uncompromising” when it came to doing what’s right: “My first example of a public servant. The person — along with my mom — to show me unconditional love,” the mayor wrote of her father.

    The 88-year-old held the bible for Mayor Bowser when she was first sworn into office, a favor that she returned when swearing her father into service as an officer in the North Michigan Park Civic Association.

    “That was what it meant to walk in Joe Bowser’s footsteps — always knowing he was there, always pushing me to keep up,” Bowser wrote.

    Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray was among those who sent condolences to the Bowser family Saturday, encouraging others to help honor the life and legacy of Joe Bowser.

    “We can honor Joe Bowser’s life by emulating his endeavors to empower people, build stronger neighborhoods, and especially by holding those we love close,” Gray said.

    D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb said that Joe Bowser “was a dedicated community leader and advocate for all Washingtonians.”

    “His presence will be sorely missed in Ward 5 and across the District,” Schwalb added.

    “God blessed me and Miranda with you Dad. I’m heartbroken. I know that you will continue to guide me, and I will work every day to make you and mom proud. There will never be another Joe Bowser,” Mayor Bowser wrote. “You will be missed.”

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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Sandy Kozel

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  • DC Council member Vincent Gray suffers 2nd stroke in 3 years – WTOP News

    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)

    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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    © 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

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    Jose Umana

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