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As the clock winds down to what will be Ward 7’s most consequential D.C. Council primary election in decades, voters continue to rack their brains about which one of the 10 council candidates they will choose to succeed D.C. Councilmember Vincent C. Gray. 

Gray, who announced his retreat from public office during the latter part of last year, recently weighed in on this dilemma, throwing his support behind onetime Ward 7 Democrats President Wendell Felder. 

In a statement, Gray urged Democratic voters in Ward 7 to vote for Felder on June 4. 

“Wendell Felder’s journey in public service demonstrates his dedication to uplifting Ward 7 residents and advocating for their interests,” Gray said on Friday. “His diverse experience in both local government and the private sector uniquely positions him to tackle complex challenges and unite varied interests toward a common goal. … I have complete confidence that Wendell will be ready on day one. He has a proven record of achievements and knows how to turn good ideas into successful accomplishments.”

This endorsement statement comes as Council Chair Phil Mendelson announced Gray, who had a stroke two years ago, had another health setback.

“I’ve heard that Councilmember [Gray] has had another health setback in recent days,” Mendelson wrote via X, formerly known as Twitter. “I wish him a speedy recovery as he works his way back to important work with the Council and representing Ward 7.”

Felder, a millennial, Ward 7 civic leader, and former Bowser affiliate, counts among the more prominent figures in the Ward 7 council race. Since announcing his candidacy, Felder has secured endorsements from the Ward 7 Democrats, Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Tyrell Holcomb (SMD 7F01), former D.C. Democratic national committeewoman Barbara D. Morgan, International Brotherhood of Teamsters – Local 639, and Service Employees International Union – Local 32BJ, and SigmaPAC 1914. 

As Felder explained to The Informer weeks earlier, Gray’s endorsement had been in the works. Though he didn’t explicitly comment on the status of that endeavor, he said that nothing was off the table. 

“We have a working relationship with everyone,” Felder told The Informer. “Councilmember Gray endorsed me when I became chair of the Ward 7 Democrats. My priority is Ward 7. I have the ability to unify the ward. Being the chair of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 7D. Who has served in a leadership role on both sides of the ward? No one can say that.” 

The Ward 7 D.C. Council race has indeed called into question who among 10 candidates — Felder, Veda Rasheed, Eboni-Rose Thompson, Ebbon Allen, Kelvin Brown, Villarreal Johnson, Denise Reed, Roscoe Grant Jr., Nate Fleming, and Dwight Deloatch Jr. — has the resume, know-how,  and sincerity to represent Ward 7 at a critical juncture in its development. 

On several occasions, Felder has called out his opponent, Ebony Payne, an advisory neighborhood commissioner from the portion of Ward 7 that’s west of the Anacostia River, as the antithesis of what Ward 7 needs. He did so in reference to the thousands of dollars in out-of-District campaign contributions she’s received and what some may describe as disparaging comments she made about Ward 7 residents at the Ward 7 Democrats candidate forum and straw poll. 

Earlier this year, Payne dismissed Felder’s straw poll victory as “insider baseball.” She questioned whether Felder had the backing of Ward 7 voters, or just a select few people within the upper echelons of the local political hierarchy. Grant made a similar inquiry, telling The Informer that his decision to not participate in the straw poll stemmed from what he called his frustration about Felder’s influence within the Ward 7 Democrats. 

“Mr. Felder had a lot of people in the party doing things to support him,” Grant said. “People should have been unbiased. There probably should’ve been some outside entity conducting that whole process. A lot of other candidates didn’t feel there was fairness in the process.” 

For one Ward 7 resident who requested anonymity, Gray’s endorsement is subject to debate given the prominent role that his staff, particularly spokesperson Chuck Thies, have taken in the wake of the council member’s stroke nearly two years ago. 

They said that Gray’s staffers are leveraging political influence, much to the detriment of Ward 7 voters. The resident went as far as to demand that Gray make the Felder endorsement verbally and on camera. 

“There is a difference between love,  respect and appreciation for Vince Gray’s years of service and the reality that he currently doesn’t personally represent the Ward 7 community,” the resident told The Informer. “The views of his non-resident staffers don’t reflect the will of the people. Other candidates like Veda Rasheed and Eboni-Rose Thompson are the true top contenders in the race and a reflection of the community’s wishes.”