List of members of the Council of the District of Columbia


These lists include all members of the Council of the District of Columbia since its creation. All members are elected to 4-year terms.

Tenure records

The chairman who served the longest uninterrupted period of time is Linda A. Cropp, who served 9 years, 146 days, from August 8, 1997, to January 1, 2007. David A. Clarke served the longest as chairman, counting all terms, serving 10 years, 185 days. The chairman who served the shortest period of time is Kwame R. Brown, who served 521 days from January 2, 2011, to June 6, 2012.
The council member who served the longest uninterrupted period of time is Jack Evans, who served 28 years from May 13, 1991 to January 17, 2020. Evans also holds the record for serving the longest period of time counting interrupted service. The council member who served the shortest period of time is Arrington Dixon, who served 121 days between his special appointment to an at-large seat on August 15, 1997, and December 14, 1997.
The at-large council member who served the longest uninterrupted period of time is Hilda Mason, who served 21 years, 273 days from April 2, 1977, to January 1, 1999. Mason also holds the record for serving the longest period of time counting interrupted service. The Group 1 at-large council member who served the longest uninterrupted period of time is John L. Ray, who served 17 years, 359 days from January 8, 1979, to January 1, 1997. Ray also holds the record for the Group 1 at-large council member serving the longest period of time counting interrupted service. The Group 1 at-large council member who served the shortest period of time is Arrington Dixon. The Group 2 at-large council member who served the longest uninterrupted period of time is Hilda Mason. Mason also holds the record for the Group 2 at-large council member serving the longest period of time counting interrupted service. The Group 1 at-large council member who served the shortest period of time is Sekou Biddle, who served 123 days from his appointment on January 7, 2011, until May 9, 2011.

Chairman

The chairman is elected in years divisible by 2 but not by 4: 1974, 1978,..., 2010, 2014, etc., except to fill a vacancy.
  1. Sterling Tucker, 1975–1979
  2. Arrington Dixon, 1979–1983
  3. David A. Clarke, 1983–1991
  4. John A. Wilson, 1991–1993
  5. David A. Clarke, 1993–1997
  6. Linda W. Cropp, 1997–2007
  7. Vincent C. Gray, 2007–2011
  8. Kwame R. Brown, 2011–2012
  9. Phil Mendelson, 2012–present

    At-large member

There are four at-large members at any time, elected in groups of two. Group 1 was elected in 1974 to 2-year terms and elected in years divisible by 4 thereafter: 1976, 1980,..., 2008, 2012, etc. Group 2 is elected in years divisible by 2 but not by 4: 1974, 1978,..., 2010, 2014, etc. In 1974, Group 1 consisted of Marion Barry and Jerry A. Moore, Jr.
  1. Douglas E. Moore, 1975–1979
  2. Julius Hobson, 1975–1977
  3. Marion Barry, 1975–1979
  4. Jerry A. Moore Jr., 1975–1985
  5. Hilda Mason, 1977–1999
  6. Betty Ann Kane, 1979–1991
  7. John L. Ray, 1979–1997
  8. Carol Schwartz, 1985–1989
  9. William Lightfoot, 1989–1997
  10. Linda W. Cropp, 1991–1997
  11. Harold Brazil, 1997–2005
  12. Carol Schwartz, 1997–2009
  13. Arrington Dixon, 1997
  14. David Catania, 1997–2015
  15. Phil Mendelson, 1999–2012
  16. Kwame R. Brown, 2005–2011
  17. Michael A. Brown, 2009–2013
  18. Sekou Biddle, 2011
  19. Vincent Orange, 2011–2016
  20. Anita Bonds, 2012–present
  21. David Grosso, 2013–present
  22. Elissa Silverman, 2015–present
  23. Robert White, 2016–present

    Ward 1 member

The Ward 1 member is elected in years divisible by 2 but not by 4: 1974, 1978,..., 2010, 2014, etc.
  1. David A. Clarke, 1975–1983
  2. Frank Smith, 1983–1999
  3. Jim Graham, 1999–2015
  4. Brianne Nadeau, 2015–present

    Ward 2 member

The Ward 2 member was elected in 1974 to a 2-year term and elected in years divisible by 4 thereafter: 1976, 1980,..., 2008, 2012, etc.
  1. John A. Wilson, 1975–1991
  2. Jack Evans, 1991–2020
  3. Brooke Pinto, 2020–present

    Ward 3 member

The Ward 3 member is elected in years divisible by 2 but not by 4: 1974, 1978,..., 2010, 2014, etc.
  1. Polly Shackleton, 1975–1987
  2. James E. Nathanson, 1987–1995
  3. Kathleen Patterson, 1995–2007
  4. Mary Cheh, 2007–present

    Ward 4 member

The Ward 4 member was elected in 1974 to a 2-year term and elected in years divisible by 4 thereafter: 1976, 1980,..., 2008, 2012, etc.
  1. Arrington Dixon, 1975–1979
  2. Charlene Drew Jarvis, 1979–2001
  3. Adrian Fenty, 2001–2007
  4. Muriel Bowser, 2007–2015
  5. Brandon Todd, 2015–present

    Ward 5 member

The Ward 5 member is elected in years divisible by 2 but not by 4: 1974, 1978,..., 2010, 2014, etc.
  1. William Spaulding, 1975–1987
  2. Harry Thomas, Sr., 1987–1999
  3. Vincent Orange, 1999–2007
  4. Harry Thomas, Jr., 2007–2012
  5. Kenyan McDuffie , 2012–present

    Ward 6 member

The Ward 6 member is elected in years divisible by 2 but not by 4: 1974, 1978,..., 2010, 2014, etc.
  1. Nadine Winter, 1975–1991
  2. Harold Brazil, 1991–1997
  3. Sharon Ambrose, 1997–2007
  4. Tommy Wells, 2007–2015
  5. Charles Allen, 2015–present

    Ward 7 member

The Ward 7 member was elected in 1974 to a 2-year term and elected in years divisible by 4 thereafter: 1976, 1980,..., 2008, 2012, etc.
  1. Willie Hardy, 1975–1981
  2. H. R. Crawford, 1981–1993
  3. Kevin P. Chavous, 1993–2005
  4. Vincent C. Gray, 2005–2007
  5. Yvette Alexander, 2007–2017
  6. Vincent C. Gray, 2017–present

    Ward 8 member

The Ward 8 member was elected in 1974 to a 2-year term and elected in years divisible by 4 thereafter: 1976, 1980,..., 2008, 2012, etc.
  1. James Coates, 1975–1977
  2. Wilhelmina Rolark, 1977–1993
  3. Marion Barry, 1993–1995
  4. Eydie Whittington, 1995–1997
  5. Sandy Allen, 1997–2005
  6. Marion Barry, 2005–2014
  7. LaRuby May, 2015–2017
  8. Trayon White, 2017–present

    Table

Background colors indicate party: