In the aftermath of Trayon White’s expulsion from the D.C. Council in early February, Ward 8 voters must— once again— exercise their civic duty by voting for their next representative. From now until July 15, they can cast their vote for one of four candidates, including White.
The former council member, who first entered office in 2017, didn’t return The Informer’s request for an interview.
Other candidates in this special election are Advisory Neighborhood Commission Chair Salim Adofo (8C), Mike Austin, and Sheila Bunn, each of whom boast a variety of qualifications they deem suitable for a seat on the dais.
Adofo: An ANC Commissioner Hoping to Address Intra-Community Violence
Last summer, Adofo came second to White in the 2024 D.C. Democratic primary. If elected to serve out the rest of the former council member’s term, Adofo said he has his heart set on directly and immediately addressing the issue of intra-community violence in its many facets, including but not limited to: domestic violence, elder abuse, and fraud.
He also expressed a desire to tackle some of the environmental issues— such as the quality of air, soil, and water— that set the stage for violent crime unlike what’s seen in other parts of the District.
“All of these different things have been neglected for years in our community, and so now it’s just boiling over,” Adofo, a Congress Heights resident, told The Informer. “Gun violence, whether it’s one person or whether it’s 100 people that died, it’s always bad and will always rise to the top over a lot of those issues, but a lot of those issues lead to the gun violence because if you’re not of sound mind and body and spirit, it becomes harder for you to resolve conflict without going to the extreme.”
Bunn: After Long Career in the Wilson Building, Working Toward a Council Seat
If Bunn wins the special election, she’ll be making her way back to the John A. Wilson Building, where she most recently served as former Ward 7 D.C. Councilmember Vincent C. Gray’s chief of staff. Before that, Bunn served as then Mayor Gray’s deputy chief of staff. In those roles, she immersed herself in the District budget, early childhood education, and health equity.
While she touts her involvement in the universal pre-kindergarten legislation that Gray championed, Bunn identified the St. Elizabeths East redevelopment— one of Gray’s other longtime projects— as a landmark of note.
“From that work, we now have Care First Arena. We have Sycamore and Oak incubating 10 Black businesses. We have housing. We also now have the new Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center,” said Bunn, a Bellevue resident and former senior staff member in D.C. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton’s (D) office. “That was a project very near and dear to my heart that I was able to work on in the mayor’s office. For the first time in eight years, women on the east side of the city can deliver their babies right here in Ward 8 and not travel across town for gynecological services.”
Austin: Attorney Has Plans to Pressure Council Colleagues to Invest in Ward 8
Austin, an attorney and fourth-generation Washingtonian, has experience as legislative director in former Ward 8 D.C. Councilmember LaRuby May’s office.
Since running against White in the 2020 D.C. Democratic Primary, he became a father and continued serving his executive role at United Medical Center. While preparing the medical facility for closure, he served on the boards of: Community College Preparatory Academy Public Charter School; Far Southeast Family Strengthening Collaborative; and United Planning Organization.
If elected, Austin plans to apply pressure on his council colleagues to support legislation and investments of benefit of Ward 8 residents.
“In the first year, I’m full of confidence that we can work with the other council members to put forward policies that we introduced, and then just to work with the committee chairman early on, and to host hearings on these issues,” said Austin, a Bellevue resident. “I also want to make sure we’re hosting hearings in Ward 8, not just certain bills, but all of the committee members. I want you all to come on this side of the river and spend more time on this side advocating. You’re sitting at the R.I.S.E. [Demonstration] Center, you’re sitting in a church, you’re sitting wherever we are locally.”
White: Touting Past Achievements in Attempted Return to Council
Since White’s expulsion, Ward 8 has been without ward-level council representation. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal funds capital improvement projects for Ward 8 public schools, but several Ward 8 voters have expressed concern about other issues— including proposed Medicaid cuts, the RENTAL Act, and elimination of the community school model.
Since announcing his candidacy, White has only attended two forums, the most recent of which the Ward 8 Democrats hosted. The former council member didn’t speak much about the circumstances of his expulsion, as he faces a federal bribery charge. He did, however, attempt to make the case for his return to the Wilson Building.
“I was the first council member to put over $600,000 into the Douglas Community Land Trust to ensure home ownership in our community right here in the great Ward 8,” White said on the afternoon of June 21 at Bundy’s Secret Garden behind the Go-Go Museum & Cafe. “We talked about access to quality housing. I made sure we had at least over 400 brand new …affordable housing [units] right here in the great Ward 8. And so I’m the council member that’s been on the front line advocating and fighting for equity and inclusion, not just in the budget, but in real-life solutions.”