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Choo choo! That’s the Brandon Todd train coming straight for his Ward 4 rivals now that the D.C. Board of Elections has tossed out the last major obstacle between him and special election victory. In a ruling today, DCBOE decided that Todd didn’t lie about his residency as a challenge alleged.
The unusual challenge to Mayor Muriel Bowser‘s well-financed favorite to replace her in the April 28 special election hinged on whether Todd, in listing his address on a candidate form as a house at 5th Street NW, had omitted another address on Upshur Street NW. Notably, though, both addresses are in Ward 4, so it’s not clear what advantage Todd would have gained by fudging his address.
DCBOE notes as much in its opinion, noting that, even if Todd lived on Upshur Street, he “would still be qualified to run for the office of Ward 4 member of the Council.” Still, the DCBOE opinion claims that Todd’s challenger Alonzo Edmondson, a former campaign worker for Todd rival Doug Sloan, presented “scant evidence” that Todd doesn’t live at the address he claims.
Todd’s campaign didn’t respond to a request for comment. But the DCBOE ruling is a win for the frontrunner, who has seen LL write up his fashion-related bankruptcy and Republican past recently.
It’s also a victory for voters who like lots and lots of choices. With Todd’s place on the ballot secured, 15 candidates will make the Ward 4 ballot.
[documentcloud url=”https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/1678970-brandon-todd-dcboe-decision.html”]
Photo by Will Sommer