D.C.’s Capital Pride parade took place on Saturday, and that meant lots of two things: beads, and D.C. politicians making their pitches. LL attended the parade to report on the best and worst, and got pelted with some condoms for his trouble.

Best Entourage: Mayor Vince Gray got enthusiastic receptions at two other Pride events LL attended, and he continued to enjoy his incumbency in Saturday’s parade. Gray’s group of “One City Pride” marchers was easily the largest out of potential mayoral candidate’s retinue. Still, while mayoral aspirant Muriel Bowser had a much smaller group, hers was more energetic. When she passed by LL, Bowser was putting her all into the Harlem Shake.

Best Sticker: While Tommy Wells‘ group was neither as big as Gray’s nor as animated as Bowser’s, he did have a guy wearing a purple wig and carrying a sign opposing urban sprawl. Wells had another advantage, too: a “Livable, Walkable, Danceable” sticker, which from LL’s very unscientific survey seemed more popular among spectators than Bowser’s stickers.

Arms Race: Jack Evans must have been tuckered out after his campaign launch Saturday morning, because his bead throwing was downright pitiful—-put some elbow into it, Councilmember! Evans could take a lesson from Council colleague Vincent Orange, who managed to toss several of his signature orange beads onto the balcony of a second-floor apartment.

Best Float, Councilmember’s Pick: Ward 7’s Yvette Alexander walked with the Whitman-Walker Clinic crew during the parade, an appropriate choice for the chairwoman of the Council’s health committee. Alexander’s favorite float in the parade, though, was not as health-conscious. Asked to pick one by LL, she referred to the centerpiece of Chiplote’s float: “The burrito so big you can ride it.”

Photos by Will Sommer