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Ward 8 Councilmember Trayon White will remain a mayoral candidate and his name will appear on the Democratic primary ballot after all. The D.C. Board of Elections ruled late Friday afternoon that Trayon White had collected enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot and a signature challenge At-Large Councilmember and fellow mayoral candidate Robert White initiated failed.

Several familiar faces appeared at the hearing, including attorney Ari Theresa, who represented Trayon White, and Christie White, Robert White’s wife, who represented her husband’s campaign manager, Luz Martínez.

After the hearing, the board entered a closed executive session to discuss the challenge. During that time, Trayon White shared his thoughts about the matter on Twitter.

“@RobertWhite_DC you should be ashamed of that weak witch hunt you went on to silence democracy of brown and black people. I thought you were better than that slim. Just drop out now, it’s up! Power to the People!,” he wrote. “‘If God be for you, who can be against you’ . Rom. 8:31.”

In response to the board’s decision, Martínez also took to Twitter, writing “Over half of Trayon’s signatures were invalid and the Board of Elections agreed. Challenging signatures is common. Staying focused.”

Buckle up, voters. There are less than 9 weeks from primary election day. Expect tensions to remain high until then.

—Caroline Jones (tips? cjones@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• To see today’s COVID-19 data, visit our coronavirus tracker.
• Police are investigating a shooting in Van Ness in which at least three people were reportedly injured. [Post]
• Last night a woman whose legs were bound fell out of the eighth story of an apartment building in the 4500 block of Connecticut Avenue NW. A suspect was arrested on the scene and “some type of reptile” was also found. [WTOP]
• D.C. resident Mark Ponder is facing up to five years in prison for allegedly assaulting police during the Capitol riot. [WUSA9] 
• D.C.-area schools report post-spring break COVID case counts that are lower than previous returns from school breaks. [Post] 
• Yesterday D.C. police apprehended 33-year-old Darrow Johnson of Maryland for his alleged connection to the February shooting death of Michael Whitehead. [WJLA]

By Ambar Castillo (tips? acastillo@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• At-Large Councilmember Robert White is pitching a District-wide jobs guarantee as part of his mayoral bid, angling to simultaneously reduce violence and put people to work addressing climate change in the city. Details are still scarce, but White expects it could involve adding roughly 10,000 government jobs and working with the private sector to place people in many more. [Post, Twitter]
• The Council’s judiciary committee gave preliminary approval to most of Mayor Muriel Bowser’s police hiring initiatives, but its decision to slash about $6 million in incentive money incensed Bowser. Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen countered that her lengthy statement on the matter was “an obvious choice to try to gin up conflict where there is none.” [Twitter, Twitter]
• What do Ward 5 residents want to see addressed by candidates seeking its open Council seat? The rising cost of housing, homelessness, and public safety top the list. [Informer]
• One federal investigation into former Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans may be wrapped up, but EagleBank representatives say they only recently finished providing documents to the feds for the inquiry into a former executive’s dealings with a “local public official.” That could well refer to Evans and former CEO Ron Paul. [WBJ]

By Alex Koma (tips? akoma@washingtoncitypaper.com)

• There’s not a bad seat in the house at downtown Japanese restaurant Soto, critic Tom Sietsema writes. [Post]
• Downtown speakeasy Allegory is rolling out a 23-page cocktail menu. [Washingtonian]
• A new kabob joint is opening in Georgetown. [PoPville]

By City Paper staff (tips? editor@washingtoncitypaper.com)

One Man’s Trash is Another Artist’s Treasure in ruined on a riverbank

Joey Enriquez is a runner. It’s something they structure their days around […]

The Janes Is a Call to Action for Safe, Accessible Abortions

When the United States Supreme Court passed Roe v. Wade in January 1973, legalizing the […]

• Run for youth literacy! 826DC hosts its second Half-Half-Half-Half-Half Marathon on June 4. [PoPville]
• Choreographer and A.I.M. founder Kyle Abraham brings his Untitled Love to the Kennedy Center; with the intent to showcase the “sweetness of Black life,” Abraham and his dancers used TV and movies to shape the work during the pandemic. [Post] 
• Meet the ​​Nannaria swiftae, aka the Swift Twisted-claw millipede, a newly discovered species of millipede named after popstar Taylor Swift by the Virginia entomologist who discovered it. [WTOP]

By Sarah Marloff (tips? smarloff@washingtoncitypaper.com)

The Stunning End of the Hernán Losada Era at D.C. United

When news trickled out that D.C. United had fired head coach Hernán Losada earlier this […]

• The dominant Maryland men’s lacrosse team has been bolstered by graduate transfers. [Post]
• Another Nationals reliever is headed to the 10-day injured list: Hunter Harvey. [AP]
• The Mystics signed former Maryland women’s basketball guard Katie Benzan to a training camp deal. [Testudo Times]

By Kelyn Soong (tips? ksoong@washingtoncitypaper.com)

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