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Loose Lips is Washington City Paper‘s flagship political column, covering all things D.C. politics. Here you will find stories about the D.C. Council, local politicians, the mayor, attorney general, ANCs, elections, government agencies, and more.
A ‘Classic Ward 3’ Dispute is Playing Out in Palisades, as Neighbors Battle Over Sidewalks and Street Closures
Some potential traffic changes on two Palisades streets has neighbors bickering, even drawing in Andrea Mitchell of NBC News fame.
Eric Goulet Launches a Ward 3 State Board of Education Run Amid Campaign Finance Investigation
Races for D.C.’s State Board of Education typically don’t get much attention, considering that the board has pretty constrained powers and often acts in an advisory capacity these days. Something tells Loose Lips the contest for the Ward 3 seat may soon be an exception. That’s because Eric Goulet, longtime D.C. government staffer and erstwhile…
Kenyan McDuffie’s At-Large Bid Scores Fundraising Help from GOP Donor and Lobbyist David Carmen
The bad news for Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie is that he has to start from scratch when fundraising for his new at-large bid, considering he’ll need to return all the public money he earned for his ill-fated attorney general campaign. The good news is he’s got at least one deep-pocketed, well-connected friend helping on…
Once the Smut Kingpin of D.C., Dennis Sobin Says He’s Mellowed in Old Age. But He’s Still Making Another Run for Mayor.
Dennis Sobin, one of the strangest characters in D.C. politics, scored the Libertarian Party’s nomination, a full 12 years after his last bid.
Josh Lopez Sued to Stop a Critic From Tweeting and Force an Apology. It Didn’t Go Well.
Anyone who has spent enough time on Twitter has probably looked at another account and thought, If only they’d stop tweeting. But few people head to the courthouse to try and do something about it. Yet that is exactly what Josh Lopez decided to do last month when he unsuccessfully petitioned a judge to stop…
Mary Cheh is Trying One Last Time to Ban Solitary Confinement in D.C.
Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh is hoping to achieve an elusive legislative goal just before she heads out the door: banning solitary confinement in D.C. Cheh introduced a new bill Monday that would effectively end the practice at the DC Jail, which has been notorious for its liberal use of solitary for all manner of…
Bowser’s Delays Could Cost D.C. the Chance to Take Back Control of Parole From the Feds
With unified Democratic control in Congress and the White House, Mayor Muriel Bowser has spent much of the past two years arguing forcefully for D.C. statehood. Yet at the same time, her administration has let a golden opportunity to seize more autonomy for the District slip away. A newly friendly environment in federal Washington seemed…
D.C. Could Finally Ban Noncompete Clauses Following Months of Lobbying and Horse-Trading
When is a ban on something not really a ban? Just ask the D.C. Council. Technically, lawmakers passed a full prohibition on noncompete clauses in December 2020, and it took effect four months later. But due to the many vagaries of the city’s legislative process, and some intense lobbying from local business interests, the ban…
Erin Palmer Gave Phil Mendelson His Closest Race in Many Years. What Does That Mean for the Future?
Coming into the June primary, Loose Lips must admit that he didn’t think Erin Palmer had much of a chance in her bid against Council Chairman Phil Mendelson. Consider this a mea culpa. Palmer didn’t actually succeed in toppling Mendelson, of course, but her strong performance against one of the District’s most consistent politicians ranks…
Kenyan McDuffie’s Move to an At-Large Bid Sets Up a Bruising Battle with Elissa Silverman
The 2018 at-large race was probably the ugliest contest D.C. has endured in several years, to the point that it still inspires hurt feelings four years later. Loose Lips suspects that the impending election will make that look like child’s play. Four years ago, At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman fought to keep her seat against not…
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