DC Council chairman taps McDuffie staffer to fill at-large seat

WASHINGTON - DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has nominated Doni Crawford to fill Kenyan McDuffie's empty seat after he resigned to run for mayor. 

Who is Doni Crawford? 

Mendelson announced Crawford's nomination on Monday. Crawford is a policy analyst at DC Fiscal Policy Institute. She had worked on McDuffie's staff since March 2022 and served on the Committee on Business and Economic Development. 

What's next:

Crawford will need at least seven votes to be appointed to the interim at-large seat. The DC Council will vote on Tuesday. 

If she's appointed, she will then have to run in the special election in June to continue to serve the remainder of the term. 

The backstory:

McDuffie resigned from his role as the independent, at-large councilmember in December. He had to resign from his position before announcing his run for mayor, in order to re-register as a Democrat before entering the race. 

"Serving on the D.C. Council has been the honor of my lifetime," McDuffie said in a statement. "Together, we’ve passed laws that expanded economic security and opportunity, protected residents’ rights, and positioned our city for long-term success. I am deeply grateful to my colleagues, staff, advocates and residents across all eight wards who made this work possible day in and day out."

McDuffie officially announced his mayoral run last week, through an announcement on social media. 

"My name is Kenyan McDuffie, I'm a lifelong Washingtonian, a former mailman, and most importantly—a husband and father. I'm running to be the next mayor to fight and deliver for all DC," he wrote.

McDuffie’s main opponent — councilwoman Janese Lewis George — announced her campaign for mayor weeks ago.