Robert White (District of Columbia)
Robert White (Democratic Party) is an at-large member of the Washington D.C. City Council. He assumed office in 2016. His current term ends on January 2, 2029.
White (Democratic Party) ran for re-election for an at-large seat of the Washington D.C. City Council. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.
Biography
White earned his high school diploma from Archbishop Carroll High School. He earned bachelor's degrees in philosophy and political science from the St. Mary's College of Maryland. He completed additional studies at Oxford University in England and in The Gambia, West Africa. He earned a law degree from the American University Washington College of Law. In 2014, Attorney General Karl A. Racine appointed White as the inaugural Director of Community Outreach for the DC Office of the Attorney General. In 2008, White served as the legislative counsel for Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D). Additionally, he took on the responsibility of lead staff member during congressional oversight hearings specifically concerning the District of Columbia.[1]
Elections
2024
See also: Municipal elections in Washington, D.C. (2024)
General election
General election for Washington D.C. City Council At-large (2 seats)
Incumbent Robert White and incumbent Christina Henderson defeated Darryl Moch and Rob Simmons in the general election for Washington D.C. City Council At-large on November 5, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Robert White (D) | 61.6 | 211,899 | |
✔ | Christina Henderson (Independent) | 24.2 | 83,131 | |
Darryl Moch (G) | 7.7 | 26,510 | ||
Rob Simmons (R) | 6.5 | 22,385 |
Total votes: 343,925 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- He'lchie Koton Watts (One Minute Past Twelve Party)
- Kevin Rapp (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Washington D.C. City Council At-large (2 seats)
Incumbent Robert White defeated Rodney Red Grant in the Democratic primary for Washington D.C. City Council At-large on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Robert White | 82.2 | 73,491 | |
Rodney Red Grant | 16.9 | 15,102 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 0.9 | 808 |
Total votes: 89,401 | ||||
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Green primary election
Green primary for Washington D.C. City Council At-large (2 seats)
Darryl Moch advanced from the Green primary for Washington D.C. City Council At-large on June 4, 2024.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Darryl Moch | 79.8 | 390 | |
Other/Write-in votes | 20.2 | 99 |
Total votes: 489 | ||||
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Endorsements
Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for White in this election.
2022
See also: Mayoral election in Washington, D.C. (2022)
General election
General election for Mayor of Washington D.C.
Incumbent Muriel Bowser defeated Rodney Red Grant, Stacia Hall, and Dennis Sobin in the general election for Mayor of Washington D.C. on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Muriel Bowser (D) | 74.6 | 147,433 | |
Rodney Red Grant (Independent) | 14.9 | 29,531 | ||
Stacia Hall (R) | 5.8 | 11,510 | ||
Dennis Sobin (L) | 1.3 | 2,521 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 3.3 | 6,580 |
Total votes: 197,575 | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Mayor of Washington D.C.
Incumbent Muriel Bowser defeated Robert White, Trayon White, and James Butler in the Democratic primary for Mayor of Washington D.C. on June 21, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Muriel Bowser | 49.0 | 62,391 | |
Robert White | 40.5 | 51,557 | ||
Trayon White | 8.8 | 11,193 | ||
James Butler | 1.4 | 1,753 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 0.3 | 406 |
Total votes: 127,300 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Mayor of Washington D.C.
Stacia Hall advanced from the Republican primary for Mayor of Washington D.C. on June 21, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Stacia Hall | 80.4 | 2,368 | |
Other/Write-in votes | 19.6 | 577 |
Total votes: 2,945 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Lori Furstenberg (R)
Green primary election
No Green candidates ran in the primary.
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Corren Brown (G)
Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Mayor of Washington D.C.
Dennis Sobin advanced from the Libertarian primary for Mayor of Washington D.C. on June 21, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Dennis Sobin (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | |
Other/Write-in votes | 100 | 108 |
Total votes: 108 | ||||
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2020
See also: Municipal elections in Washington, D.C. (2020)
General election
General election for Washington D.C. City Council At-large (2 seats)
The following candidates ran in the general election for Washington D.C. City Council At-large on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Robert White (D) | 26.0 | 139,208 | |
✔ | Christina Henderson (Independent) | 14.8 | 79,189 | |
Vincent Orange (Independent) | 12.0 | 64,389 | ||
Ed Lazere (Independent) | 11.5 | 61,882 | ||
Marcus Goodwin (Independent) | 11.3 | 60,636 | ||
Markus Batchelor (Independent) | 3.6 | 19,095 | ||
Marya Pickering (R) | 3.3 | 17,883 | ||
Mónica Palacio (Independent) | 2.5 | 13,635 | ||
Ann Wilcox (G) | 1.8 | 9,793 | ||
Franklin Garcia (Independent) | 1.7 | 8,972 | ||
Jeanné Lewis (Independent) | 1.4 | 7,417 | ||
Chander Jayaraman (Independent) | 1.4 | 7,365 | ||
Claudia Barragan (Independent) | 1.0 | 5,607 | ||
A'Shia Howard (Independent) | 1.0 | 5,329 | ||
Joseph Bishop-Henchman (L) | 1.0 | 5,173 | ||
Will Merrifield (Independent) | 0.9 | 5,086 | ||
Kathy Henderson (Independent) | 0.9 | 4,803 | ||
Alexander Padro (Independent) | 0.7 | 3,780 | ||
Calvin Gurley (Independent) | 0.6 | 3,203 | ||
Michangelo Scruggs (Independent) | 0.5 | 2,874 | ||
Keith Silver (Independent) | 0.5 | 2,605 | ||
Mario Cristaldo (Independent) | 0.4 | 2,384 | ||
Rick Murphree (Independent) | 0.3 | 1,851 | ||
Eric Rogers (Independent) | 0.3 | 1,839 | ||
Other/Write-in votes | 0.4 | 2,266 |
Total votes: 536,264 | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Addison Sarter (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Washington D.C. City Council At-large (2 seats)
Incumbent Robert White advanced from the Democratic primary for Washington D.C. City Council At-large on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Robert White | 97.2 | 93,264 | |
Other/Write-in votes | 2.8 | 2,669 |
Total votes: 95,933 | ||||
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Republican primary election
Republican primary for Washington D.C. City Council At-large (2 seats)
Marya Pickering advanced from the Republican primary for Washington D.C. City Council At-large on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Marya Pickering | 90.2 | 2,056 | |
Other/Write-in votes | 9.8 | 224 |
Total votes: 2,280 | ||||
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Green primary election
Green primary for Washington D.C. City Council At-large (2 seats)
Ann Wilcox advanced from the Green primary for Washington D.C. City Council At-large on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Ann Wilcox | 85.4 | 409 | |
Other/Write-in votes | 14.6 | 70 |
Total votes: 479 | ||||
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Libertarian primary election
Libertarian primary for Washington D.C. City Council At-large (2 seats)
Joseph Bishop-Henchman advanced from the Libertarian primary for Washington D.C. City Council At-large on June 2, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
✔ | Joseph Bishop-Henchman | 86.5 | 135 | |
Other/Write-in votes | 13.5 | 21 |
Total votes: 156 | ||||
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2016
Washington, D.C. Council At-large, Democratic Primary Election, 2016 | ||
---|---|---|
Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
42.72% | 38,805 | |
Vincent Orange Incumbent | 40.74% | 37,009 |
David Garber | 15.67% | 14,237 |
Write-in votes | 0.87% | 787 |
Total Votes | 90,838 | |
Source: District of Columbia Board of Elections, "Primary Election 2016 - Certified Results," June 28, 2016 |
Washington, D.C. Council At-large, General Election, 2016 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
Democratic | 52.80% | 233,983 | ||
Independent | 24.54% | 108,745 | ||
Green | G. Lee Aikin | 6.58% | 29,165 | |
Republican | Carolina Celnik | 6.50% | 28,823 | |
Independent | John Cheeks | 5.58% | 24,714 | |
Libertarian | Matt Klokel | 3.20% | 14,178 | |
Write-in votes | 0.8% | 3,536 | ||
Total Votes | 443,144 | |||
Source: District of Columbia Board of Elections, "General Election 2016 - Unofficial Results," accessed November 8, 2016 |
Endorsements
The following table displays endorsements issued in the 2016 election:
Candidate endorsements | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Candidate | The Washington Post[3] | D.C. for Democracy[4] | Gertrude Stein Democratic Club[5] | Democrats for Education Reform[6] | |
At-large | |||||
Vincent Orange |
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David Garber |
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Robert White |
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District 2 | |||||
Jack Evans |
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District 4 | |||||
Brandon Todd |
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Leon Andrews Jr. |
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Ron Austin |
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Calvin Gurley |
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District 7 | |||||
Yvette Alexander |
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Delmar Chesley |
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Vincent Gray |
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Grant Thompson |
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District 8 | |||||
LaRuby May |
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Maurice Dickens |
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Bonita Goode |
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Aaron Holmes |
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Trayon White |
2014
- See also: Washington, D.C. Council elections, 2014
Washington, D.C. held elections for two at-large city council seats on November 4, 2014. A primary election took place on April 1.
Incumbent Anita Bonds defeated Nate Bennett Fleming, Kathy Henderson, Chantel Mapp, Pedro Rubio, John Settles, II and Kevin Valentine Jr. in the Democratic primary. Eugene Puryear defeated G. Lee Aikin in the D.C. Statehood Green Party primary.[7][8] Bonds and Elissa Silverman (I) defeated Puryear, Michael D. Brown (I), Frederick Steiner (L), Eric J. Jones (I), Kishan Putta (I), Wendell Felder (I), Courtney R. Snowden (I), Brian Hart (I), Robert White (I), Calvin H. Gurley (I), Graylan Scott Hagler (I) and Khalid Pitts (I) in the general election.[9][10]
Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | 24.1% | 85,575 | ||
Independent | 11.6% | 41,300 | ||
Independent | Michael D. Brown | 8.1% | 28,614 | |
Libertarian | Frederick Steiner | 1.1% | 3,766 | |
Independent | Eric J. Jones | 1.2% | 4,405 | |
Independent | Kishan Putta | 1.7% | 6,135 | |
Independent | Wendell Felder | 0.8% | 2,964 | |
Green | Eugene Puryear | 3.5% | 12,525 | |
Independent | Courtney R. Snowden | 5.5% | 19,551 | |
Independent | Brian Hart | 2.5% | 8,933 | |
Independent | Robert White | 6.3% | 22,198 | |
Independent | Calvin H. Gurley | 1.3% | 4,553 | |
Republican | Marc Morgan | 2.8% | 9,947 | |
Independent | Graylan Scott Hagler | 3% | 10,539 | |
Independent | Khalid Pitts | 2.9% | 10,392 | |
Other | Write-in | 0.4% | 1,472 | |
Other | Over and Under Votes | 23.1% | 81,847 | |
Total Votes | 354,716 | |||
Source: Washington, D.C. Board of Elections - General Election Results |
Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
|
53.2% | 43,586 | ||
Nate Bennett Fleming | 22.3% | 18,232 | ||
Pedro Rubio | 7.4% | 6,082 | ||
John Settles, II | 13.2% | 10,775 | ||
Kevin Valentine Jr. | 3.1% | 2,560 | ||
Write-in | 0.8% | 624 | ||
Total Votes | 81,859 | |||
Source: Washington D.C. Board of Elections |
Campaign themes
2024
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Robert White did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.
2022
Robert White did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
2020
Robert White did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.
2016
White's campaign website listed the following themes for 2016:
“ |
Schools and Kids On the Big Picture: The problems we face in the District, particularly related to education, have grown more complicated, not less, and a significant part of the problem is leadership and a vision too narrow. Typically, people with narrow perspectives, who see education as something that starts and ends at the school door, decide that it is easier to blame administrators and teachers than it is to address chronic issues. I’m not one of those people. I will work with all the stakeholders on what happens in the schools and what happens when the kids go home. And that’s the perspective needed, but that we don’t have, in this At-Large seat on the Council. My campaign has spent a lot of time talking about the two DCs: one that is economically advantaged and largely white; one that is economically disadvantaged and significantly black. I want to bridge that divide and pull the two DCs together so that ALL people in this city are seeing the benefits of the city’s increasing prosperity. That is what my campaign is about and improving schools is a key component of my plan. On the Achievement Gap: If we want to see the achievement gap shrink and someday disappear, we have to work as a team and start by seeing that job training, affordable housing, transportation solutions, and universal childcare are all pieces to stabilizing families. Stable households are a big part of what half of the city has and what the other half needs. This disparity contributes significantly to why some schools excel and others struggle. For too many children, the dice are cast before those children enter the school building. If we want to see progress, we need to ensure that each child is ready to begin the hard work of earning an education when they walk through the door. If they are not prepared to learn, then our most challenged schools are simply oversized day care centers. On Title I and At-Risk Funding: The fact that funds set aside for at-risk kids are not getting to the students who are most at risk is a crime. On the Council, I will take on the tough fights and force our school system to spend our funds as the law requires. I also will make this fight public so that residents understand that students who are supposed to receive increased financial resources in order to support their education are not getting them. On Standardized Testing: We need an objective standard to evaluate students to see if they are progressing. At a macro-level, standardized testing allows us to assess whole schools, and we can contrast schools and school districts. We need data to understand what is happening and to make informed choices as parents. I will work to right-size our testing so that our kids are spending more time learning, not preparing for tests. I am an advocate for student growth models because it is a more accurate tool both to help students and to assess teachers’ performance. Affordable Housing On Robert White’s Plan: The D.C. government has a responsibility to maintain no less than the current stock of affordable housing units. We also must ensure that building owners repair, and maintain low-income housing units. It’s morally wrong to allow our needy families to live in dangerous and unhealthy buildings. In addition to maintaining the current stock, we have to enforce affordable housing requirements in new construction. In the current environment, it’s the rule, not the exception, that developers get waivers to get around building affordable housing. I regularly meet developers who would like to develop real affordable housing, but they are leery of the Wilson Building and being ensnared in what is seen as a corrupt system. By changing the culture in the Wilson Building, we can attract additional developers and other businesses. Finally, I believe that we need to make some transportation improvements, specifically with bus corridors and bus only lanes to connect parts of the city that could house more families and better connect communities that are currently isolated. To this point, under-performing commercial corridors should be rezoned to allow for affordable housing, which would also add vibrancy to many parts of the city. Jobs and Livable Wages On Minimum Wage: Robert White supports raising the minimum wage to $15/hr, but with the cost of living in the District being so high, this is an incomplete solution and unsustainable one. A higher minimum wage is only a small part of the equation. On Job Training: Job training and movement to career-track positions matter more. The federal government recently identified D.C. as the most unreliable partner for job training in the country. For that reason, the federal government has threatened to pull back TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in job training monies from the District, and my opponent, Vincent Orange, is Chair of the Committee that has oversight. I believe that he has failed the working families and those struggling to stay afloat in our city. We have a systemic problem that requires new leadership. On Fixing the Problem: On the Council, one of my key priorities is straightening out this mess and making sure that the citizens of the District have programs that actually put them on an upward track. |
” |
—Robert White (2016), [12] |
Washington Post questionnaire
At-large incumbent Vincent Orange (D), Robert White (D), and David Garber (D) answered the following questions from The Washington Post in June 2016.[13]
Why should voters choose you over your opponents? | ||||||
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What should be the D.C. council’s number one priority? | ||||||
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What will you do to reduce the number of homeless families in the city? | ||||||
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What do you see as the biggest threat to the District’s future – and how would you address it? | ||||||
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What’s the biggest mistake the D.C. Council has made in recent years – and what would you have done differently? | ||||||
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2014
On his campaign website, White highlighted the following issues:[14]
Education
- Excerpt: "... improving our educational system is the most urgent and important issue that we must address in our city. I am fully committed to being a partner in building strong schools in every community, and to addressing education in a holistic way by making nutrition and housing a part of our education improvement efforts."
Job creation
- Excerpt: "High unemployment has devastating effects on our city, such as widespread poverty. In order to strengthen families, promote a robust and thriving middle class, and ensure that all residents can share in our city’s growing prosperity, we need to stimulate job creation through sustained investments in small businesses that create low-skilled jobs, and major infrastructure projects that create long-term careers. We also must improve job training and education to adequately train DC residents for these opportunities. I advocate for aggressive, strategic investment in job creation and job training to support upward mobility for residents."
Housing
- Excerpt: "The lack of moderately priced housing and the sharp reduction of public housing in DC has pushed residents out of the city and caused many to become homeless. From low- to middle-income residents, including young professionals to senior citizens, the majority of our residents face a shortage of affordable housing options. With proper planning and oversight, and enforcement of DC laws, we can accommodate our city’s growth without harming lower-income residents."
Good government
- Excerpt: "We have had our confidence in our local government weakened too many times. I will work with integrity to restore the public trust by fighting for a government that is transparent and accountable. I am committed to making the needs of our residents my first priority."
Business investment
- Excerpt: "With rapid population growth in our city, we have a unique opportunity to invigorate our corridors and neighborhoods by bringing both new and long-overdue amenities to communities. I believe that sustained commitment to growing and supporting our small and local businesses will help fill retail and other amenity gaps in communities and make neighborhoods safer and more walkable for families and senior citizens."
Poverty and homelessness
- Excerpt: "The number of families and individuals in our city who are homeless, hungry or lack other basic quality of life necessities has exploded. Nearly 20% of people in DC, including 30% of our children, live in poverty. I am committed to working to eradicate homelessness and help those in shelters and supportive housing transition to stable, independent lives."
Transportation
- Excerpt: "DC suffers from near-constant gridlock and congestion, resulting in wasted time and productivity and increased air pollution. I will work to develop transportation options that make it easier for everyone to get around the city. With 1,100 new residents per-month, we must make bold investments in transportation to increase the availability and viability of transportation modes."
Seniors
- Excerpt: "Senior citizens are a large and valuable part of our city, many of whom lived here during our toughest years. As our city changes rapidly, we have to consider that many seniors have fixed incomes and more limited mobility. I am committed to working to ensure that DC remains open and welcoming to seniors, and to assisting efforts to help them age in place."
Public safety
- Excerpt: "We must prioritize making every community safe for all residents. Since communities with low unemployment, good schools, sufficient housing options, and strong small businesses see significantly less crime, I believe we must use these goals as guideposts for a comprehensive approach to reducing crime."
See also
2024 Elections
Government
External links
Candidate Washington D.C. City Council At-large |
Officeholder Washington D.C. City Council At-large |
Personal |
Footnotes
- ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia via email on April 8, 2024
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 District of Columbia Board of Elections, "List of Candidates in the June 14, 2016 Primary Election," March 17, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "For D.C. Council," May 27, 2016
- ↑ Washington City Paper, "Lefty Group Endorses Green Team Foes," April 18, 2016
- ↑ Washington Blade, "Gray wins Stein Club endorsement," May 10, 2016
- ↑ Democrats for Education Reform, "Democrats for Education Reform Announces Endorsements for Key 2016 D.C. Council Primaries," April 6, 2016
- ↑ District of Columbia Board of Elections, "Official primary candidate list," accessed June 16, 2014
- ↑ District of Columbia Board of Elections, "Official primary election results," accessed June 16, 2014
- ↑ DC Board of Elections, "November 4, 2014 General Election Sample Ballot," accessed October 13, 2014
- ↑ Washington, D.C. Board of Elections, "2014 Unofficial Election Results," accessed November 4, 2014
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Robert White At Large, "Issues," accessed May 9, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Five questions for D.C. at-large candidates," June 8, 2016
- ↑ Robert White At large, "Issues," accessed October 13, 2014 (dead link)
Political offices | ||
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Preceded by - |
Washington D.C. City Council At-large 2016-Present |
Succeeded by - |
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