Robert White (District of Columbia)

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Robert White
Image of Robert White
Washington D.C. City Council At-large
Tenure

2016 - Present

Term ends

2029

Years in position

9

Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 5, 2024

Appointed

September 15, 2016

Education

High school

Archbishop Carroll High School

Bachelor's

St. Mary's College of Maryland

Law

American University

Personal
Profession
Community activist
Contact

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

Email editor@ballotpedia.org to notify us of updates to this 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
Image of Robert White
Robert White (D)
 
61.6
 
211,899
Image of Christina Henderson
Christina Henderson (Independent)
 
24.2
 
83,131
Image of Darryl Moch
Darryl Moch (G)
 
7.7
 
26,510
Image of Rob Simmons
Rob Simmons (R)
 
6.5
 
22,385

Total votes: 343,925
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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
Image of Robert White
Robert White
 
82.2
 
73,491
Image of Rodney Red Grant
Rodney Red Grant
 
16.9
 
15,102
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.9
 
808

Total votes: 89,401
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
Image of Darryl Moch
Darryl Moch
 
79.8
 
390
 Other/Write-in votes
 
20.2
 
99

Total votes: 489
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
Image of Muriel Bowser
Muriel Bowser (D)
 
74.6
 
147,433
Image of Rodney Red Grant
Rodney Red Grant (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
14.9
 
29,531
Image of Stacia Hall
Stacia Hall (R)
 
5.8
 
11,510
Image of Dennis Sobin
Dennis Sobin (L) Candidate Connection
 
1.3
 
2,521
 Other/Write-in votes
 
3.3
 
6,580

Total votes: 197,575
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
Image of Muriel Bowser
Muriel Bowser
 
49.0
 
62,391
Image of Robert White
Robert White
 
40.5
 
51,557
Image of Trayon White
Trayon White
 
8.8
 
11,193
Image of James Butler
James Butler
 
1.4
 
1,753
 Other/Write-in votes
 
0.3
 
406

Total votes: 127,300
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
Image of Stacia Hall
Stacia Hall
 
80.4
 
2,368
 Other/Write-in votes
 
19.6
 
577

Total votes: 2,945
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Green primary election

No Green candidates ran in the primary.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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
Image of Dennis Sobin
Dennis Sobin (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
0
 Other/Write-in votes
 
100
 
108

Total votes: 108
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
Image of Robert White
Robert White (D)
 
26.0
 
139,208
Image of Christina Henderson
Christina Henderson (Independent)
 
14.8
 
79,189
Image of Vincent Orange
Vincent Orange (Independent)
 
12.0
 
64,389
Ed Lazere (Independent)
 
11.5
 
61,882
Image of Marcus Goodwin
Marcus Goodwin (Independent)
 
11.3
 
60,636
Image of Markus Batchelor
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
Image of Calvin Gurley
Calvin Gurley (Independent)
 
0.6
 
3,203
Michangelo Scruggs (Independent)
 
0.5
 
2,874
Keith Silver (Independent)
 
0.5
 
2,605
Image of Mario Cristaldo
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
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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
Image of Robert White
Robert White
 
97.2
 
93,264
 Other/Write-in votes
 
2.8
 
2,669

Total votes: 95,933
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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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
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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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
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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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
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2016

Robert White defeated incumbent Vincent Orange and David Garber in the Washington, D.C. Council At-large Democratic primary election.[2]
Washington, D.C. Council At-large, Democratic Primary Election, 2016
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.png Robert White 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
The following candidates ran in the Washington, D.C. Council At-large general election.[2]
Washington, D.C. Council At-large, General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.png Robert White Incumbent 52.80% 233,983
     Independent Green check mark transparent.png David Grosso Incumbent 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 Democratic Party (Incumbent)
{{{1}}}
David Garber Democratic Party
Robert White Democratic Party
{{{1}}}
District 2
Jack Evans Democratic Party (Incumbent)
{{{1}}}
District 4
Brandon Todd Democratic Party (Incumbent)
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Leon Andrews Jr. Democratic Party
{{{1}}}
Ron Austin Democratic Party
Calvin Gurley Democratic Party
District 7
Yvette Alexander Democratic Party (Incumbent)
{{{1}}}
Delmar Chesley Democratic Party
Vincent Gray Democratic Party
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Grant Thompson Democratic Party
District 8
LaRuby May Democratic Party (Incumbent)
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
{{{1}}}
Maurice Dickens Democratic Party
Bonita Goode Democratic Party
Aaron Holmes Democratic Party
Trayon White Democratic Party
{{{1}}}

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]

Washington, D.C. Council, At-large, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngAnita Bonds Incumbent 24.1% 85,575
     Independent Green check mark transparent.pngElissa Silverman 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
Washington D.C. Council At-Large Primary Election Democratic Primary, 2014
Candidate Vote % Votes
Green check mark transparent.pngAnita Bonds Incumbent 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
“Robert White will defend our children’s futures and work with parents, teachers, administrators, and communities to strengthen schools in every neighborhood and champion wrap-around solutions that stabilize families.”

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
“Robert White believes that affordable housing is the cornerstone issue at this time in our city’s history. He will fight to protect the current stock of affordable housing, create incentives for additional affordable housing developments, and support rezoning in under-performing commercial corridors. No one should be forced out of the District.”

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
“Robert White believes that the job training programs in the District that have been overseen by his opponent, Vincent Orange, are in shambles, and Robert White vows that he will clean up the mess made on Vincent Orange’s watch.”

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.

[11]

—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]


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


External links

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by
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Washington D.C. City Council At-large
2016-Present
Succeeded by
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