Kwame R. Brown
Encyclopedia
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, who is currently chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia
Council of the District of Columbia
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...
and was an at-large member of the council from 2005 to 2011. He currently is embroiled in a scandal regarding his misuse of public funds to lease two luxury sport utility vehicles.
Biography
Kwame Brown was born on October 13, 1970, at Columbia Hospital for Women in Washington, D.C. Brown graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School and participated in the Mayor's Youth Leadership Program. Brown continued his education at Morgan State UniversityMorgan State University
Morgan State University, formerly Centenary Biblical Institute , Morgan College and Morgan State College , is a historically black college in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Morgan is Maryland's designated public urban university and the largest HBCU in the state of Maryland...
in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Marketing. Brown is a graduate of both the Minority Business Executive Program, & Advanced Business Executive Program at the Amos Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
and the Senior Executives in State & Local Government Program at the John F. Kennedy School of Government
John F. Kennedy School of Government
The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University is a public policy and public administration school, and one of Harvard's graduate and professional schools...
, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.
Brown was first elected to the Council in 2004, winning 55.4% of votes citywide in the general election, after defeating incumbent Councilmember Harold Brazil
Harold Brazil
Harold Brazil is a lawyer and Democratic politician in Washington, D.C. He was an elected member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 1991 to 2005, first representing Ward 6 and then as an at-large member....
in the primary with 54.09% of the vote.
Brown was up for reelection in 2008 and faced no opposition in the Democratic primary. When asked why no one was running against him, he stated, "People run because they're tired of elected officials not doing anything." Brown, who lives in Hillcrest
Hillcrest, Washington, D.C.
Hillcrest is a neighborhood in the southeast quadrant of Washington, D.C., United States. Hillcrest is located in Ward 7, east of the Anacostia River. Hillcrest is a rather affluent and well-kept neighborhood. Former mayor Marion Barry is a former resident. Current residents include Mayor Vincent C...
, continued, 'No one's running, because I've done what I said I was going to do."
Political career
Brown co-introduced the School Modernization and Financing Act of 2005, which was to construct, renovate, and modernize public schools in the District. The Act also authorized the mayor to borrow $1 billion, which would be repaid with $60 million annual payments from revenue from the future District lottery.Later, Brown authored the amendment that led to $48 million for vocational education to build the Phelps Architecture, Construction and Engineering Academy. Students at the newly built school would be able to attend courses in vocational subjects and pursue aprenticeship and certification.
Brown authored the Creative Learning Program Act to require that all elementary schools are taught music, visual arts, and physical education each week effective the 2008-2009 school year. The Act requires the subjects to be taught weekly but does not specify the curriculum or guidelines of the educational programs.
Brown authored the Compliance and Enforcement Agency Establishment Act of 2007, which establishes a Compliance and Enforcement Agency in the District government. The Agency would be responsible to ensure that developers meet environmental standards, affordable-housing requirements, and laws involving hiring local employees.
Brown cosponsored the Small Business Commercial Property Tax Relief Act of 2007. The Act reduced the commercial and industrial property tax rate for properties assessed at less than $3 million. The Act also increased the amount of tangible personal property exempt from the personal property tax to $225,000.
In addition, Brown authored the Minority and Women-Owned Business Assessment Act of 2007 to determine how many minority- and women-owned businesses were receiving contracts from the District. The Act also authorized an assessment of whether the District government should increase the number of contracts awarded to such businesses and, if so, how to do so.
During his recent tenure as an at-large member of the City Council, Brown served as Chair of the Council's Committee on Economic Development.
In the midst of a significant revenue shortfall for the District, as Chairman-elect of the Council, Brown requested the District order a Lincoln Navigator L for his use. The vehicle costs the city $1,963.28 a month to lease and there was speculation that Brown rejected an earlier model that did not have a "black on black" interior.
2010 Campaign for Council Chair
On 31 March 2010, Brown announced that he would pursue the DC Council Chairperson seat, one day after the current seat holder Vincent C. GrayVincent C. Gray
Vincent C. Gray is an American politician who is currently serving as the seventh Mayor of the District of Columbia. Prior to his inauguration as mayor in January 2011, Gray served as Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia, and as Councilmember for Ward 7...
announced his candidacy for Mayor for that year's election, making him ineligible to regain his office, which expires in January 2011. This eliminated earlier speculation that Brown would pursue the Mayoral seat against incumbent Adrian Fenty
Adrian Fenty
Adrian Malik Fenty was the sixth, and at age 36, the youngest, mayor of the District of Columbia. He served one term—from 2007 to 2011—losing his bid for reelection at the primary level to Democrat Vincent C. Gray...
.
On September 14, 2010, Brown won the Democratic primary for Chairperson, receiving 55 percent of the vote to former Ward 5 Councilman Vincent Orange
Vincent Orange
Vincent Bernard Orange, Sr. is a politician from Washington, D.C. He was most recently a Democratic member of the Council of the District of Columbia, where he served as an elected member for Ward 5. In 2010 he was an unsuccessful candidate for Chairman of the Council...
's 39 percent and school board member Dorothy Douglas' 6 percent. He faced no opposition in the November 2 general election, and Brown was sworn in as Chairperson of the DC Council on January 2, 2011.
Election history
2004 Council of the District of ColumbiaCouncil of the District of Columbia
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...
, At Large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
, Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Primary Election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
| Kwame R. Brown (D Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... ) 54% |
| Harold Brazil (D Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... ) 32% |
| Sam Brooks (D Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... ) 13% |
| Write-in 0% |
2004 Council of the District of Columbia
Council of the District of Columbia
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...
, At Large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
, General Election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
| Kwame R. Brown (D Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... ) 55% |
| Carol Schwartz (R Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... ) 31% |
| Laurent Ross (STG D.C. Statehood Green Party The D.C. Statehood Green Party, also known as the D.C. Statehood Party, is a political party in Washington, D.C. The party is the D.C. affiliate of the national Green Party, but has traditionally been involved primarily with issues related to D.C. Statehood... ) 8% |
| A.D. "Tony" Dominguez (I Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... ) 5% |
| Write-in 1% |
2008 Council of the District of Columbia
Council of the District of Columbia
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...
, At Large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
, Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Primary Election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
{|
|Kwame R. Brown (D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) 100%
2008 Council of the District of Columbia
Council of the District of Columbia
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...
, At Large
At-Large
At-large is a designation for representative members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent the whole membership of the body , rather than a subset of that membership...
, General Election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
{|
|Kwame R. Brown (D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) 48%
|-
|Michael A. Brown (D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) 20%
|-
|Write-in 11%
|-
|Patrick Mara (R
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
) 10%
|-
|}
2010 Council of the District of Columbia
Council of the District of Columbia
The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the District is not part of any U.S. state and is instead overseen directly by the federal government...
, Chairperson, Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Primary Election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
{|
|Kwame R. Brown (D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) 55%
|-
|Vincent B. Orange, Sr. (D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) 39%
|-
|Dorothy Douglas (D
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
) 6%
|-
|}
Committees
- Committee on Economic Development – Chairperson
- Committee on Government Operations and the Environment
- Committee on Libraries, Parks and Recreation
- Committee on Finance and Revenue
- Committee on Public Works and Transportation
- Special Committee on Statehood and Self-Determination
External links
- Brown's Council Chair Election 2010 Website
- Brown's Offic ial DC Council Website
- Brown's Election 2008 Website
- Website of the Council of the District of Columbia
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