Moten pulling the party switch-a-roo in Ward 7
The founder of a gang and violence prevention nonprofit group in the District says he is switching parties to run against Democratic Councilwoman Yvette Alexander in Ward 7 next year. Ron Moten plans to register as a Republican on Friday and will announce his campaign on Saturday, according to the Associated Press.
Moten's cell phone voicemail box was full and could not immediately be reached for comment.
Moten founded Peaceaholics in 2005 and the group lost city funding last year. At a recent city hearing on an audit of the group requested by Alexander the nonprofit earned praise for being successful where no others had before. However, it was not thorough in accounting its expenditures, the audit said.
Other than the fact that there are very few (and that's being generous) people with Republican leanings in Ward 7, it's a shrewd move. In elections, when there's more than one opponent to the incumbent, the opposition divides the vote and the incumbent wins. Kevin Chavous (son of the former Ward 7 councilman by the same name) and Dorothy Douglas have already registered as Democratic opponents to Alexander.
No doubt Moten's advisors are thinking, let them duke it out for April's Primary Election and Moten can go head-to-head against Alexander for the General Election.
Let's see if it works.