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Trayon White Returns to D.C. Council After Special Election Victory

His narrow win in Ward 8 forces council members to decide whether to seat him or expel him again as he faces a federal bribery trial.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 03: Ward 8 Councilmember, Trayon White, Sr. speaks during a rally to restore funding for childcare organized by childcare providers and parents at John A. Wilson Building on May 03, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Brian Stukes/Getty Images for Under 3 DC)
A mobile billboard truck displays a message in support of former District of Columbia Councilman Trayon White outside the Anacostia Neighborhood Library during the Ward 8 special election, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Former District of Columbia Councilman Trayon White talks to a voter outside Union Temple Baptist Church during the Ward 8 special election, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
A mobile billboard truck displays a message in support of former District of Columbia Councilman Trayon White outside the Anacostia Neighborhood Library during the Ward 8 special election, Tuesday, July 15, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Overview

  • White secured nearly 30% of the vote on July 15 to reclaim his Ward 8 seat, prevailing over three Democratic challengers in a contest marked by historically low turnout.
  • The council expelled him in February after an internal inquiry followed his August 2024 indictment for allegedly accepting $156,000 in bribes to steer city contracts.
  • White has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled for a January 2026 federal trial, with a conviction under the Home Rule Act set to bar him from office.
  • His campaign largely avoided discussion of the charges and even used an AI-generated Instagram video to spur voter participation in his stronghold.
  • Council members are set to weigh seating White against a second expulsion ahead of his upcoming corruption trial.