With two-thirds of the votes counted, former D.C. Council member Trayon White has all but been officially declared the winner of the special election spurred by his expulsion from the legislative body earlier this year.

White was arrested in August 2024 on a federal bribery charge, prompting a unanimous vote by the D.C. Council to expel him in February. But since he hadn’t been convicted of a felony, he was allowed to run in the special election against candidates Mike Austin, Sheila Bunn and Salim Adofo, according to the Associated Press.

The Eighth Ward’s City Council seat has been vacant since February, when Councilmember Trayon White was expelled after his arrest on federal corruption charges, to which he has pleaded not guilty. Now, voters in southeast Washington will choose between four Democrats vying to represent them—including Mr. White himself.

The polls have closed and ballots are being counted in D.C.'s special election. It will determine who will be the next councilmember to represent Ward 8.

Former D.C. Councilmember Trayon White is projected to reclaim his Ward 8 seat in Tuesday’s special election, despite an ongoing federal bribery case stemming from his arrest in an FBI sting operation.

WASHINGTON — Ousted DC councilmember Trayon White is in hot water once again. A Board of Ethics and Government Accountability (BEGA) violation notice sent last week accuses White of failing to file the two financial disclosures for his last year in office.

The four candidates, all Democrats, were asked questions on issues such as the redevelopment of RFK Stadium, housing and policing in the ward.