Michael D. Brown admits being a "shadow senator" doesn't get results. Photograph by Benjamin Freed.
The list of candidates seeking the at-large DC Council seat currently held by mayoral candidate David Catania keep growing. The latest entrant? Michael D. Brown, a figure known to keen followers of the District’s political nitty-gritty, but probably not as well to the average voter.
Brown—not to be confused with jail-bound former Council member Michael A. Brown—is one of the District’s “shadow senators,” elected to lobby for DC statehood on Capitol Hill. But it’s an unpaid and largely forgotten job, facts that Brown finally admitted when he made a surprise appearance Friday morning at the DC Board of Elections to pick up ballot-access petitions.
“I’m tired of being ignored,” says Brown, who’s held the shadow position since 2007.
Instead, Brown says he realizes he can be a much more effective—and better compensated—advocate for statehood from a Council seat. (Outside of his thankless advocacy role, he makes his living in the direct-mail business.)
“We should have one Council member dedicated to statehood,” he says.
He may not be a household name, but Brown says many voters know him thanks to his 2010 Council bid against Phil Mendelson. Mendelson, fearing voters would confuse his opponent with then-Council member Michael A. Brown, plastered the city with fliers featuring photos of Michael A. Brown endorsing him, beside a photograph of Michael D. Brown.
“Phil Mendelson, God bless him, spent $250,000 convincing people there’s two of us,” Brown says.
There’s one more thing Brown needs to do to run for Catania’s seat: drop his lifelong Democratic Party affiliation to satisfy the DC charter’s requirement that two of the Council’s four at-large seats be held by non-majority parties.
“I’m an independent Democrat,” Brown says.
Incidentally, that’s how Michael A. Brown, who held one of the non-majority seats when he was on the Council, used to describe himself.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
DC “Shadow Senator” Says He’ll Run for Council Seat
Michael D. Brown says he’s “tired of being ignored” as a glorified statehood activist.
The list of candidates seeking the at-large DC Council seat currently held by mayoral candidate David Catania keep growing. The latest entrant? Michael D. Brown, a figure known to keen followers of the District’s political nitty-gritty, but probably not as well to the average voter.
Brown—not to be confused with jail-bound former Council member Michael A. Brown—is one of the District’s “shadow senators,” elected to lobby for DC statehood on Capitol Hill. But it’s an unpaid and largely forgotten job, facts that Brown finally admitted when he made a surprise appearance Friday morning at the DC Board of Elections to pick up ballot-access petitions.
“I’m tired of being ignored,” says Brown, who’s held the shadow position since 2007.
Instead, Brown says he realizes he can be a much more effective—and better compensated—advocate for statehood from a Council seat. (Outside of his thankless advocacy role, he makes his living in the direct-mail business.)
“We should have one Council member dedicated to statehood,” he says.
He may not be a household name, but Brown says many voters know him thanks to his 2010 Council bid against Phil Mendelson. Mendelson, fearing voters would confuse his opponent with then-Council member Michael A. Brown, plastered the city with fliers featuring photos of Michael A. Brown endorsing him, beside a photograph of Michael D. Brown.
“Phil Mendelson, God bless him, spent $250,000 convincing people there’s two of us,” Brown says.
There’s one more thing Brown needs to do to run for Catania’s seat: drop his lifelong Democratic Party affiliation to satisfy the DC charter’s requirement that two of the Council’s four at-large seats be held by non-majority parties.
“I’m an independent Democrat,” Brown says.
Incidentally, that’s how Michael A. Brown, who held one of the non-majority seats when he was on the Council, used to describe himself.
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Best of Washington 2024: Things to Eat, Drink, Shop, Do, and Know
Washington DC’s 500 Most Influential People of 2024
What It Felt Like for a Virginia Marching Band to Win Metallica’s Contest
What’s IN and OUT in DC Restaurant Trends for 2024
Washingtonian Magazine
August: Great Festivals & Fairs
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
Best of Washington 2024: Where to Eat and Drink
Best of Washington 2024: Things to Do
Best of Washington 2024: Where to Shop
Best of Washington 2024: Things to Know
More from News & Politics
Mubadala Citi Open 2024 Is Putting Mics on Players and Hosting Michelin-Star Chefs
Why Is Babydog in All These Famous Artworks?
Varsity Pickleball Will Come to All Montgomery County High Schools This Fall
Can Any Town in the US Dethrone Arlington as the Nation’s Fittest Place?
I Saw “Twisters” in 4DX. I Didn’t Realize It Was a Comedy.
A Gen-Zer’s Guide to Kamala Harris Memes
MAP: How to Get Around DC During Benjamin Netanyahu’s Visit This Week
Olympics 2024: These DC-Area Athletes Will Compete in Paris