Marion Barry

Special Election Set for Marion Barry's Ward 8 D.C. Council Seat

It's been 17 years since a special election had to be held because of a councilmember's death.

The D.C. Board of Elections officially declared former Mayor Marion Barry's Ward 8 seat on the D.C. Council vacant Monday.

Barry died last week of natural causes due to heart problems. He was 78 years old.

A special election to fill the remaining two years on Barry's term was set for April 28.

Many are urging Barry's son, Christopher, to run for the seat.

Christopher Barry was in the crowd Monday on the steps of the Wilson Building, where an unofficial event honoring the former mayor included anti-gun violence activists and other community members.

It's been 17 years since a special election had to be held because of a council member's death.

The Board of Elections is also dealing with a vacancy in Ward 4, which was left open after Council member Muriel Bowser won the mayoral election. There may be a push to hold the special elections for both wards on the same day.

Three days of public mourning for Barry begins Thursday, when his body will lie in repose at the Wilson Building before a motorcade through the city on Friday and a funeral Saturday at the city's convention center.

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