Fenty Versus Gray Thoughts of the Day

Are you still undecided between Adrian Fenty and Vincent Gray? Between now and the election we present occasional Fenty versus Gray thoughts to help you decide whom to vote for to be the next Mayor of the District of Columbia. These quotations come from various sources, including Twitter, neighborhood listservs, endorsements, articles, and the campaigns themselves. As with all political pronouncements, how you evaluate these statements is up to you. You're welcome to add your thoughts in the comments section below.  And if you still can't figure out whom to vote for, use our handy Fenty-Gray decider. 




For Fenty:

From what I have read in the papers, listened to on the news and radio, the Gray campaign has tapped into the anger and hostility aimed at the mayor, and the campaign boils down to "I'm not Fenty." To me, Gray will do an good job of making sure we hold onto the gains the District has made over the past couple decades. Fenty, however, will continue to drive the District forward, and not just make sure we keep our gains, but continue to push the District forward and improve the quality of life in the District. -Neighborhood listserv

Erik Kvalsik, a Fenty supporter with 7-year-old twins at Lafayette Elementary School, said improvements in schools were not the only reasons to vote for Fenty. "It's citywide progress," he said. "I hate to see it interrupted." Carol Seitz, mother of two school-age children in private school, said she has been impressed with progress at Lafayette, Deal and Wilson High School. "I'm open to the idea [of public school] where I wasn't four years ago," she said. -Fenty campaign


For Gray:

When I think about what I've heard in the media, I think the campaign boils down to recognizing that Gray is a decent, intelligent, experienced choice for mayor who wants to make the city better for all citizens, vs Fenty who is an oppressive, out-of-touch and divisive choice. Gray probably won't win like Fenty did, with every precinct in every ward, but I bet once elected that he will be better at growing the city and attending to the needs of all citizens, without turning people against each other based on race and socio-economic status. After Fenty's huge failure in this area, I think Gray deserves the chance to try. -Neighborhood listserv

Under the leadership of Vince Gray, the Department of Human Services management team completed the implementation of many successful service delivery improvement strategies, as well as numerous administrative, cost control, and organizational enhancements in the department’s operations....Implemented the federally-funded Healthy Start project focused on reducing infant deaths in Wards 7 and 8, and through it served over 2,000 women and 400 babies. Acquired two Maternity Outreach Mobiles (MOM) vans to provide outreach, education, prenatal care, and health care screenings. The infant mortality rate in the District dropped from 20.1 (per thousand) in 1990 to 16.9 (preliminary) in 1993. -Gray campaign