William Parker Lightfoot (born January 3, 1950) is an attorney and

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Early years and education

Originally from

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

, Lightfoot graduated from

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...

.Knight, Althelia. "D.C. Lawyer Lightfoot To Seek Seat on Council". ''The Washington Post''. June 19, 1988. p. D3. He earned a

juris doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

from

Washington University School of Law Washington University in St. Louis School of Law (WashULaw) is the law school of Washington University in St. Louis, a private university in St. Louis, Missouri. WashULaw has consistently ranked among the top law schools in the country; it is ...

in 1978.Richburg, Keith B. "Fast Lane Into Firms: The Revolving Door: As City Government Matures, the 'Revolving Door' Speeds Up". ''The Washington Post''. March 12, 1981. p. DC1.

Political career

Lightfoot began his political career as a staff member for District of Columbia Council member

Wilhelmina Rolark Wilhelmina Jackson Rolark (September 12, 1916February 14, 2006) was a Democratic politician and activist in Washington, D.C. She was elected to represent Ward 8 on the Council of the District of Columbia in 1976 and served four terms. Rolark wa ...

from 1979 to 1981.

District of Columbia Cable Design Commission

In 1981, a voter referendum was proposed that would allow taxpayers a $1,200 income tax credit for each dependent child attending school.Richburg, Keith B. "Foes Dispute Petition on Tax Credit Issue". ''The Washington Post''. July 29, 1981. p. A12. Lightfoot successfully challenged the petitions as being collected by someone who was not a District resident, which made those signatures invalid."Board Says No To Initiative: Signatures Collected Illegally". ''Washington Informer''. August 6, 1981. p. 1. Without sufficient valid signatures, the referendum was not on the November ballot. The Council appointed Lightfoot to

chair A chair is a type of seat, typically designed for one person and consisting of one or more legs, a flat or slightly angled seat and a back-rest. They may be made of wood, metal, or synthetic materials, and may be padded or upholstered in vario ...

the District of Columbia Cable Design Commission, a commission to write a request for proposal that would determine how

cable television Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...

should operate in the District, in 1982.Sherwood, Tom. "D.C. Commission Asks Extension Of Cable Study". ''The Washington Post''. February 15, 1983. p. C2. The Council gave the Commission 90 days to write the request for proposal, but the Commission asked for another six months to complete it. Lightfoot was opposed to the additional time, saying it unnecessarily delayed the awarding of a cable franchise. The Commission released the request for proposal in July 1983. The Commission determined that there should be minimum offering of 60 channels for residents and 25 channels for businesses and governmental agencies.Teeley, Sandra Evans. "Approval of 60-Channel Cable System With Few Changes Predicted for City". ''The Washington Post''. July 6, 1983. p. D3. The winning franchiser should set aside several of the channels for municipal and community use, provide studios to the public to produce programming, provide grants to support public-benefit television programs, provide service to all eight wards, and complete all work within five years. ''The Washington Post'' named Lightfoot one of "Five to Watch in 1984", calling him the "cable czar". Lightfoot held several public forums to hear from residents about the imminent cable television service.Owusu, Kofi. "Cable Forums Scheduled". ''Washington Informer''. January 18, 1984. p. 3. Lightfoot said that residents should be able to participate in the process of bringing cable television to the District and learn how it would increase employment and training. The first forum was held in Ward 7. After the bidding process was complete, District Cablevision was awarded a contract to provide a 79-channel cable system to residents of the District within four years.

Council of the District of Columbia

1986 campaign

In June 1986, Lightfoot announced he would run as a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

for

at-large At large (''before a noun'': at-large) is a description for members of a governing body who are elected or appointed to represent a whole membership or population (notably a city, county, state, province, nation, club or association), rather than ...

member of the

Council of the District of Columbia The Council of the District of Columbia is the legislative branch of the local government of the District of Columbia, the capital of the United States. As permitted in the United States Constitution, the district is not part of any U.S. state ...

, essentially challenging

Betty Ann Kane Betty Ann Kane is a former American politician who served as an at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1991. Kane later served as a commissioner on the District of Columbia Public Service Commission. Kane was a no ...

's reelection.Jackson, Kirk. "Attorney Lightfoot Will Oppose Kane". ''Washington Informer''. June 04, 1986. p. 1. Lightfoot said that Kane had helped big businesses more than working residents. The next week, John L. Gibson announced his candidacy for the same seat on the Council.Brown, Oswald T. "Hot Race Now Seen For At-Large Seat". ''Washington Informer''. June 11, 1986. p. 1. Gibson had been a commissioner of the District of Columbia Board of Parole; a community organizer for the United Planning Organization and the Washington Urban League; and a staff member for the District of Columbia Board of Education, the District of Columbia Office of Personnel, and the Department of Housing and Community Development. Gibson said he was surprised that Lightfoot had decided to run because he was under the impression that Lightfood had said he would support his campaign. Gibson speculated that perhaps someone had mistakenly told Lightfoot that Gibson would not actually run for the office. Lightfoot dropped out the following month, saying, "By remaining in the race, I would have split votes with Mr. Gibson, who shares my views on the issues. ... In the past, candidates with similar views would split the votes, allowing someone with another view to win. That is a mistake I did not want to repeat."Brown, Oswald T. "Forty-One Enter Field For Primary Elections". ''Washington Informer''. July 16, 1986. p. 1. Lightfoot endorsed Gibson's campaign. Kane won the Democratic primary election with 69 percent of the vote, and she won reelection in the general election, receiving 60 percent of the vote in the general election.

1988 campaign

In 1988, Lightfoot ran again for an

seat on the

, this time running as an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

. After leaving the Council, Lightfoot changed his registration to the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

.Noble, Andrea.
Minority parties see power grab for D.C. vote
. ''The Washington Times''. April 16, 2014. Archived fro
the original
on April 19, 2014. Lightfoot's goal was to unseat

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Carol Schwartz Carol Schwartz (born January 20, 1944) is an American politician from Washington, D.C., who served as a Republican at-large member on the Council of the District of Columbia from 1985 to 1989 and again from 1997 to 2009. A five-time perennial ...

, who was expected to run for reelection. Schwartz later decided not to run for reelection, citing the recent deaths of her husband, mother, mother-in-law, and best friend as factors in her decision.Horwitz, Sari. "Taxi Panel Spokesman to Seek D.C. Council Seat". ''The Washington Post''. June 6, 1988. p. D2. Other individuals who ran for an at-large seat on the Council included incumbent

John L. Ray John L. Ray (born May 16, 1943) is a lawyer and Democratic politician in Washington, D.C. Ray was an at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1997. Ray is a partner and member of the board of directors at the law ...

;

Jerry Moore, former Council member; Independent David Watson, former spokesperson for the District of Columbia Taxicab Commission; Independent R. Calvin Lockridge, D.C. school board member; Statehood Party Tom Chorlton, gay rights activist; Statehood Party David Watson; and

Libertarian Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's e ...

Dennis Sobin. Washington Metropolitan Council AFL–CIO and Greater Washington chapter of Americans for Democratic Action endorsed Lightfoot's candidacy. Lightfoot was elected to the Council with 27 percent of the vote. He was inaugurated on January 2, 1989.

First term

In the District of Columbia, corporations and partnerships are allowed to donate to political campaigns.Abramowitz, Michael; Morin, Richard. "D.C.'s Lucrative Loophole: Campaign Contributors Able to Skirt Limits". ''The Washington Post''. June 18, 1990. p. A1. A person who owns several entities can have each entity donate separately in order to get around the maximum donation allowed by law. Lightfoot introduced a bill that would eliminate that strategy by including donations by corporations and partnerships in each owner's total maximum donation. During the

Government of the District of Columbia The District of Columbia has a mayor–council government that operates under Article One of the United States Constitution and the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. The Home Rule Act devolves certain powers of the United States Congress to ...

's financial troubles in 1991, Lightfoot proposed increasing the utility tax in order to honor the Council's promise to give $36 million in raises to government employees.Richardson, Lynda. "Hall Hopes To Salvage Pay Raises: D.C. School Funding Debated at Hearing". ''The Washington Post''. March 5, 1991. p. C3. The Council unanimously passed the utility tax three months later. Lightfoot turned down two salary increases that members of the Council were given. Lightfoot was one of twelve council members who voted to end the employment of 2,000 mid-level managers because the government did not have the cash to pay them. When an arbitration panel decided that police officers must be given four-percent raises each year for three years, Lightfoot protested, saying the District did not have the cash.Sanchez, Rene. "14% Raise Backed for D.C. Police; Dixon to Challenge Arbitration Ruling". ''The Washington Post''. September 11, 1991. p. D1. Lightfoot was also concerned that it would set precedent to also give raises to other governmental employees, which would require increases to income tax rates. The District of Columbia Board of Education had full authority of its own budget.Sanchez, Rene. "Budgetary `Heresy'". ''The Washington Post''. March 7, 1991. p. J2. Lightfoot proposed an amendment to the Charter of the District of Columbia to give the Council the authority to veto line-items from the education budget. The District of Columbia Parole Board successfully petitioned the Council to increase its budget in order to hire 22 new parole officers."Parole Board Priorities". ''The Washington Post''. March 19, 1991. p. A18. When the District of Columbia Parole Board decided to use the money to move to larger space rather than hire new parole officers, Lightfoot criticized them, saying, "We're paying money for rent instead of hiring parole officers." Lightfoot was also critical of a line-item in the District's budget to pay for an outside security firm to guard the Department of Administrative Services when the Bureau of Protective Services could perform the same job. In May 1991, a police officer shot a Salvadoran man, Daniel Enrique Gomez, and arrested him on a charge of

disorderly conduct Disorderly conduct is a crime in most jurisdictions in the United States, the People's Republic of China, and Taiwan. Typically, "disorderly conduct" makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to " disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain are ...

.French, Mary Ann; Sanchez, Rene. "Mt. Pleasant Merchants May Get Aid: District Bill Offers Relief From Damage". ''The Washington Post''. June 4, 1991. p. C3. The shooting led to the looting, burning, and vandalizing of more than three dozen businesses in Mount Pleasant,

Adams Morgan Adams Morgan is a neighborhood in Northwest Washington, D.C., centered at the intersection of 18th Street NW and Columbia Road, about 1.5 miles (2.54 km) north of the White House. Notable establishments in the neighborhood include the ...

, and Columbia Heights. Lightfoot and Frank Smith introduced a bill to give tax breaks to businesses that had sustained damages. Lightfoot served on the Council until 1997.Historical Elected Officials: At-Large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia
. ''District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics''. Retrieved on July 25, 2008. Archived fro
the original
on July 23, 2008.

1992 campaign

Lightfoot ran for reelection in 1992. Lightfoot was on the general election ballot along with incumbent

John Ray John Ray FRS (29 November 1627 – 17 January 1705) was a Christian English naturalist widely regarded as one of the earliest of the English parson-naturalists. Until 1670, he wrote his name as John Wray. From then on, he used 'Ray', after ...

Philip Baten,

D.C. Statehood The District of Columbia statehood movement is a political movement that advocates making the District of Columbia a U.S. state, to provide the residents of the District of Columbia with voting representation in the Congress and complete ...

Sam Jordan, and

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

Brian Moore.Sanchez, Rene. "Two Feeling Weight of Incumbency: In 5-Way At-Large Race, Lightfoot, Ray Not Taking Voters for Granted". ''The Washington Post''. October 29, 1992. p. DC1. Lightfoot was reelected to the Council with 30 percent of the vote.Henderson, Nell. "Election 1992: District: D.C. Vote Favors the Familiar". ''The Washington Post''. November 4, 1992. p. EA35.

Second term

In 1993, Lightfoot proposed merging the Council of the District of Columbia with the District of Columbia Board of Education, creating a larger, united government entity. Lightfoot introduced a resolution calling for the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

to change its name.Anquoe, Bunty. "'Redskins' on the run: Bill seeking name change". ''

Indian Country Today ''ICT News'' (formerly known as ''Indian Country Today'') is a daily digital news platform that covers the Indigenous world, including American Indians, Alaska Natives and First Nations. It was founded in 1981 as a weekly print newspaper, ''The ...

'' (

Oneida Indian Nation The Oneida Indian Nation (OIN) or Oneida Nation is a federally recognized tribe of Oneida people in the United States. The tribe is headquartered in Verona, New York, where the tribe originated and held its historic territory long before Europea ...

). August 4, 1993. A1. The resolution said in part, "'Redskins'...is a discredit to the many men who have played outstanding football for the team. Nicknames and mascots constitute an unauthentic representation of Native Americans, whether used for entertainment, commercial or symbolic purposes. This imagery degrades Native American people and culture and distorts Native American and non-American perceptions of self and community." Lightfoot filed paperwork to run for mayor as an independent in August 1994.Flynn, Adrianne. "Lightfoot decides to quit mayor's race". ''The Washington Times''. September 16, 1994. He withdrew from the race a month later. Along with Council member

, Lightfoot introduced a bill to allow companies other than

Bell Atlantic Verizon Communications Inc., commonly known as Verizon, is an American multinational telecommunications conglomerate and a corporate component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is headquartered at 1095 Avenue of the Americas in ...

to offer local telephone service to customers in the District.Mills, Mike. "D.C. Council Weighs Phone Rivalry; Bell Atlantic Says Ray-Lightfoot Legislation Would Harm Service". ''The Washington Post''. June 23, 1995. p. B2. Lightfoot said that competition would decrease customers' prices and while increasing the quality of service. Lightfoot proposed legislation that prohibited anyone less than 17 years old from being out in public between the hours of from midnight to 6 a.m. on weekends and summers and between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. on other days.Brown, Janice Frink. "Curfew! 17 and under". ''Afro-American Red Star''. June 24, 1995. p. A1. Lightfoot said the legislation would improve the quality of life for children and help identify children who are likely to become victims of crime or may commit crime themselves. On January 30, 1996, Lightfoot told the ''

Washington Informer ''The Washington Informer'' is a weekly newspaper published in Washington, D.C. ''The Informer'' is female-owned and is targeted at the African-American population of the D.C. metropolitan area. The publisher is Denise Rolark Barnes, whose fathe ...

'', "I probably wouldn't run for re-election this year. I have two small children and I would very much like to teach them various things, being a good father and nurturing them. But I think the key word here is that I probably wouldn't run. But I haven't made up my mind as yet." The following month, Lightfoot decided not to run for reelection.

Post-council membership (1997–present)

Lightfoot currently works as counsel with the law fir
Lightfoot Law, PLLC
Lightfoot was a partner at the personal injury law firm of Koonz, McKenney, Johnson, DePaolis & Lightfoot in Washington, D.C. From 1981 to 2019. He has first began working for the law firm in 1981. During his tenure on the Council, Lightfoot worked part-time at the law firm.Segal, David. "Forecast for the District: A Much Bigger Crowd at the Bar". ''The Washington Post''. February 25, 1997. p. D1, D3. After his two terms on the Council ended, Lightfoot returned to full-time work, and he became a partner at the firm. Lightfoot was a

co-chair The chairperson, also chairman, chairwoman or chair, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the group ...

Adrian Fenty Adrian Malik Fenty (born December 6, 1970) is an American politician who served as the sixth mayor of the District of Columbia. He served one term, from 2007 to 2011, losing his bid for reelection at the primary level to Democrat Vincent C. Gray ...

's transition committee in 2006 and Fenty's inaugural committee in 2007. Lightfoot was also the chair of Fenty's reelection campaign in 2010. Lightfoot served as the

Muriel Bowser Muriel Elizabeth Bowser (born August 2, 1972) is an American politician serving since 2015 as the eighth mayor of the District of Columbia. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented the 4th ward as a member of the Council ...

campaign Campaign or The Campaign may refer to: Types of campaigns * Campaign, in agriculture, the period during which sugar beets are harvested and processed *Advertising campaign, a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme * Bl ...

s for

mayor of the District of Columbia The mayor of the District of Columbia is the head of the executive branch of the government of the District of Columbia, in the United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce district laws, and the power to either approve or veto bills passed ...

in 2014 and 2018. After his two terms on the Council ended, Lightfoot returned to full-time work, and he became a partner at the firm.

Awards and recognition

Public Service Awards & Recognition * Bloomingdale Civic Association- In Appreciation. May 4, 1984. * The Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO- For contributions and untiring efforts in representing the interests of workers, consumers, the environment, senior citizens, and the unemployed. From the officers & members of the Metropolitan Washington Council AFL-CIO. 12 of March 1988. * D.C. Department of Public Works- Capital City -By John E. Touchstone, Director. March 1989. * Center City Community Corporation- Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding and dedicated service. August 26, 1989. * Organizations for youth and community- plaque of appreciation in recognition of participation in the first annual youth recognition and community service awards day. Donated by Ontario Lakers. September 23, 1989. * Gap Community Child Care Center(GAP)- For consistent support of GAP's multi cultural program and efforts toward quality education for all children of the District of Columbia. 1990. * Concerned Citizens on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (CCADA INC.)- Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding and Dedicated Service. Samuel Foster, Executive Director. July 15, 1990. * N.W. Boundary Civic Association- Appreciation Award- For outstanding and dedicated service to the Washington, D.C. community. October 28, 1990. *

Little League Baseball Little League Baseball and Softball (officially, Little League Baseball Inc) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization Court Appointed Special Advocates Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) is a national association in the United States that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children. CASA are volunteers from the community who complete training that has ...

(Casa) Program of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Special Recognition Award. For outstanding support of the DC Casa unit program of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia on behalf of abused, neglected, and abandoned children. Presented by Inez G Wood, President & Anne Radd, Director. Oct 9, 1996. BestLawyersinAmerica

Legal Awards & Recognition * Selected to be included in The Best Lawyers in America in 2006. *

Black Enterprise Magazine ''Black Enterprise'' is a black-owned multimedia company. Since the 1970s, its flagship product ''Black Enterprise'' magazine has covered African-American businesses with a readership of 3.7 million. The company was founded in 1970 by Earl ...

America's Top Black Lawyer's- October 2003. * Trial Lawyers Association of Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Trial Lawyer of the Year 2003. * Washingtonian 50 Best Lawyers. * The Washington Post- Baltimore & Washington DC's Top Lawyers, 2012.

Electoral history

1988

1992

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lightfoot, William P. 1950 births Howard University alumni Living people Members of the Council of the District of Columbia Washington, D.C., Democrats Washington, D.C., Independents Washington University School of Law alumni