Washington, D.C.
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, 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, ...
, is a political division coterminous with the District of Columbia, the federal district of the United States. The enactment of the
District of Columbia Home Rule Act
The District of Columbia Home Rule Act is a United States federal law passed on December 24, 1973, which devolved certain congressional powers of the District of Columbia to local government, furthering District of Columbia home rule. In par ...
in 1973 provided for
an elected mayor for the first time in nearly a century. Starting
in 1974, there have been thirteen elections for mayor and
six people have held the office. 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 ...
has immense
political strength in the district. In each of the mayoral elections, the district has solidly voted for the Democratic candidate, with no
margin
Margin may refer to:
Physical or graphical edges
*Margin (typography), the white space that surrounds the content of a page
*Continental margin, the zone of the ocean floor that separates the thin oceanic crust from thick continental crust
*Leaf ...
less than 14 percentage points.
The mayor serves a four-year term.
In 1994, residents approved
a ballot measure limiting the mayor to
two consecutive terms,
despite simultaneously
electing Marion Barry to his fourth term. In 2001, the
D.C. Council
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 ...
repealed the measure, abolishing term limits for all elected positions.
Mayoral elections
Graph
The following graph shows the