John L. Ray
John L. Ray (born May 16, 1943[1]) 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.[2] Ray is a partner and member of the board of directors at the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.[3]
Early life
Raised in Tom Creek, Georgia, Ray graduated from George Washington University School of Law.[4] While a law school student, Ray interned at Abe Fortas' law firm.[4] After graduating from law school, Ray worked as a law clerk for Spottswood William Robinson III.[4]
Political career
On January 8, 1979, Ray was appointed by the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee to the at-large council seat vacated by Marion Barry, who had been sworn in as mayor a few days earlier.[5] He was Barry's chosen successor. Ray went on to win the May 1 special election handily[6] and then to be reelected in 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992.[2]
Following Council Chairman John A. Wilson's suicide in May 1993, the council chose Ray to be acting chairman.[7] Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly had backed another at-large council member, Linda Cropp, for the appointment and thought she had lined up the votes on the council, but Charlene Drew Jarvis switched her vote to Ray[8] because she intended to run for chairman in the special election and viewed Cropp as a threat.[7] Ray served as acting chairman until the special election on September 14, which was won by former chairman David A. Clarke.[9] Ray finished his term as at-large member, but he did not run for reelection in 1996.[2]
References
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| Council of the District of Columbia | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | At-Large Member, Council of the District of Columbia 1979–1997 |
Succeeded by Harold Brazil |
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