Expelled D.C. Council member Trayon White wins back seat amid bribery scandal

The big picture: The D.C. Council has a new quandary — to again bar White from taking office, continuing to deprive his community of representation, or allow him to serve ahead of his trial date next year.

State of play: White was leading with just under 29.5% of the vote when the AP called the race. Turnout for the special election to fill the empty seat drew just 12% of voters, or under 6,800 ballots, as of Tuesday evening.

• Three challengers split the vote in White's favor. Sheila Bunn, a former city hall staffer, was in second place at 24% of the vote.
• Community advocates Mike Austin (23.5%) and Salim Adofo (22%) followed.

Between the lines: The next Ward 8 council member could cast a pivotal vote on the RFK Stadium deal, which would put $1 billion toward a new Commanders stadium.

• White will be sworn into office right after the Board of Elections certifies the results on Aug. 8.

Yes, but: The D.C. Council could vote to preemptively block White from taking office due to his corruption scandal.

Catch up fast: White became the first council member in history to be expelled from office in February.

• White is pleading not guilty in his federal case.
• The FBI alleges White pocketed tens of thousands in bribes from a businessperson turned informant, in exchange for helping him win contracts in D.C. government.
• White barely campaigned, but he raised some eyebrows in the final stretch by posting an AI-generated video of a woman urging people to vote.

What's ahead: White's trial is scheduled for January.