Excerpt:
Jacque Patterson received a major boost last week in his campaign. Ward 8 Democratic Committee Chairwoman the Rev. R. Joyce Scott formally announced her personal endorsement of him, rallying residents to help unseat incumbent Marion Barry. 

"[Barry's] time has come and gone," Scott told me. "We need new leadership. I don't see any hope with him. I don't see any future." 

Calling Patterson "wholesome and energetic," Scott said, "He is not running because he needs a job but because he sincerely cares about the community." 

Some political observers have suggested neither Patterson nor any of the other challengers -- Sandra Seegars, Natalie Williams and Darrell Gaston -- can beat Barry, who was elected to the seat in 2004. Let's hope they're wrong. Barry often has hindered rather than fueled change in Ward 8.