Experience says vote Fenty, but don’t count out Gray

This is the first of three personal endorsements on Fenty-Gray. See Ken’s and David’s.

Four years ago I was worried about Adrian Fenty. I feared that he lacked vision and would cave to parochial concerns. I’m glad to say I was wrong.

With the streetcar project making strong progress and bike lanes all over the city, I’ve become a Fenty fan. He hasn’t been perfect, but his overall record shows clearly that he supports urbanist goals. I am completely comfortable giving him another term to accomplish even more.

Then there’s his opponent, Vince Gray. David has put up a spirited defense of Gray, which I’d like very much to believe is accurate. And maybe it is. Maybe Vince Gray has learned his lesson on streetcars, and maybe some of his statements about bike and bus lanes were out of context.

I just don’t know. I hope so, but I don’t know.

Just like it’s hard for me to believe Fenty when he says he’ll suddenly become a nicer guy if he’s reelected, it’s hard for me to believe that Gray will suddenly become an urbanist.

The best I can hope for from Vince Gray is that if he is elected he’ll pull an Adrian Fenty and prove my fears misdirected. On the other hand, I already know for a fact that Fenty supports my opinions on urbanist issues.

If Gray wins, and it turns out that he has been honest with his campaign promises and his administration produces a better, more mobile, green, and well-developed city, then four years from now I will endorse Vince Gray for reelection wholeheartedly.

But in the mean time, I know for a fact that Adrian Fenty is with me on most policy issues, and simply can’t say with any certainty the same for Vince Gray. Thus, Adrian Fenty will get my vote.

Cross-posted at BeyondDC.