John L. Ray
| John L. Ray | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Council of the District of Columbia, At-Large | |
|
In office January 8, 1979 – January 2, 1997 |
|
| Preceded by | Marion Barry |
| Succeeded by | Harold Brazil |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 16, 1943 |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
| Alma mater | George Washington University School of Law |
| Occupation | Attorney |
John L. Ray (born May 16, 1943) 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. Ray is a partner and member of the board of directors at the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.
Raised in Tom Creek, Georgia, Ray graduated from George Washington University School of Law. While a law school student, Ray interned at Abe Fortas' law firm. After graduating from law school, Ray worked as a law clerk for Spottswood William Robinson III.
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. He was Barry's chosen successor. Ray went on to win the May 1 special election handily and then to be reelected in 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992.
Following Council Chairman John A. Wilson's suicide in May 1993, the council chose Ray to be acting chairman. 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 because she intended to run for chairman in the special election and viewed Cropp as a threat. Ray served as acting chairman until the special election on September 14, which was won by former chairman David A. Clarke. Ray finished his term as at-large member, but he did not run for reelection in 1996.
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