DCentric

Last week, we mentioned that DC voters might be confusing Michael D. Brown, a last minute candidate for the At-Large Council seat who is running against Phil Mendelson, with Michael A. Brown, a Council member who is not on the ballot this year. Michael D. Brown is white, Michael A. Brown is black. A new poll of Democratic voters from the Washington Post finds that Michael D. Brown is now leading Mendelson by 17%. Brown has a 12% lead among likely voters and is popular with African Americans. Via the Washington Post:

The numbers also show Michael D. Brown, who lives in Ward 3′s American University Park in Northwest, registering his strongest support from residents who live east of the Anacostia in Wards 7 and 8. More than half (51 percent) of polled voters there say they favor Brown; 11 percent say they back Mendelson. More broadly, support for Michael D. across the city tracks almost exactly with Michael A.’s showing in the 2008 election results.

Why would a candidate in Ward 3 be so well-received in Wards 7 and 8? I was tempted to give Michael D. Brown the benefit of my doubt until I saw that last sentence. Current support for Michael D. Brown, the white candidate looks identical to the election results for Michael A. Brown, the black Council Member? Voters are confused.

Michael A., the council member and son of the late U.S. Commerce secretary Ronald H. Brown, has accused Michael D. of “political identity theft.” Michael D., a former political consultant, was elected four years ago to the non-voting shadow senator position that lobbies for congressional representation. Michael D. said he would not be participating in candidate forums if he wanted voters to think he was the other Brown.

Council member Michael A. Brown has endorsed Mendelson, by the way.  Also? Brown may have benefited from this confusion, before:

But this is not the first time Brown’s identity has been an election issue. In the 2006 Democratic primary for shadow senator, candidate Philip E. Pannell, a well-known Ward 8 Democratic activist, blamed his defeat by Michael D. on confusion about the two Browns.

The Post piece ends with two anecdotes indicating voter confusion in Ward 7; two women separately mention that they thought the Michael Brown on the ballot was Michael A., not Michael D. It’s possible that Phil Mendelson could lose to the wrong Michael Brown.