WMAL Interview - CHUCK THIES - 11.13.17

Interview – CHUCK THIES - political strategist and former Mayor Vincent Gray campaign manager and close friend/adviser to Gray – discussed why no one is running against DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.

• New Poll Seeks To Test Vincent Gray’s Chances Against Muriel Bowser In D.C. Mayoral Race. (WAMU) – Will Vincent Gray challenge Muriel Bowser in D.C.’s 2018 mayoral race? Gray hasn’t yet made the call, but a new poll of D.C. voters may help him decide whether a rematch would be worth it. Chuck Thies, who led Gray’s 2014 re-election campaign, has commissioned a phone poll of likely D.C. voters on what they think of Bowser’s first term in office and asking how she would fare if Gray decided to challenge her. Bowser officially announced last month that she would run for a second term. “It’s no secret that I don’t feel the current mayor has been doing a fantastic job,” said Thies. “She’s not a failure, but she’s also not a gold-ribbon winner either. I also believe that no one should run for re-election uncontested, and when I say uncontested, I mean a legitimate opponent.” Ever since Gray rejoined the Council in 2017 to represent Ward 7, the chatter around City Hall has been that he is laying the groundwork for a rematch against Bowser, who bested him in the 2014 Democratic primary. But what little polling on D.C. politics that has been done this year shows he would face an uphill battle.