Photo by KCIvey

With word leaking out that D.C. Council Chair Vincent Gray will be running against Mayor Adrian Fenty in September’s Democratic primary, we’ve finally got a mayoral race to speak of. And now that the identity of Fenty’s competition is clear, the question becomes how he’ll run.

Last November, a poll that may well have paved the way for Gray’s decision found that in a one-on-one matchup, Gray would narrowly best Fenty, 41 percent to 37 percent. The poll also found that 22 percent of the District’s electorate remained undecided and that while Gray’s unfavorably ratings were much lower than Fenty’s (16 percent compared to Fenty’s 49 percent), 38 percent of those polled simply didn’t know enough about him to have an opinion.

All told, this puts Gray in a good position. Unlike Fenty, whose reputation of being arrogant and aloof is at this point well-cemented, Gray has the opportunity to create an image for himself. While most residents can’t point to any of Gray’s specific accomplishments, they may not be able to identify any great shortcomings either. In the world of political campaigns, a slate this close to blank can be a great asset.

But of course, it’s not all roses for Gray. While people may not like Fenty, there are still plenty of voters who credit him with improvements in certain city services, a continually falling murder rate and recent news of gains in reading among D.C.’s fourth graders. Gray will also have to answer for the brush-up over improvements made to his home (he’s already working to provide more answers, it seems).