Various candidates for public office in the District maintain blogs. Adrian Fenty has one, Michael Brown claims to have one, and Marie Johns is trying to get hers off the ground. The most active of the bunch, though, is A. Scott Bolden, who is currently challenging Council-member Phil Mendelson for his coveted At Large seat.

Bolden has been blogging off and on since late October, and has used his online perch to comment on everything from home rule to schools to the stadium. More than that, Bolden has used his blog to question Mendelson’s leadership on a variety of issues, evidence that he is the first candidate in the District to use the medium as part of a coordinated political campaign.

In his most recent post, Bolden delves a little deeper into the use of blogs, noting that while blogging “may well play a critical role in the outcome of our local elections,” the medium has yet to bridge the existing digital divide between internet haves and have-nots. He writes:

Factors such as high-priced internet connections, homes with low-performance computers and zero access to internet in the job-place create a world where time spent on-line and the ability to run multi-media content are varied. As we proceed into the 21st Century we need to do more to ensure that no one is left behind. Educational resources, job opportunities, job training, information on social services and countless other on-line knowledge bases must be available to everyone. Government should play a role in ensuring that those who seek to access the internet can do so.

DCist is all too aware of the digital divide, and is happy to see a candidate using the medium to promote solutions and expand online resources to underserved areas of the city. DCist will be talking to Bolden next week on a variety of issues, so check back to see what he has to say.