Arnold & Porter LLP Hosts DC Mayoral Forum

Washington, D.C., June 29, 2006 - Arnold & Porter LLP is hosting a Washington, D.C. Mayoral Forum today at 3 p.m. in its offices at 555 Twelfth St., NW.  All five major Democratic mayoral candidates, Michael Brown, Linda Cropp, Adrian Fenty, Marie Johns, and Vincent Orange, will be participating in the forum, which will be moderated by WTOP political commentator and analyst Mark Plotkin.  The event is by invitation only and will last until 5 p.m.

Each candidate will have two minutes to give opening remarks, which will be followed by a free flow of questions from Mr. Plotkin.  The questions will cover topics such as the candidates' experience, District housing needs, economic development, finance and revenue issues, healthcare, and public safety, to name a few.  The question and answer period will be approximately one hour.  If time allows, audience members will then be invited to ask questions.  The candidates are:

• Michael Brown, a Ward 4 resident, is managing partner at the Washington, D.C. lobbying firm Alcalde & Fay.  He has played an active role in local and national politics for many years, including as a surrogate speaker for four democratic Presidential campaigns, representing the candidates in debates, speaking at campaign rallies and addressing general policy matters.  He resides in Chevy Chase with his wife and twin sons.
  
• Linda Cropp has served as District of Columbia Council Chairman since 1997.  This former teacher began her D.C. political career in 1980 when she was elected as a representative to the Board of Education.  She went on to serve as vice president and president of the Board of Education and in 1990 became an at-large member of the D.C. Council.  Ms. Cropp and her husband live in the Crestwood neighborhood of Ward 4.
  
• Adrian Fenty is a Councilmember representing Ward 4 for a second term.  He serves as Chairperson of the Committee on Human Services, which has a $750 million budget and is responsible for overseeing the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, the Child and Family Services Agency, the Department of Human Services, and the Office of Aging.  Mr. Fenty lives in Crestwood with his wife and twin sons.
  
• Marie Johns is the former President and CEO of Verizon, Washington, D.C., a $700 million telecommunications company.  While at Verizon, she created a job-training program that placed over 400 adolescents, many of whom were high school dropouts, in communications jobs.  She also helped bring high speed internet to public schools in the District and served as chair of the Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science.  Ms. Johns and her husband reside in Ward 3.
  
• Vincent Orange has been a Ward 5 Councilmember since 1998. In 2001, Mr. Orange was selected by his colleagues to serve as the Chairman of the D.C. Committee on Government Operations, which oversees the office of the mayor, city administrator, inspector general, technology and procurement, personnel, board of election and ethics, employee appeals, veteran affairs and the contract appeals board.  Mr. Orange is married with three children and lives in Brookland/Michigan Park.