Vincent C. Gray Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Vincent Gray


Member of the Council of the District of Columbia from Ward 7
In office January 2, 2017 – January 2, 2025
Preceded by	Yvette Alexander
Succeeded by	Wendell Felder
In office January 2, 2005 – January 2, 2007
Preceded by	Kevin Chavous
Succeeded by	Yvette Alexander
Mayor of the District of Columbia
In office January 2, 2011 – January 2, 2015
Preceded by	Adrian Fenty
Succeeded by	Muriel Bowser
7th Chair of the Council of the District of Columbia
In office January 3, 2007 – January 2, 2011
Preceded by	Linda Cropp
Succeeded by	Kwame Brown

Personal details
Born	Vincent Condol Gray (1942-11-08) November 8, 1942 (age 82) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Loretta (Deceased 1998) Dawn Kum (2019–present)
Children	2
Education	George Washington University (BS)

Vincent Condol Gray (born November 8, 1942) is an American politician. He served on the Council of the District of Columbia for Ward 7 from 2017 to 2025. He was also the mayor of the District of Columbia from 2011 to 2015.

Before becoming mayor, Gray was the Chairman of the D.C. Council. He also served as a Councilmember for Ward 7. In the 1990s, he directed the D.C. Department of Human Services. In 2016, he won the election for the Ward 7 council seat again.

Early Life and Education
Starting His Career in Public Service
Serving on the D.C. Council
Becoming Mayor of Washington, D.C.
Return to the D.C. Council
Personal Life
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Education

Vincent Gray was born in Washington, D.C., on November 8, 1942. He went to Dunbar High School. In 1964, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from George Washington University. He also took advanced classes there.

Gray was one of the first African Americans to join the Jewish fraternity Tau Epsilon Phi. He was the first person to be president of the fraternity for two terms in a row. He also played football and basketball in college. Gray enjoys hand dancing, which is a dance style from the D.C. area. It is a type of Lindy hop.

Starting His Career in Public Service

Gray began his career helping people with intellectual disabilities. He worked to create new public policies for them. In 1991, Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly chose Gray to lead the D.C. Department of Human Services.

In 1994, Gray became the first executive director of Covenant House Washington. This organization helps young people who are homeless. Under his leadership, it grew from a small outreach program to a large agency. It served homeless youth in the city's Southeast and Northeast areas.

Serving on the D.C. Council

In 2004, Vincent Gray won the election to represent Ward 7 on the D.C. Council. He was sworn in on January 2, 2005. He worked on committees for health, economic development, human services, and education. He also led a special committee focused on preventing youth violence.

In 2006, Gray decided to run for Chairman of the D.C. Council. He won the election with the slogan "One City." This slogan focused on bringing together different groups in Washington, D.C.

In 2008, Gray helped pass a law called the "Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Act." This program aimed to provide free pre-kindergarten for all three- and four-year-olds in D.C. by 2014. It was designed to help young students succeed.

Becoming Mayor of Washington, D.C.

2010 Mayoral Campaign

Gray at the Nannie Helen Burroughs Day Parade in May 2010.

Vincent Gray officially announced his run for Mayor of D.C. on March 30, 2010. His campaign used the slogan "One City. Leadership We Need." Polls showed Gray was popular among voters. He won the Democratic primary election against the current mayor, Adrian Fenty. Gray won with 54 percent of the votes.

Key Actions as Mayor

Gray was sworn in as Mayor on January 2, 2011.

To save money for the District, Gray suggested that most D.C. employees, including teachers, take unpaid days off. This plan was approved by the D.C. Council. On Presidents' Day in 2011, some 911 calls were not answered because dispatchers were on furlough.

Gray was against a plan by Congress to restart a school voucher program in D.C. He believed the city should manage its own education funds.

In April 2011, Mayor Gray and other D.C. officials protested outside the Hart Senate Office Building. They were protesting budget rules that limited how D.C. could spend its own money. Gray and other protesters were arrested for blocking traffic. He stated that D.C. should have the right to spend its own funds freely.

2014 Mayoral Campaign

On December 2, 2013, Gray announced he would run for reelection as mayor. However, he lost the Democratic primary election to D.C. Council member Muriel Bowser on April 1, 2014.

Return to the D.C. Council

In February 2016, Vincent Gray announced he was running for the Ward 7 Council seat again. He said he wanted to improve healthcare access and build a new hospital in the eastern part of the city. On June 14, he won the Democratic primary against Yvette Alexander. Gray was sworn into office for a four-year term on January 2, 2017.

Gray was re-elected in 2020. In December 2021, he had a stroke but returned to the Council in January 2022. In December 2023, Gray announced he would not seek another term.

Personal Life

Vincent Gray has two children, Jonice Gray Tucker and Vincent Carlos Gray. He also has two grandchildren, Austin Gray Tucker and Jillian Gray Tucker. His first wife, Loretta, passed away in 1998. In 2018, he married Dawn Kum. Gray lives in the Hillcrest neighborhood of Ward 7. He is Catholic.