Councilmember Tommy Wells is Mr. Positive

There’s no whitewashing the political climate at the Wilson Building these days, and Ward 6 Council member Tommy Wells sees it all too clear. It is Wells who has taken some of the biggest hits as of late, not from scandal, but from his own colleagues who have bowed under pressure from Council Chair Kwame Brown. Ask Wells about it though, and he just laughs. 

That’s not to say Tommy Wells doesn't take seriously the current state of affairs on the DC Council. “Certainly, our popularity and credibility have plummeted. I think we’re all aware of that,” he said in an interview. 

Wells acknowledged the Council has lost momentum after of a number of scandals involving , and Mayor Vincent Gray. “There’s nothing to unify the Council at this point,” he said. 

The Ward 6 representative has now had some time to deal with losing his chairmanship on the committee that best served his ideals, even if he’s not willing to relinquish those ideals.

Wells promised he’s more committed than ever to building a livable, walkable city. “It’s a guiding principal,” he said. 

“This is really why people are moving back to cities. Transportation is an important element of that,” he said. 

Asked how he could maintain such focus after being stripped of his chairmanship of Public Works and Transportation, Wells laughed again and added, “I only chaired the committee for six months.  A lot of my accomplishments aren’t even related to chairing a committee.”

Wells also talked about his relationship with Kwame Brown, one that has become strained ever since he issued a scathing report following the chairman’s SUV scandal. Asked whether he and the chairman were even friends at this point, Wells revealed, “We were, especially in our off time, up until the investigation. We used to play basketball together. He is someone that I care about and I like a lot, but I think everyone knows I’m not going to compromise what’s best for the city."

On the report he issued regarding the misuse of the city’s fleet of vehicles, Wells said it was obvious from the start Brown was not comfortable with it. Some have speculated it’s one of the reasons why Kwame Brown teamed up on Wells during the recent committee shake-up.

Once again, Wells seemed to take it all in stride. “If working toward an effective agenda for the city can be compromised by a change in personal relationships, then it’s time for me to step down,” he told me. 

Asked whether he thought the committee shake-up was a blow to the city’s progressive agenda, Wells deflected once more. 

“I think a progressive caucus is about ideas, not about people. I am confident that if the Council works together, just as they did on same-sex marriage and other issues, we can continue to move forward” he said.

He’s one of the few Council members not tainted by scandal these days, and despite his recent hardships, Tommy Wells appears steadfast. 

“I’m doing my best to make sure I’m not part of anything that would undermine the effectiveness of the government.”