D.C. Democratic primary day includes competitive D.C. Council race

D.C. voters today will pick the likely successor to retiring Ward 7 Council member Vincent Gray , and weigh in on several other primary races.

Why it matters: The Ward 7 race is closely watched because its next leader will represent an area plagued by some of the worst crime and poverty in the city and likely shape the future of the RFK Stadium site.

State of play: High turnout is not expected for this Democratic primary.

• Incumbents historically do well in D.C. Council members Brooke Pinto (Ward 2), Janeese Lewis George (Ward 4), Trayon White (Ward 8), and Robert White (at-large) are running for re-election.

Voting has been underway via mail-in and drop-off ballots since May.

• Polls today are open from 7am to 8pm. Same-day registration is available.
• You can find a polling location or drop-box location on the D.C. Board of Elections website.

Catch up fast: There's a crowded contest in Ward 7, home to working- and middle-class communities stretching from RFK across the Anacostia River to the border with Prince George's County.

• Four frontrunners: Wendell Felder, Ebony Payne, Eboni-Rose Thompson, and Veda Rasheed. You can check out the full coverage of that race here .
• Well-funded outside groups are supporting their favored candidates, creating a deluge of mailers and campaigning in the final days.

Between the lines: Since this is an overwhelmingly blue city, the winner of the Democratic primary is highly likely to win their seat in the November general election.