Barry roars back

last updated 8 January 2015

Washington, D.C.

Marion Barry—once acclaimed as Washington, D.C.’s “mayor for life”—stormed back into city politics last week, handily winning a Democratic primary that virtually assured him a seat on the City Council. Barry, now 68, is best known outside the city for his 1990 arrest after the FBI videotaped him smoking crack cocaine in a hotel room. But he was elected mayor again after serving six months in jail, then retired in 1998 as he battled prostate cancer. Barry abandoned a comeback bid two years ago after police reported finding $5 worth of crack in his car, a charge he denied. Barry told a throng of supporters he would fight for improved health care and housing for impoverished neighborhoods. “People want a change,” he declared. “We are going to tear it up.”