{{Short description|American lawyer (1943–2025)}} {{Infobox officeholder |name = John L. Ray |image = John Ray - DPLA - 28090950426f6296ef2690b6cfe9eacc (cropped).JPG |caption = Ray in 2006 |office = Member of the Council of the District of Columbia At-large |term_start = January 8, 1979 |term_end = January 2, 1997 |predecessor = Marion Barry |successor = Harold Brazil |birth_date = {{birth date|1943|05|16}} |birth_place = Toms Creek, Echols County, Georgia, U.S. |death_date = {{death date and age|2025|4||1943|05|16}} |death_place = |party = Democratic |alma_mater = George Washington University School of Law |occupation = Lawyer }}
'''John Lamar Ray''' (May 16, 1943 – April 2025) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician in Washington, D.C.
Ray was an at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 1979 to 1997.<ref name=dcboee-history-atlarge>{{cite web |title=Historical Elected Officials: At-Large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia |author=District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics |accessdate=2008-07-26 |url=http://www.dcboee.org/information/eo_index/history/AT_LARGE.shtm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723225241/http://www.dcboee.org/information/eo_index/history/AT_LARGE.shtm |archivedate=2008-07-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ray was a partner and member of the board of directors at the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips.<ref name=manatt>{{cite web | title=John L. Ray: Biography | publisher=Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP | url=https://www.manatt.com/John-L-Ray | accessdate=2008-07-26 }}</ref>
==Early life== Ray was born on May 16, 1943 and raised in Toms Creek, Georgia.<ref name="washpost">{{cite web|title=John Ray, veteran D.C. lawmaker and frequent mayoral candidate, dies at 81|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2025/04/17/john-ray-dead/|date=April 17, 2025|last=Smith|first=Harrison|publisher=The Washington Post|access-date=April 17, 2025}}</ref><ref name=wapo-guide-1996>{{cite news | title=John Ray (D-At Large) | newspaper=The Washington Post | year=1996 | accessdate=2008-07-26 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/local/counties/dc/longterm/bios/ray.htm }}</ref> He graduated from George Washington University School of Law in 1973.<ref name="washpost" /><ref name= choice>{{cite news |title= Mayor's Choice, John Ray, Wins City Council Seat: Ray Defeats Moore, 9 Others to Win Council Seat |first1= Milton |last1= Coleman |first2= Kenneth |last2= Bredemeier |newspaper= The Washington Post |date= May 2, 1979 |page= A1 |url= https://www.proquest.com/docview/146926474/ }}</ref> While a law school student, Ray interned at Abe Fortas' law firm.<ref name= choice/> After graduating from law school, Ray clerked for D.C. Circuit Judge Spottswood William Robinson III.<ref name= choice/>
==Political career== On January 8, 1979, Ray was appointed by the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee to the at-large council seat vacated by Marion Barry, who had been sworn in as mayor a few days earlier.<ref>{{cite news | title=Party Unit Picks Ray on 6th Ballot For Council Seat | last=Coleman | first=Milton | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=1979-01-09 | page=C1 | url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/142329472.html?FMT=ABS | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525021958/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/142329472.html?FMT=ABS | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 25, 2011 | accessdate=2008-07-26 }}</ref> He was Barry's chosen successor. Ray went on to win the May 1 special election handily<ref>{{cite news | title=Mayor's Choice, John Ray, Wins City Council Seat | first=Milton | last=Coleman |author2=Bredemeier, Kenneth | newspaper=The Washington Post | page=A1 | date=1979-05-02 | url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/131777572.html?FMT=ABS | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525022202/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost_historical/access/131777572.html?FMT=ABS | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 25, 2011 | accessdate=2008-07-26 }}</ref> and then to be reelected in 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992.<ref name=dcboee-history-atlarge/>
Following Council Chairman John A. Wilson's suicide in May 1993, the council chose Ray to be acting chairman.<ref name=wapo-1993-05-25>{{cite news | title=D.C. Council Set to Select Ray as Interim Chairman; Cropp, Mayor's Pick, Bows to One of Kelly's Main Critics | first=Rene | last=Sanchez |author2=Henderson, Nell | newspaper=The Washington Post | page=C01 | date=1993-05-25 | url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/72151543.html?FMT=ABS | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525022257/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/72151543.html?FMT=ABS | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 25, 2011 | accessdate=2008-07-26 }}</ref> Mayor Sharon Pratt Kelly had backed another at-large council member, Linda Cropp, for the appointment and thought she had lined up the votes on the council, but Charlene Drew Jarvis switched her vote to Ray<ref name=wapo-1993-05-26>{{cite news | title=The Price of a Power Play Gone Awry; Attempt to Secure Interim Council Post for Cropp Puts Mayor in Awkward Position | first=James | last=Ragland | newspaper=The Washington Post | page=D01 | date=1993-05-26 | url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/72153204.html?FMT=ABS | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110525022458/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/72153204.html?FMT=ABS | url-status=dead | archive-date=May 25, 2011 | accessdate=2008-07-26 }}</ref> because she intended to run for chairman in the special election and viewed Cropp as a threat.<ref name=wapo-1993-05-25/> Ray served as acting chairman until the special election on September 14, which was won by former chairman David A. Clarke.<ref name=dcboee-history-chair>{{cite web |title=Historical Elected Officials: Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia |author=District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics |accessdate=2008-07-26 |url=http://www.dcboee.org/information/eo_index/history/CHAIRMAN.shtm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723225228/http://www.dcboee.org/information/eo_index/history/CHAIRMAN.shtm |archivedate=2008-07-23 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ray finished his term as at-large member, but he did not run for reelection in 1996.<ref name=dcboee-history-atlarge/>
==Legal career== Ray worked for the United States Department of Justice from 1977 until 1978.<ref name=OpenSecrets>{{cite web | url = https://www.opensecrets.org/revolving/rev_summary.php?id=13606 | title = Ray, John L | publisher=OpenSecrets}} </ref> By law, councilmembers other than the chairman are allowed to hold other employment.<ref>{{cite journal | url = https://dcist.com/story/19/04/02/after-ethics-scandal-d-c-council-could-nix-lawmakers-second-jobs/ | title = After Ethics Scandal, D.C. Council Could Nix Lawmakers' Second Jobs | author = Martin Austermuhle | date = April 2, 2019 | journal = DCist | publisher = WAMU | accessdate = December 18, 2019 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20191218165120/https://dcist.com/story/19/04/02/after-ethics-scandal-d-c-council-could-nix-lawmakers-second-jobs/ | archive-date = December 18, 2019 | url-status = live }}</ref> Ray was Of Counsel to the law firm Baker & Hostetler from 1988 to 1994.<ref name=OpenSecrets /> He joined Manatt, Phelps & Phillips in 1995 and worked there since.<ref name=OpenSecrets/><ref name=manatt/>
==Death== On April 15, 2025, the Council of the District of Columbia announced that Ray had died at the age of 81.<ref>[https://hoodline.com/2025/04/washington-d-c-mourns-the-loss-of-former-councilmember-john-ray-remembering-his-enduring-legacy/ Washington D.C. Mourns the Loss of Former Councilmember John Ray, Remembering His Enduring Legacy]</ref>
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
==External links== * {{C-SPAN|14522}}
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-dc}} {{s-bef | before=Marion Barry}} {{s-ttl | title=At-Large Member, {{nowrap|Council of the District of Columbia}} | years=1979–1997 }} {{s-aft | after=Harold Brazil}} {{end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, John L.}} Category:1943 births Category:2025 deaths Category:20th-century American lawyers Category:21st-century American lawyers Category:African-American people in Washington, D.C., politics Category:George Washington University Law School alumni Category:Members of the Council of the District of Columbia Category:People associated with BakerHostetler Category:Georgia (U.S. state) lawyers Category:Washington, D.C., Democrats Category:20th-century Washington, D.C., politicians Category:20th-century African-American politicians
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