D.C. mayoral race is stuck in limbo as prosecutor weighs case involving Gray There were cheers, and Gray, his eyes concealed by sunglasses, appeared delighted. But he offered no answer to the question looming over politics in the District: Will he run for reelection next year? With the Democratic primary less than nine months away, the uncertainty over the mayor's future is unsettling the city's political world, which is already skittish after having endured a litany of corruption scandals over the past several years. Three D.C. Council members and a fourth Democrat have announced campaigns to succeed Gray. But his silence, alongside an ongoing federal investigation into his 2010 campaign, is freezing potential supporters and donors unsure of who will run and making it difficult for declared candidates to formulate strategy. "He's in limbo, and while that hangs out there, the race will not feel fully jelled," said Tom Lindenfeld, a political consultant advising council member Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), who announced her candidacy in March. Until he decides what he's doing, all eyes stay on the mayor. Gray provided no clarity when asked in an interview whether he would seek reelection. "I don't know the answer to that yet, but I'll never walk away from service," he said, adding that he has no timeline for a decision. I'll know it when it comes. Asked if he could quickly assemble a campaign and fundraising operation to keep up with his opponents, he said, "I think so." Then he added: "The short answer is "Yes." " A year ago, as prosecutors bore down on the mayor's campaign, a chorus of critics demanded his resignation, including three council members. Gray's survival became a recurring topic of political discourse, but the speculation faded as the mayor insisted that he was performing his job. In time, the talk became about whether he would run again. Every day, it seems, the mayor maintains a packed schedule, presiding at ribbon-cuttings, visiting senior centers and touring neighborhoods, where he hands out flyers listing successes beneath the headline, "Why the District of Columbia is the Place to Be." His office issues a regular stream of pronouncements with titles such as "Mayor Vincent C. Gray Announces Accomplishments of Mayor's Commission on HIV/AIDS" and "Mayor Gray Celebrates Completion of Sherman Avenue Streetscape Project." At a recent groundbreaking for subsidized housing in Mount Pleasant, the mayor spoke like a man ensconced in his job, saying he would return "when we cut the ribbon in 15 months." ¡Que viva Vincent Gray! Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) shouted. The mayor beamed.