On the Passing of Former U.S. “Shadow” Representative Ray Browne
Raymond Browne, who served as the District of Columbia’s U.S. Shadow Representative from 2001-2007, passed away this weekend at the age of 71. My heartfelt condolences go out to his wife, Barbara, and the rest of the Browne family.
Representative Browne was a tireless activist on behalf of winning congressional representation for the District, and his work for the city he loved will not be forgotten. Through his efforts, Representative Browne was able to secure resolutions in support of District representation from dozens of cities and states across the country – and by doing so educated thousands of elected officials about DC’s unique status. Much of the progress we’ve made on obtaining a vote in the House for the District can be directly tied back to his efforts.
While collecting signatures for my ballot petition in 2006, many people were sad to hear that Ray wasn’t running for reelection. They also reminded me that I would have big shoes to fill if I were to win the election. It seemed everywhere I went, people in every ward across the city had wonderful things to say about Representative Browne, and his work. The District is a better place because of his service.
Representative Browne was a mentor to me as I began my own tenure as DC’s Shadow Representative, and was always very generous with his time and advice. I’ve been proud to build upon the work he started, and I will continue to do so.
Representative Brown’s passing should remind all of us that no matter what challenges we face, we must not stop fighting until the District stands free and equal with the other states in our union.
February 19th, 2010 at 11:35 am
[...] Panetta remembers Ray [...]