Days after Eric Adams won the New York City mayoral primary four years ago, he was invited to Washington by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi to speak to the House Democratic caucus, touted by the chair of the House Democrats’ campaign arm as a model for campaigns around the country,

Tuesday’s special election for the Ward 8 seat on the D.C. Council will determine whether the council will turn the page on an awkward and embarrassing chapter or remain locked in an uncomfortable dynamic with a political figure whose grassroots popularity has rendered him scandal-proof.