@brucejohnson9 via Twitter:
Phil Mendelson takes seat as acting chair.
WASHINGTON (AP) - D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson says he hopes the council's approval ratings will improve under his leadership.
Mendelson, a Democrat, took over in June for Kwame Brown, who resigned after agreeing to plead guilty to bank fraud and a campaign finance violation. The veteran lawmaker is running in a special election to serve out the remainder of Brown's term and is expected to win easily.
Mendelson says he'll take an incremental approach to changing the way the council is perceived. He says it's still perceived as "ethically challenged" and that he'll work to rebuild the public trust "in small and continuous ways."
A Clarus Research Group poll released late last year showed the council with a 30 percent approval rating among district voters.