Washington DC voters on Tuesday chose their party nominees in a mayoral primary that will likely determine the District’s next leader — the first time in more than a decade the city will have a new mayor. In a heavily Democratic jurisdiction, the winner of the Democratic primary is widely expected to prevail in the general election in November.
The two frontrunners, Democratic socialist Councilmember Janeese Lewis George and former Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, have offered distinct visions for the city. Lewis George, a two-term councilmember, has campaigned on what she calls a “people-first platform,” promising to lower childcare costs and utility bills, stabilize rent for tenants, and prioritize downpayment assistance for homebuyers. McDuffie, a former at-large councilmember and former prosecutor, has drawn support from much of Washington’s business community, including restaurants and realtors, while pledging to expand affordable housing, improve public safety, and diversify the local economy.
Trump injected himself into the race a week before election day. “I wouldn’t like it. Maybe we take back Washington and run it on the federal basis. We won’t put up with it,” he said in response to the prospect of a Lewis George victory.
Voters have also watched increased federal immigration enforcement in the District. Lewis George said she would rescind an executive order issued by former police chief Pamela Smith that directs Metropolitan Police Department officers to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement for individuals not in police custody. “Our officers need to be focused on getting guns off our streets and solving crimes,” Lewis George said. “It is not their jobs to be alongside or babysitting or transporting federal immigration officers across the city to wreak havoc on our communities in our neighborhoods.”
McDuffie offered a different first-day priority, saying he would appoint a police chief and a chancellor for the school system and coordinate an interagency effort to address affordability, which he called “the biggest challenge facing Washington DC residents right now.”
Bowser, who served during both of Trump’s terms, expressed support for McDuffie during an Axios event on June 10 but stopped short of a full endorsement, saying she was “stepping off the political stage.”
Days before the election, the DC Office of Campaign Finance fined Lewis George $16,000 after investigating her campaign for improperly coordinating with unions that also manage an independent political action committee. Lewis George’s campaign said it will appeal, calling the order “reckless” and “riddled with factual errors.” The campaign also raised concerns about the process, stating, “Filing an order without legal merit just before an election follows a disturbing pattern of OCF’s conduct.”
Lewis George, before the fine was announced, accused McDuffie of accepting “tens of thousands of dollars from Trump’s supporters.” McDuffie countered that “99.9% of my donations have come from Democrats and independents who agree that I am best qualified to lead Washington DC.”
The race also includes candidates Rini Sampath, Vincent Orange, Gary Goodweather, Ernest Johnson, and Hope Solomon. Tuesday’s primary is the first in the District to use ranked choice voting.
The primary to replace outgoing Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, the city’s non-voting House representative, has also attracted attention. Councilmember Brooke Pinto, one of five Democratic candidates, has reportedly received nearly $170,000 from donors who have also contributed to Trump. In a video response, Pinto acknowledged that five of her donors out of nearly 2,000 have given to Trump, but said, “It’s time that we have someone in this seat who can work with a broad set of stakeholders to make sure that those values are carried out.”