Posted June 16, 2026 | by KimS | in 2026 Elections, DC Government, DemDaily, Democratic Party, Donald Trump, Independent, Mayors, US Mayors

DemDaily: A Turning Point for DC

June 16, 2026

The District of Columbia is holding its primary today to decide who will be the next mayor of the nation's capital and its Delegate to the House of Representatives, as well as the fate of four, and potentially more, new council members

With the decision of three-term Mayor Muriel Bowser not to seek reelection, and the retirement of 18-term Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, the elections pave the way for a new era in the leadership and political landscape of the district.

They also come at a pivotal point in the city's history -- one that has faced, along with the country, unprecedented challenges under the Administration of Donald Trump,

The District of Columbia (DC) is not a state. Like the US Territories, it is represented by one seated, non-voting Delegate in Congress who can vote in committee but not on full House legislation. In addition, DC has "shadow" representatives -- two Senators and one Representative -- who are not recognized or seated in either chamber of Congress but are elected local representatives dedicated to advancing Statehood for the District. With federal oversight, however, Congress has the right to review and approve, or overturn, municipal legislation as well as the city's annual operating budget.

The District of Columbia (DC) is not a state. Like the US Territories, it is represented by one seated, non-voting Delegate in Congress who can vote in committee but not on full House legislation. In addition, DC has "shadow" representatives -- two Senators and one Representative -- who are not recognized or seated in either chamber of Congress but are elected local representatives dedicated to advancing Statehood for the District. With federal oversight, however, Congress has the right to review and approve, or overturn, municipal legislation as well as the city's annual operating budget.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Mayoral

In one of the most consequential and competitive elections in DC’s history, seven Democrats are vying to succeed Bowser, led by Ward 4 City Councilmember Janeese Lewis-George and former City Council Member at-Large Kenyan McDuffie.

Other contenders include former at-Large Council Member Vincent “VO” Orange, business executive Gary Goodweather, and federal contractor Rini Sampath, the first-ever South Asian to qualify for the DC mayoral ballot. Reeves Center CEO Ernest Johnson and small business owner Hope Solomon are also running.

"The matchup has emerged as a battle between competing visions for the district’s Democratic Party. Lewis George has embraced a more progressive, left-wing message and drawn comparisons to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, while McDuffie has cast himself as a centrist Democrat closely aligned with Bowser," observed the Washington Examiner's Rena Rowe.

The race is also watched as a reflection of the larger divisions about the direction of the National Democratic Party and its next generation of leaders.

McDuffie, a former Norton staffer and trial attorney for the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, represented the northeastern Ward 5 on the council as a Democrat from 2012 to 2023, and as an Independent at-large member on the Council from 2023 to 2026. He resigned from his position January 5, 2026, to re-register as a Democrat and run for mayor.

McDuffie, who has the "support" (but not official endorsement) of Bowser, is viewed by some as an extension of, and possibly a referendum on, Mayor Bowser’s leadership. He has the endorsements of more moderate former elected officials, including former mayors Sharon Pratt and Tony Williams, as well as current council members Wendell Felder and Anita Bonds. Former US Attorney General Eric Holder, former DNC Chairs Tom Perez and Jamie Harrison, and, notably, Maryland US Senator Angela Alsobrooks are also backing his candidacy,

Organizational support includes the DC Chamber of Commerce, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington, the DC Realtors Association and pro-business advocacy group Opportunity DC.

George, an attorney who has represented DC's northernmost Ward 4 for six years, has consolidated the endorsements of the AFL-CIO, progressive and environmental organizations, as well as current DC council members Robert White, Brianne Nadeau, Charles Allen, Trayon White and Zachary Parker. Former council members Yvette Alexander, Tommy Wells and former DC AG Karl Racine are also supporting Lewis George.

Her endorsement from the Democratic Socialists of America drew Trump's attention, who suggested last week that the federal government could “take back” Washington, DC if Lewis George wins.

In August 2025, Trump announced a temporary federal takeover of policing the nation's capital, falsely claiming the need to rescue it from "crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor." That included the deployment of ICE agents in a massive immigration dragnet, along with what has been an open-ended deployment of National Guard troops in the city's streets. Louis George called Trump's remarks "an attack on democracy itself."

According to a May 27- June 1, 2026 Washington Post-Schar School poll, Lewis George leads McDuffie by 11 points among likely Democratic primary voters, but at least 25% were still undecided. Despite her double-digit lead, the city's newly enacted ranked-choice voting system offers McDuffie and other contenders an opening to increase their numbers.

For the first time, DC is using a Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) electoral system in which voters rank up to five candidates in order of their preference on their ballots. If no candidate wins 50%+ in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. The votes of the eliminated candidate are then reallocated to the second choice of the last-place finisher's voters. The process is repeated until one candidate surpasses the majority threshold.

For the first time, DC is using a Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) electoral system in which voters rank up to five candidates in order of their preference on their ballots. If no candidate wins 50%+ in the first round, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated. The votes of the eliminated candidate are then reallocated to the second choice of the last-place finisher's voters. The process is repeated until one candidate surpasses the majority threshold.

Lewis George and McDuffie opted into the public campaign financing program, meant to reduce the influence of deep-pocketed donors. As of May 31, Lewis George had raised $3,150,000 and McDuffie $2,980,000, including matching public funds. However, super PAC groups with no donation caps have spent millions of dollars to support their candidates of choice through attack ads and campaign literature.

Delegate
As Washington's representative to the US Congress, the primary mission of DC's Delegate is to advocate for Statehood -- a battle that has been raging since the nation's Capital was established in 1801.

It was not until 1970 that the District was allowed to elect a non-voting Delegate to the House of Representatives, and in 1973 Congress passed the Home Rule Act, finally giving DC residents the right to elect their own city council and mayor. Congress, however, still retains ultimate authority.

Five candidates are running to succeed Norton, 88, who has held the office for more than three decades. The leading contenders are Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto, who in 2022, at the age of 28, became the youngest person ever elected to the council, and current At-Large Councilmember Robert White Jr., a fifth-generation Washingtonian who has served since 2016 and waged a failed 2022 bid for mayor.

Former Norton Senior Legislative Counsel Trent Holbrook, former Microsoft communications strategist and major donor Kinney Zalesne, and former US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Greg Jaczko are also running.

Pinto, a former DC Assistant Attorney General who represents Georgetown and downtown DC and is often the swing vote on the council, is running with strong backing from the business community. She touts her legislative accomplishments, including successful crime initiatives as Chairwoman of the council's Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety.

Like McDuffie, she has the endorsement of some of the city's more moderate leaders, including former council members Jarvis and Cheh, and former Mayor Williams, as well as current Council member Bonds and US Senators Alsobrooks (MD) and Richard Blumenthal (CT). The Restaurant Association, the International Association of Firefighters, and dozens of local community leaders are also among her supporters.

White, who served for six years as Norton's Legislative Counsel for economic development, environmental protection, and home rule legislation, served as DC's first Director of the Office of Community Outreach, and is also the founding President of the Brightwood Park Citizens Association.

His candidacy is backed by the Washington Metropolitan AFL-CIO and multiple labor unions, a coalition of progressive organizations, the DC Latino Caucus, and Congress's Congressional Black Caucus PAC. Current council members George and Charles Allen have endorsed White, along with education leaders and close to two dozen ANC members

The Delegate's race has become the most expensive in district history, with primary contenders raising a collective $3.3 million. Pinto, who comes from a wealthy Connecticut family, has benefited from a broad donor base, including contributions from individuals with histories of supporting Republicans. As of May 27, she had raised $1.53 million, followed by $796,000 brought in by Zalesne and White with $684,000.

Other Offices on the Ballot
The local government and federal representation positions on the June 16 ballot include:

DC Attorney General: In his first re-election bid as Attorney General, Brian Schwalb is facing a primary challenge from Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) J.P. Szymkowicz.

City Council: The city council consists of 13 members. Eight are elected by each of the city's eight wards, while five -- including the council chairperson -- are elected at large. Council seats for Wards 1, 3, 5, and 6 are up for election.

At-Large City Council Democratic Primary Election
Nine Democrats are running to succeed retiring three-term Councilmember Anita Bonds. Among the most well-known: Current US House Shadow Representative Oye Owolewa, and attorney, former Bond staffer and son of former Ward 7 Councilmember Kevin P. Chavous, Kevin B. Chavous.

Several candidates, lacking frontrunner status, have formed strategic coalitions around the ranked-choice voting system. Former State Board of Education President Lisa Raymond, anti-gun violence advocate Greg Jackson, and former ANC commissioner Candace Tiana Nelson have distributed literature urging voters to rank them collectively to pool second-and third-choice votes.

Other contenders are small business owner Fred Hill and former ANC commissioner Leniqua'dominique Jenkins.

Special At-Large City Council Election
The special election is to elect a council member to serve out the remainder of Kenyan McDuffie’s at-large seat, which he vacated in January to run for mayor, and runs through January 2027. Then, a separate race will take place in November to determine who will serve out the next four-year term.

Three candidates are running for the "Independent " seat, one of two positions on the council reserved for non-Democrats, as mandated by Congress.

Council member Doni Crawford, a former McDuffie staffer who was appointed interim At-Large councilmember, is running against former council member Elissa Silverman and DC State Board of Education President Jacque Patterson. Crawford, who has the endorsement of DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, has received significant backing from business and real estate interests, while Silverman, who held the seat for eight years before losing it to McDuffie in 2022, has the endorsements of major labor unions and pro-transit groups. Patterson has the support of education equity group ElectED DC.

While Silverman appears to have the edge, Crawford and Patterson have used the ranked-choice voting system to their advantage, cross-endorsing one another and asking their supporters to rank the other one second, in a strategic move to try to push Silverman aside.

DC City Council Ward Seats
Wards 1, 3, 5 and 6 are up for election.

In Ward 1, five Democrats are vying for the chance to replace longtime council member Brianne K. Nadeau. The incumbents in Wards 5 and 6 are facing competition from fellow Democrats.

Council Chairman Phil Mendelson (D) is running unopposed for a new term, as is the council’s Ward 3 member, Matthew Frumin (D).

Potential Special Elections: With three council members running for Mayor or Delegate on the June 16 ballot, and a potential vacancy in Ward 8, where Council member Trayon White is pending a March trial on bribery, it is likely there are more changes to come!

For more information on other offices and Election Results: Here