Lewis George nears DC mayoralty after primary rival concedes
Janeese Lewis George’s main Democratic rival conceded, putting the DC council member on track for November in a city with no Republican mayoral contender.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Janeese Lewis George, a Democratic Socialist running for mayor of Washington, DC, is on course to become the city’s next mayor after her leading rival in the Democratic primary conceded, Al Jazeera reported. The result matters because the capital’s next mayor will take office after repeated threats by President Donald Trump to assert greater federal control over the district.
Al Jazeera reported that Kenyan McDuffie, Lewis George’s top competitor, conceded Thursday after she built a large lead in Tuesday’s primary. Washington, DC, votes heavily Democratic, and the winner of the Democratic primary is likely to prevail in the November general election, according to Al Jazeera.
The outlet reported that no Republican is running for mayor, though independent and third-party candidates may still compete. Lewis George is a DC council member and former prosecutor, according to Al Jazeera.
A campaign shaped by Trump
Lewis George campaigned on a more confrontational approach to the Trump administration, Al Jazeera reported. The outlet said she won support from labor groups while promising to set limits on cooperation with the federal government, including ending coordination between local police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
If elected, Lewis George would be the first member of the Democratic Socialists of America to lead Washington, DC, according to Al Jazeera. The group also includes New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Al Jazeera reported.
McDuffie, a former council member, drew support from parts of the city’s business community and presented himself as a moderate, according to Al Jazeera. The outlet reported that his approach resembled that of current Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has mixed criticism of Trump with limited cooperation.
Trump has made clear he opposed a Lewis George victory, Al Jazeera reported. The president suggested he might “take back Washington and run it on the federal basis” if she became mayor, according to the outlet.
DC’s limited self-rule
Washington’s status gives the federal government unusual authority over local affairs, Al Jazeera reported. Under a 1973 law, the district has home rule, allowing residents to elect a mayor, council members and neighborhood commissioners to oversee daily government, according to the outlet.
Al Jazeera reported that statehood advocates have long pushed for the district, which has more than 700,000 residents, to become a state. Both Lewis George and McDuffie support DC statehood, according to the outlet.
Since returning to office in January of last year, Trump has repeatedly threatened to exert more power over the district, Al Jazeera reported. The outlet said he briefly federalized the city’s police department in August of last year, citing a crime emergency, increased federal immigration enforcement in the city and deployed the National Guard as part of what he called a “beautification” project.
Before Tuesday’s vote, Lewis George said DC needed a firm response to Trump’s threats, according to Al Jazeera. “We are not going to get ICE off our streets or protect Home Rule by fearing this President,” she said.
Lewis George also cast Trump’s comments as an attack on local voters, Al Jazeera reported. “Threatening DC because you do not like how our residents vote is an attack on democracy itself. The people of DC elect the Mayor of DC. And they want someone who will stand up to Trump,” she said.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.