Janeese Lewis George, a self-described democratic socialist and Washington, D.C., City Council member, is on track to become the nation’s capital’s next mayor after her primary opponent conceded Thursday morning.
Former D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie called the race for Lewis George two days after Tuesday’s Democratic primary. “Earlier this morning, I called Councilmember Janeese Lewis George to congratulate her on her victory and wish her success as she prepares for the general election,” McDuffie said in a statement Thursday.
Lewis George holds roughly 53 percent of the vote to McDuffie’s 37 percent in the ranked-choice contest. Decision Desk HQ has not yet officially called the race.
With no viable Republican challenger in a city that votes overwhelmingly Democratic, Lewis George is expected to win the November general election and take over from outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser, who is not seeking a fourth term.
Lewis George, who represents Ward 4 on the D.C. Council, ran with endorsements from Black Lives Matter, the Working Families Party, and the Metropolitan D.C. chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. She has backed the defund police movement and opposed President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to the capital.
Trump federalized the Metropolitan Police Department and deployed National Guard troops to D.C. last year, citing what he described as rampant gang activity, violent youth mobs, and failing public safety. Crime in D.C. fell 35 percent in 2024, a 30-year low according to Department of Justice data, and dropped an additional 18 percent in 2025, the first full year of Trump’s second term, per District data.
Lewis George fought those federal moves throughout her campaign. When Trump announced the National Guard deployment, she called it an attack on the city’s 700,000 residents.
“Like many of you, I am shocked and outraged that President Trump has announced he is weaponizing the Home Rule Act by deploying the National Guard and exercising authority over the Metropolitan Police Department. This is a direct attack on the 700,000 residents of DC and we will not stand for it,” Lewis George said at the time.
During a primary debate, Lewis George said enforcing youth curfews with federal officers amounted to a danger to young people, calling ICE agents and federal troops present in the city “not individuals who are trained in de-escalation” and “not accountable to D.C. residents.” She has proposed expanding youth programming and childcare subsidies as alternatives to curfew enforcement.
Trump has responded to her likely victory by threatening to extend federal control over the district. Asked last week how he would respond to a democratic socialist winning the mayor’s race, Trump said he would not accept it.
“I wouldn’t like it, and maybe we take back Washington, run it on the federal basis,” Trump said at a White House press briefing. “We won’t put up with it. We’re not going to lose our businesses.”
Trump has previously suggested ending home rule for the District of Columbia if local leadership conflicts with federal priorities. Lewis George’s opposition to the National Guard deployment and her defund-police record are expected to accelerate those tensions.
Tuesday’s Democratic primary was the first open mayoral contest in D.C. in two decades, as no incumbent appeared on the ballot.
