Democratic socialist secures party's nomination for DC mayor after challenger concedes election
Lewis George has been compared to New York’s Zohran Mamdani, who is also a democratic socialist, and is expected to win the general election in November, setting the city on a collision course with the Trump administration’s plans to remake the nation’s capital.
Democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George, who is a Washington, D.C., city council member, won the Democratic nomination for D.C. mayor Thursday after challenger Kenyan McDuffie conceded the race.
Lewis George has been compared to New York’s Zohran Mamdani, who is also a democratic socialist, and is expected to win the general election in November, setting the city on a collision course with the Trump administration’s plans to remake the nation’s capital city.
“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 reported by NBC News.
McDuffie's exit comes after he trailed Lewis George 52.9% to 36.4% as of Thursday afternoon, with 75% of the vote counted, according to the Associated Press.
Lewis George now faces no serious challenges in the deep blue city, meaning she is likely to replace outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser next year, according to Politico. Bowser announced last year she was not seeking reelection.
The change in leadership sets up a likely clash over the nation's capital with the Trump administration, after Bowser took a largely cooperative approach with the White House. Lewis George has been a vocal critic of Bowser’s more centrist leadership of the city, especially her approach toward Trump’s crime-fighting and immigration enforcement efforts in Washington.
Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.