Lewis George wins D.C. mayoral race with 85% of vote
The 38-year-old councilmember defeated two opponents and pledged to cooperate with the Trump administration while auditing city agencies.
By Jabari Long ·
Washington, D.C. voters selected a new leader for the nation's capital on Tuesday, ending the eight-year tenure of Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Janeese Lewis George, a 38-year-old D.C. councilmember and Democratic socialist, secured victory in the ranked-choice voting contest. Data from the District of Columbia Board of Elections showed she captured nearly 85% of the total vote. Her opponents were Robert Gross, the Green Party candidate, and independent candidate Rhonda Hamilton.
Lewis George positioned her administration as a partner to the federal government while retaining the authority to push back when necessary. She told FOX 5 DC that the people of D.C. elect the mayor and that she is willing to work with the current administration for the benefit of residents. She stated she is also prepared to stand up to the White House when doing so serves that goal.
The incoming mayor outlined specific early actions for her term, including a forensic analysis of every District agency. She said this review will track savings, spending, fraud, and mishandling to ensure District taxpayers can trust the government with their dollars.
President Donald Trump, who previously labeled Lewis George a communist on social media, had vowed to monitor her tenure closely. In a June post on Truth Social, he listed several policy positions he attributed to her, including emptying prisons and defunding the police. He predicted the city would not be destroyed by her leadership and said he would meet with her.
Lewis George now joins a group of Democratic socialist mayors that includes Zohran Mamdani of New York City, Katie Wilson of Seattle, and David Morales of Providence, Rhode Island. She told The Associated Press earlier this year that she intends to address the local affordability crisis, which she said was worsened by federal workforce reductions and the militarization of streets.
Outgoing Mayor Bowser, who took office in 2015, posted on X Wednesday morning to congratulate her successor. Bowser wrote that the city kept its Home Rule intact and promised a seamless transition. Lewis George announced her win on X, thanking residents for trusting her to lead the district.
