Female Mamdani Running To Replace DC’s Longtime Mayor

D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George, a self-avowed democratic socialist, announced Monday she will run to lead the nation’s capital in 2026.

Lewis George, 37, is a lifelong Washingtonian who has represented the District’s 4th Ward, since 2021. According to an announcement video she posted to X Monday morning, her campaign is set to focus on cost-of-living issues and strengthening public services — a platform bearing striking similarities to that of New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, who also describes himself as a democratic socialist.

Lewis George launching her mayoral bid makes her the first candidate to jump into the race since Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser — who has served as mayor since 2015 — announced she would not run for a fourth term.

“I ran for D.C. Council because I was sick of the status quo, tired of watching politicians make plans that left the rest of us out,” Lewis George said in her campaign launch video. “Rent’s rising in homes people can’t afford, folks working hard and still feeling the squeeze, while few in power rake in profits.”

Lewis George has been strongly opposed to Bowser’s