Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist whom President Donald Trump has called a “communist,” won the Washington, D.C., mayoral race by a wide margin Tuesday. She also said she is prepared to work with the administration when it benefits District residents.
Lewis George, 38, serves on the D.C. Council. She received nearly 85% of the ranked-choice vote, according to the latest figures from the District of Columbia Board of Elections. Her opponents were Green Party candidate Robert Gross and independent Rhonda Hamilton.
She said the District’s voters choose its mayor and that she would cooperate with the administration where useful, while also challenging it when necessary.
One early priority, she said, will be a detailed review of District agencies to examine spending, potential savings, and possible fraud or mismanagement. She said the effort would help build public trust in how taxpayer money is handled.
Lewis George to succeed Bowser
Lewis George will take over from Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has held the office since 2015 and announced last year that she would not seek another term.
Bowser congratulated the mayor-elect in a post on X, saying she would support a smooth transition and continue working through the end of her term. She also praised the District for maintaining its home-rule authority and electing its next leaders.
Lewis George joins a growing group of democratic socialist mayors, including New York City’s Zohran Mamdani, Seattle’s Katie Wilson, and Providence, Rhode Island, Mayor-elect David Morales.
“Thank you for trusting this daughter of the District to lead us,” Lewis George wrote after her victory.
Earlier this year, she said she wanted to tackle D.C.’s affordability crisis. She argued that mass federal employee layoffs and the militarization of city streets under the Trump administration had made the problem worse.
Trump has criticized her agenda
After Lewis George won the Democratic primary in June, Trump said he would not allow her policies to damage the city. He accused her of supporting prison releases, sanctuary-city policies, opposition to federal immigration enforcement, reduced police funding, and expanded cashless bail.
Trump also said he had worked to make Washington safer and more attractive, and warned that he would oppose efforts he believed could undermine that progress. He said he was willing to meet with Lewis George, while questioning her intentions for the city.
