Janeese Lewis George, a D.C. Council member and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, is set to become the next mayor of Washington. She beat moderate Democrat Kenyan McDuffie in the June Democratic primary 1. In November she faces independent and Green Party candidates in a race that is all but decided in the overwhelmingly Democratic city 1.
She would replace Mayor Muriel Bowser, who did not seek a fourth term 2. Lewis George is 38 and a third-generation Washingtonian 2.
A mayor who answers to Washington's federal overseers
Washington has limited self-government. Federal leaders keep significant control, including approval of the city's budget and of laws passed by the D.C. Council 2.
In August 2025, Trump seized control of the city's police department. He has also kept thousands of National Guard troops in Washington for the past 14 months, with plans to keep them there until his term ends in 2029 1. Trump said the moves were meant to crack down on crime, though violent crime in the city has fallen from earlier peaks 1.
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Trump has repeatedly threatened to federalize the city again 1. In June he called Lewis George a "communist" 1. Before the primary, he threatened to place the city under federal control if she won 2.
What she says she will do
On primary night, Lewis George said she would work with anyone who makes the city safer. She added that she "will also stand up to Trump," and said the city has legal tools to fight back 2. Her campaign declined CNBC's request for an interview 1.
Her priorities include universal childcare, affordable housing and lower utility costs 1. She also backs a new business activity tax. It would hit unincorporated partnerships, such as law offices and lobbying shops, that are based in the city but have owners who live elsewhere. The first $200,000 of economic activity would be exempt 1.
The DC Fiscal Policy Institute estimates a 2% version could raise about $500 million a year 1. Opponents say it would hurt small businesses 1.
Radical DC Democrats want to solve their spending problem by reaching deeper into taxpayers' pockets and driving further on the path to socialism. Let's be clear: higher taxes will not fix the financial mess they created,
Congress may step in
Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., introduced a bill that would effectively let Congress block tax increases the city approves. It cleared the House Oversight Committee, which he chairs, on July 22 1. It still needs a full House vote, and it is unclear whether that will happen 1.
Ankit Jain, a D.C. shadow senator, told CNBC he thinks the bill's odds of passing both chambers are slim 1.
Symbol or force?
Experts disagree on how much she can do. American University professor David Barker said her tenure may be more symbolic than anything else 1.
I think Janeese Lewis George is going to have to thread that needle as well,
That matters beyond the capital. After Zohran Mamdani's win in New York, voters are watching whether democratic socialists can govern. A D.C. mayor who is willing to say no to a president who controls the city's police is a test case for that fight.
The Record
- Trump seized control of Washington's police department and deployed National Guard troops, citing crime 1.
- Lewis George won the Democratic mayoral primary over Kenyan McDuffie 2.
- The House Oversight Committee advanced Comer's D.C. Taxing Authority Review Act 1.
- General election, with Lewis George expected to win 1.
Sources
- CNBC, “Democratic socialist set to become D.C. mayor — and face Trump's pushback” (2026-10-23). cnbc.com/2026/10/23/janeese-lewis-george-democratic-socialis
- AP via PBS NewsHour, “Janeese Lewis George wins the Democratic primary for mayor of Washington, D.C.” (2026-06-18). pbs.org/newshour/amp/politics/janeese-lewis-george-wins-the-
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