Kenyan McDuffie

MPD should not assist ICE or other federal agencies in immigration enforcement operations within DC.

McDuffie's Ballotpedia candidate survey response explicitly states he will 'end MPD cooperation with ICE' and expand legal protections for immigrant families. At the April 30, 2026 Fair Elections Program mayoral debate he reiterated, 'I'm going to end cooperation between [the] Metropolitan Police Department and ICE,' to embed 'fairness and justice' in DC policing.

Sources: [Mayoral election in Washington, D.C., 2026 — Ballotpedia (Candidate Connection survey)], [DC Fair Elections Program mayoral debate (April 30, 2026)]

DC should treat violence as a public health problem, investing heavily in violence interruption programs and community-based solutions.

McDuffie authored the NEAR Act in 2016 and pledges to fully fund it as mayor. At the April 30, 2026 Fair Elections Program mayoral debate he said the NEAR Act 'ushered in a public health-based approach to crime prevention,' to 'treat violence like the epidemic that it is,' and pledged to use a NEAR Act provision letting the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement raise philanthropic dollars to train community violence interrupters.

Sources: [NEAR Act Implementation], [Mayoral election in Washington, D.C., 2026 — Ballotpedia], [Neighborhood Safety and Engagement Fund Violence Prevention and Intervention Initiatives Enhancement Amendment Act of 2018 — DC Council LIMS], [Center for Firearm Violence Prevention Research Establishment Act of 2018 — DC Council LIMS], [DC Fair Elections Program mayoral debate (April 30, 2026)]

The 2024 Secure DC omnibus legislation — which increased penalties and expanded pre-trial detention — was the right approach to addressing DC's crime surge.

Voted for the 2024 Secure DC omnibus legislation.

Sources: [Secure DC Omnibus Amendment Act of 2024 — DC Council LIMS]

DC should enforce a curfew for minors as a tool to reduce youth crime.

Conditionally supports teen curfews as a short-term measure alongside alternative programming, jobs, and mental health access.

Sources: [Kenyan McDuffie — Free DC Candidate Questionnaire]

Any youth curfew must be paired with substantial investment in alternative programming — jobs, recreation centers, mental health services — for young people.

Frames curfews as a short-term measure that must be accompanied by programming, jobs, and mental health access.

Sources: [Kenyan McDuffie — Free DC Candidate Questionnaire], [Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program Creditable Service Benefit Amendment Act of 2025 — DC Council LIMS]

DC should significantly increase the Housing Production Trust Fund.

Pledges to build 12,000 new housing units by 2030 and preserve 20,000 affordable homes.

Sources: [Mayoral election in Washington, D.C., 2026 — Ballotpedia]

Hiring significantly more MPD officers is a priority for reducing crime in DC.

Has pledged to hire 1,000 new MPD officers and double the hiring bonus to $50,000. His platform calls for a 'right-sized MPD through smart recruitment, home purchase assistance, and reinvestment in community safety programs' alongside an expanded cadet program.

Sources: [We fact-checked the attacks in the D.C. mayoral race — The 51st], [Platform — Kenyan McDuffie for Mayor]

DC should build more protected bike lanes and dedicated bus lanes.

Platform calls for accelerating bus lane infrastructure and signal improvements on corridors where buses are delayed, investing in protected bike lanes and safer intersections, and fully funding Metro for the long term.

Sources: [Platform — Kenyan McDuffie for Mayor]

Every DC public school should have a dedicated behavioral health clinician on staff.

Platform pledges 'timely special education, mental health, and school health services' in DC public schools and frames school-based behavioral health as part of his education agenda.

Sources: [Platform — Kenyan McDuffie for Mayor]

DC should use all available legal tools — including litigation and public advocacy — to protect federal workers from mass terminations and defend federal agencies from relocation out of the District.

Platform's Accountability pillar is titled 'Defend Home Rule and DC Autonomy.' He pledges to issue a Day-One directive ending MPD cooperation with ICE, bolster the Mayor's Office of Legal Counsel for constitutional challenges, and 'fight for statehood, expand legislative and budget autonomy and defend Home Rule.' He also promises a federal workforce transition pipeline for displaced federal workers.

Sources: [Platform — Kenyan McDuffie for Mayor]

DC should aggressively accelerate its transition to 100% renewable energy, installing solar on public buildings and investing in geothermal and other clean sources.

McDuffie led passage of one of the nation's strongest clean energy standards on DC Council. His platform's Environmental Justice section pledges investments in community solar, expanded weatherization and energy-efficiency upgrades for low-income families, and a 'Climate and Environmental Justice Workforce Initiative' tied to clean energy investments.

Sources: [Platform — Kenyan McDuffie for Mayor], [Nonprofit Solar Tax Exemption Amendment Act of 2025 — DC Council LIMS]

DC should expand subsidized childcare into a universal program — available to all DC residents regardless of income — building on the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP).

Platform has a dedicated 'Expand Access to Childcare & Early Learning' section. McDuffie pledges an expanded Local Child Tax Credit, employer incentives, repurposed District-owned space for subsidized care in underserved areas, and updated zoning for home-based childcare. His approach expands access and reduces costs but through targeted measures rather than a universal program.

Sources: [Platform — Kenyan McDuffie for Mayor]

DC should respond to Trump administration interference in city governance with an assertive, public stance — filing lawsuits, passing protective legislation, and refusing to comply with unlawful federal directives — rather than quiet diplomacy or pragmatic deal-making.

Platform's Accountability pillar is titled 'Defend Home Rule and DC Autonomy' — pledges a Day-One directive ending MPD cooperation with ICE, bolstering the Mayor's Office of Legal Counsel for constitutional challenges, and fighting for legislative and budget autonomy. His approach is assertive and uses legal tools, but frames resistance through institutional channels rather than explicit political confrontation. At the April 30, 2026 Fair Elections Program mayoral debate he summarized the posture as 'work with the federal government where possible and fight back where necessary,' citing his first job out of Howard working for Eleanor Holmes Norton and pointing to collaboration on projects like RFK and Union Station — a calibrated mix rather than blanket confrontation.

Sources: [Platform — Kenyan McDuffie for Mayor], [DC Fair Elections Program mayoral debate (April 30, 2026)]

DC should cut taxes and fees on small and local businesses — and offer relief such as the small retailer property tax credit — to help them open, survive, and grow.

Has a record of investing in small business — he directed $100 million in pandemic relief grants to DC small businesses on the Council — and his platform pairs economic-justice tools with an expanded Local Child Tax Credit and employer incentives. Supportive of relief for small and local businesses, through targeted investment more than broad tax cuts.

Sources: [Platform — Kenyan McDuffie for Mayor]

DC should restore and strengthen TOPA (the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act) to give tenants the right to purchase their building before it's sold to an outside buyer.

Voted Yes on the TOPA Bona Fide Offer of Sale Clarification Amendment Act of 2015 (B 21-0147) during his Ward 5 Council term, supporting DC's tenant purchase rights framework. Also voted yes on the Karin House TOPA Exemption Resolution (PR 25-0440) during his At-Large term.

Sources: [TOPA Bona Fide Offer of Sale Clarification Amendment Act of 2015 — DC Council LIMS], [Karin House TOPA Exemption Emergency Declaration Resolution of 2023 — DC Council LIMS]

DC should legalize apartments and 'missing-middle' housing (duplexes, triplexes, and small multifamily buildings) citywide by removing single-family-only zoning restrictions.

At the April 30, 2026 Fair Elections Program mayoral debate McDuffie pledged to be 'bolder' on DC's Comprehensive Plan, addressing zoning issues and regulatory hurdles to build housing faster and across incomes (his plan: 12,000 new units, 20,000 preserved, 1,500 family-sized). Supportive of zoning reform to expand supply, though he framed his approach as 'realistic' — distinguishing it from a rival's larger target he called a 'fantasy' — rather than committing to a specific missing-middle/end-single-family-zoning measure.

Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program mayoral debate (April 30, 2026)]

DC should expand its automated traffic-enforcement camera program (speed and red-light cameras).

In the April 30, 2026 Fair Elections Program mayoral debate lightning round, McDuffie supported speed cameras 'when it prioritizes safety, not revenue,' framing automated enforcement as a Vision Zero tool rather than a revenue source.

Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program mayoral debate (April 30, 2026)]

The District's RFK Stadium / Washington Commanders redevelopment deal, as structured, is a good investment for DC residents.

McDuffie championed the RFK/Commanders redevelopment as chair of the Council's business and economic development committee. At the April 30, 2026 Fair Elections Program mayoral debate he pledged to 'work on projects like RFK' and to partner with the federal government to expand Union Station, framing the deal as part of growing DC's economy. Supportive.

Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program mayoral debate (April 30, 2026)]

DC should directly intervene to eliminate food deserts — including by opening a publicly owned grocery store in underserved areas like east of the Anacostia.

McDuffie addresses food deserts but favors incentivizing private grocers to open in underserved areas — citing the Lidl that opened at Skyland in Ward 8 — rather than a publicly owned, city-run grocery store. Opposes the public-grocery mechanism in this question.

Sources: [Your guide to the June 16 DC primary — The 51st]

DC should create a new tax on high-revenue professional-services firms — such as law firms, lobbyists, and consultants — to raise revenue for city programs.

McDuffie opposes Lewis George's proposed business-activity tax on professional-services firms, warning that a new tax on employers would drive jobs and investment out of the District amid federal workforce losses. Opposes.

Sources: [Fact-checking the DC mayoral race (Business Activity Tax)]

DC should strengthen worker protections — expanding paid family and medical leave and raising the minimum wage — even if it raises costs for employers.

McDuffie's record includes increasing the minimum wage, pay transparency, and wage-theft and misclassification enforcement. He supports strong worker protections, though he pairs them with a more business-friendly, growth-oriented posture than the most expansionist candidates. Supportive.

Sources: [Record: Defending Workers' Rights — Kenyan McDuffie for Mayor]

DC should overhaul the IMPACT teacher-evaluation system and make the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) independent of the mayor.

McDuffie defends the District's teacher-support and accountability framework and has opposed prior efforts to make OSSE independent of the mayor, favoring keeping education accountability with the executive. Opposes overhauling IMPACT and OSSE independence.

Sources: [Your guide to the June 16 DC primary — The 51st]