Mayoral Election
Democratic Primary — June 16, 2026
What's at stake
The mayor sets DC's annual budget, appoints all major agency heads (including the MPD chief), and is the District's primary negotiator with Congress and the White House. In 2026, with federal threats to DC autonomy intensifying, this race carries extra weight. Incumbent Mayor Muriel Bowser is not seeking re-election. Seven Democrats are running in the primary, and ranked choice voting applies for the first time in June 2026.
Candidates
Each candidate's full set of positions is listed on their profile page.
Ward 4 Councilmember and native Washingtonian with six years on DC Council. Howard University law graduate; former assistant attorney general of DC.
Endorsements (63)
Labor unions
- Metropolitan Washington Council (AFL-CIO)
- Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU Local 689)
- 32BJ SEIU
- 1199 SEIU (United Healthcare Workers East)
- UFCW Local 400
- Unite Here! Local 23 (Hospitality Industry Workers Union)
- Unite Here! Local 25 (Hospitality Industry Workers Union)
- Washington Teachers' Union (AFT Local 6 AFL-CIO)
- Nonprofit Professional Employees Union
- Carpenters (Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters)
- AFGE Local 2725 AFL-CIO
- Committee of Interns and Residents (SEIU Healthcare)
- Baltimore – D.C. Metro Building Trades Council
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Local 26)
- IUPAT (District Council 51)
- LiUNA! (Baltimore/Washington District Council)
- AFGE Local 2978
- Local 500 SEIU
- AFSCME (District Council 20)
- District of Columbia Nurses Association
- Nation's Capital Southern Maryland Area Local (APWU AFL-CIO)
- Teamsters Local 639
- Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFL-CIO)
- National Nurses Organizing Committee
- AFGE
- AFGE District 14
- Washington DC Fire Fighters (Local 36)
- Union of American Physicians & Dentists
Elected/Appointed Officials
- Robert White (At-Large Councilmember)
- Brianne Nadeau (Ward 1 Councilmember)
- Zachary Parker (Ward 5 Councilmember)
- Charles Allen (Ward 6 Councilmember)
- Karl Racine (Former DC Attorney General)
- Yvette Alexander (Former Ward 7 Councilmember)
- Tommy Wells (Former Ward 6 Councilmember)
- Frazier O'Leary (Former DC Board of Education Member)
Advocacy & community organizations
- Sierra Club
- Free DC
- Jews United for Justice
- Greater Greater Washington
- Metro DC DSA
- DC Young Democrats
- Working Families Party
- Our Revolution DC
- People for the American Way
- Lead Locally
- Bike, Walk and Bus PAC
- DC for Democracy
- Care in Action
- Rachel's Action Network
- Casa in Action
- DC Voters for Animals
- Progressive Voters Network
- Ward 1 Dems
- DC Women in Politics
- DC YIMBYs
- Vote Mama
- Caribbean-American Political Action Committee
- Maryland/DC Alliance for Retired Americans
- Jane Fonda Climate PAC
- Cleveland Park Smart Growth
- Capital Stonewall Democrats
- Democratic Municipal Officials
Fourth-generation Washingtonian; 13-year DC Council member (Ward 5, then At-Large); author of the NEAR Act; former civil rights attorney in the Obama Justice Department. Howard University and UDC graduate.
Endorsements (24)
Elected/Appointed Officials
- Sharon Pratt (Former Mayor)
- Tony Williams (Former Mayor)
- Anita Bonds (Councilmember)
- Wendell Felder (Councilmember)
- Mary Cheh (Former Councilmember)
- Linda Cropp (Former Council Chair)
- Charlene Drew Jarvis (Former Councilmember)
- Angela Alsobrooks (Senator, MD)
- Aisha Braveboy (County Executive)
- Tom Perez (Former Labor Secretary)
- Liz Oyer (Former Pardon Attorney)
Advocacy & community organizations
- RAMW
- DMV New Liberals
- District of Columbia Association of Realtors
- Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors
- Associated Builders and Contractors Metro Washington
- Small Multifamily Owners Association
- Chevy Chase Forward
- Washington Parking Association
Individuals & public figures
- 'Big G' Anwan Glover (Actor/Musician)
- Raheem DeVaughn (Singer-Songwriter)
- DJ Quicksilva
- Kurtis Blow (Musician/Producer)
Newspapers & editorial boards
- Washington Jewish Week
U.S. Army veteran (Captain); 30+ years in business and organizational leadership; Bucknell B.A. (Political Science) and Johns Hopkins MBA (Finance). DC area resident for 20+ years.
Endorsements (2)
Advocacy & community organizations
- DMV New Liberals
- DC Voters for Animals
Columbia Heights resident; real estate broker, Notary Public, and Harvard Government Analysis master's graduate. Founder, Friends of Frank Reeves Center; eight-year Back-2-School Block Party organizer. DC Apprenticeship Council member. Has a prior conviction.
Full profile →Attorney, CPA, and long-serving DC politician. BS/BA (University of the Pacific), JD Howard, LLM Taxation Georgetown; Harvard Kennedy School executive certificates. Former CEO of DC Chamber of Commerce; Region VP at PEPCO. Author of 30+ enacted DC laws including the $15 minimum wage.
Full profile →Cybersecurity company director, age 31; U Street resident. Former USC Student Body President (first all-women ticket). Built three civic tech tools: "DC Fix It" 311 app, budget transparency dashboard, and small business permitting concierge. "Fix the basics" execution-first platform. Did not qualify for DC Fair Elections.
Full profile →Born and raised in DC; DC Public Schools alum. Worked inside the FBI identifying system failures. Family business since 1977; small business owner. "Get the basics right" platform: trash, rats, snow, permits, 911. "DOGE'd" from federal position February 2026. All-volunteer campaign.
Full profile →Write-in mayoral candidate and civil rights attorney. Two decades of litigation against the DOJ, MPD, WMATA, and DC Housing Authority on behalf of workers and families. Senior advocate, urban farmer, and food justice activist.
Full profile →