How the DC Council Works

Structure

The DC Council has 13 members:

8 Ward members — one elected from each of DC's eight geographic wards
4 At-Large members — elected by the entire District; must include at least one member from a party other than the majority party (a safeguard against one-party dominance)
1 Chairman — elected at-large to serve as Council Chair

Ward vs. At-Large

Ward members represent a specific geographic area and tend to focus on hyperlocal issues — constituent services, neighborhood development, and ward-specific concerns.

At-Large members represent the entire District. They can serve as a check on ward-specific interests and often focus on District-wide issues like housing policy, public safety, and the city's relationship with Congress.

The 2026 races on this site

Ward 1 includes Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Mt. Pleasant, Petworth, Shaw, and parts of U Street. Retiring Councilmember Brianne Nadeau is not seeking re-election.
Ward 5 covers a wide swath of Northeast DC including Trinidad, Brentwood, Langdon, Edgewood, Michigan Park, Brookland, Lamond-Riggs, Fort Lincoln, and the Ivy City corridor. Incumbent Zachary Parker is seeking re-election.
Ward 6 spans neighborhoods in all four quadrants of the city — Capitol Hill, Southwest Waterfront and the Wharf, Navy Yard and Capitol Riverfront, NoMa, Penn Quarter, Gallery Place-Chinatown, and Buzzard Point. Incumbent Charles Allen is seeking re-election.
At-Large (Special Election): Kenyan McDuffie vacated his At-Large seat to run for mayor. A non-partisan special election — open to all registered voters regardless of party — will fill the remaining term (through January 2, 2027). The same seat is then up for a full four-year term in the November 2026 general election.
At-Large (Regular Election): Anita Bonds is retiring after years representing the District. This is a full four-year term.

DC's unique situation

DC is not a state, which means the DC Council's laws can be overturned by Congress. The Council operates under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act and must submit its budget to Congress for review. Federal intervention in DC governance has been a recurring issue, particularly during the Trump administration.