D.C. Council Member Leads Democratic Primary for Washington Mayor

Janeese Lewis George leads the Democratic primary for Washington, D.C., mayor with an 80 percent chance of victory on Polymarket and an 84 percent chance on Kalshi as of Monday morning. The Washington Post/George Mason University poll conducted May 27-June 1 among 836 likely Democratic voters and the City Cast/TrueDot poll conducted May 12-17 among 487 registered Democrats both showed her ahead of other candidates.

Tuesday's primary marks the first time D.C. will use ranked-choice voting. Voters rank candidates by preference, and if no candidate reaches 50 percent, the lowest vote-getter is eliminated and those votes are redistributed until one candidate reaches a majority.

If Lewis George wins the primary, she would be heavily favored in the November general election in a city that gave President Donald Trump less than 7 percent of the vote in 2024.

Campaign Finance Finding The D.C.

Office of Campaign Finance issued a final order on June 12, 2026, stating that Lewis George's campaign violated multiple provisions of campaign finance law and the Fair Elections Program, resulting in a $16,000 civil penalty. An independent expenditure committee supporting her was assessed an additional $4,000 penalty.

Her campaign told WTTG it would appeal the order, describing it as riddled with factual errors.

and Home Rule President Donald

Trump said last week that the federal government could take back Washington, D.C., depending on the election results. He stated the administration would not put up with conditions in the city and would run it on a federal basis if necessary. The Home Rule Act signed by President Richard Nixon in 1973 allows D.C. residents to elect local leaders, though Congress retains significant control over local affairs.