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Janeese Lewis George

Democratic candidate for Mayor of the District of Columbia · Open seat

Ward 4 member of the Council of the District of Columbia; lawyer

Janeese Lewis George is a Democrat who has represented Ward 4 on the Council of the District of Columbia since January 2021 and describes herself as a democratic socialist. She announced her campaign for mayor on December 1, 2025, after Mayor Muriel Bowser said she would not seek a fourth term. She won the June 16, 2026 Democratic primary with about 53% of the vote, and runner-up Kenyan McDuffie conceded on June 18.

Where George stands

Housing

Proposes building 72,000 homes in five years, expanding rent stabilization, prioritizing affordable housing, reforming zoning laws and streamlining permitting.

Homelessness

Says her administration would not clear encampment residents without a stable path to permanent housing. Supports funding housing vouchers, including Permanent Supportive Housing and the Local Rent Supplement Program.

Federal intervention and home rule

Opposes the federal law-enforcement surge and National Guard deployment in D.C. She calls them an attack on the District's autonomy and has pledged to fight them.

Immigration enforcement

Proposes to scale back the Metropolitan Police Department's cooperation with federal immigration officials and the federal 'Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful' task force starting on her first day in office.

Autonomous vehicles

Opposes quickly legalizing autonomous vehicles such as Waymo in D.C. She says expected AI-related job losses put workers, including drivers, at risk.

Sanitation / rodent control

Says she and her team are preparing to tackle the District's rat problem directly, so that residents have safe and clean streets.

Background

• Member, Council of the District of Columbia (Ward 4), 2021–present; elected 2020 after defeating incumbent Brandon Todd in the Democratic primary
• Assistant attorney general, D.C. Office of the Attorney General under Karl Racine, starting 2014
• J.D., Howard University School of Law
• Graduate of D.C. public schools; third-generation Washingtonian
• Won the 2026 Democratic mayoral primary (June 16, 2026)

In the news

• Presumptive D.C. Mayor Janeese Lewis George Demands Halt to Waymo Legalization To Protect Drivers' Jobs Reason, October 16, 2026
• "they keep getting bigger and bigger." PoPville, October 16, 2026
• Janeese Lewis George's plans to handle housing and homelessness in the District Street Sense Media, October 7, 2026

Also running for Mayor of the District of Columbia

• Rhonda Hamilton Independent
• Robert L. Gross DC Statehood Green

Sources

• Street Sense Media: housing and homelessness plans (Oct. 7, 2026)
• NBC News: primary result
• Hill Rag: campaign announcement
• NBC Washington: candidate profile
• Washington Examiner: immigration cooperation pledge
• Reason: Waymo statement
• PoPville: rat statement
• Wikipedia: 2026 D.C. mayoral election

Last researched October 23, 2026. Written in neutral language from the sources above. Spot an error? See how to report it.