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District of Columbia: what's on the November 3, 2026 ballot

Name: District of Columbia general election
Start: 2026-11-03
Location: District of Columbia

Every candidate below is listed alphabetically, with party shown as text only. Open a name for their stated positions, background and recent news, each with sources.

Open District of Columbia on the map

Key dates

Voter registration deadline (mail and online): October 13, 2026. This is the deadline for applications that are not submitted in person. You can still register in person at Early Vote Centers (Oct. 26 to Nov. 1) or at Vote Centers on Election Day.
Last day to request a mail ballot: October 19, 2026. Ballot requests must be received by this date (15 days before the election). The Board planned to mail ballots to all registered voters starting about Sept. 28. Mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received by Nov. 13. Drop boxes close at 8:00 p.m. on Election Day.
Early voting at Early Vote Centers: October 26, 2026 to November 1, 2026. Open every day from 8:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. You can register and vote at the same visit.
Election Day: November 3, 2026. Vote Centers are open 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Anyone in line at 8:00 p.m. may vote, and you can register at a Vote Center that day.

Official election information: vote.gov

Who's running

Statewide races are loaded. U.S. House, state legislature and local races aren't loaded yet. Check your sample ballot for the full list.

Federal

Delegate to the House of Representatives from the District of Columbia

This is a two-year term, and the seat is open because the current delegate, Eleanor Holmes Norton, is not running. Voters may rank up to 4 choices.

Kymone Freeman DC Statehood Green · Open seat
Kymone Freeman is a native Washingtonian, playwright, community activist, and co-founder of We Act Radio, a radio and TV studio in D.C. He was the DC Statehood Green Party's…
Denise Rosado Republican · Open seat
Denise Rosado is an attorney in Washington, D.C., and the Republican nominee for D.C.'s non-voting Delegate to the U.S. House. She describes herself as a former Democrat who is now…
Robert White Democratic · Open seat
Robert White Jr. is a fifth-generation Washingtonian and has held an at-large seat on the D.C. Council since 2016. Before that he was legislative counsel to Delegate Eleanor Holmes…

United States Senator

This is the District's elected 'shadow' senator, a six-year term with no vote in Congress. The incumbent, Paul Strauss, is running again.

Robert Simmons Republican · Challenger
Robert "Rob" Simmons is the Republican nominee for U.S. Shadow Senator from the District of Columbia in the November 3, 2026 general election, running against incumbent Democrat…
Paul Strauss Democratic · Incumbent
Paul Strauss is a Democrat who has served as the District of Columbia's U.S. Shadow Senator, a non-voting position listed on the ballot as United States Senator, since January…

United States Representative

This is the District's elected 'shadow' representative, a two-year term with no vote in Congress. The seat is open because the incumbent, Oye Owolewa, is running for the Council.

Franklin Garcia Democratic · Open seat
Franklin Garcia is a Democrat who served three terms as the District of Columbia's U.S. Shadow Representative, from 2015 to 2021. He chose not to seek a fourth term in 2020 so he…
Ciprian Ivanof Republican · Open seat
Ciprian Ivanof is a Republican attorney and former Army National Guard member who was born in Romania. He is running for U.S. Shadow Representative for the District of Columbia, a…

State

Mayor of the District of Columbia

This is a four-year term, and the seat is open because Mayor Muriel Bowser is not running for a fourth term. Voters may rank up to 4 choices.

Janeese Lewis George Democratic · Open seat
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…
Robert L. Gross DC Statehood Green · Open seat
Robert L. Gross is a lifelong Washingtonian and technology professional. He is the DC Statehood Green Party's nominee for Mayor of the District of Columbia. He was unopposed on the…
Rhonda Hamilton Independent · Open seat
Rhonda Hamilton is a third-generation Washingtonian from Southeast D.C. She founded the mental health advocacy nonprofit M.I. Mother's Keeper and spent about 20 years in real…

Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia

This is a four-year term, and the incumbent, Phil Mendelson, is running again.

Phil Mendelson Democratic · Incumbent
Phil Mendelson is the Democratic incumbent Chairman of the Council of the District of Columbia. He has held the post since 2012 and was an at-large councilmember from 1998 to 2012.…
Abi-Ananiah Prudent Republican · Challenger
Abi-Ananiah Prudent is a nonprofit worker and community organizer who has done voter outreach and community organizing work. She filed with the DC Board of Elections for Chairman…

At-Large Member of the Council of the District of Columbia

These are four-year terms. Two at-large seats are up: Anita Bonds is not running, and Elissa Silverman, who won a June 2026 special election, is running. Voters may rank up to 5 choices.

This contest appears once on the ballot as a single ranked-choice race. Check your sample ballot for how the two seats are filled.

Darrell Green Republican · Challenger
Darrell Green is a Washington, D.C. native, a retired Metropolitan Police Department officer and a former co-owner of the Adams Mill Bar in Adams Morgan. He was the only candidate…
Darryl Moch DC Statehood Green · Challenger
Darryl Moch is a social-justice advocate who has worked on housing, homelessness and LGBTQ issues, and he chairs the D.C. Statehood Green Party. He was the party's nominee for…
Oye Owolewa Democratic · Challenger
Oye Owolewa is a pharmacist who has been the District of Columbia's U.S. Shadow Representative since January 2021, and he also serves as an elected neighborhood official. He ran…
Elissa Silverman Independent · Incumbent
Elissa Silverman is an independent who served as an at-large D.C. Councilmember from 2015 to 2023 and won the June 16, 2026 special election to finish the term of Kenyan McDuffie,…

Attorney General for the District of Columbia

This is a four-year term, and the incumbent, Brian L. Schwalb, is running again.

Manuel Rivera Republican · Challenger
Manuel Rivera is a Puerto Rico-born attorney in Washington, D.C. who practices immigration law. He announced a run for the Republican nomination for D.C. Attorney General in early…
Brian L. Schwalb Democratic · Incumbent
Brian L. Schwalb is a Democrat who has served as the District of Columbia's elected Attorney General since January 2, 2023, after winning the 2022 general election. He won the June…

Ballot measures

Initiative Measure No. 86: Prohibiting Force-Feeding of Birds Act of 2026

Bans force-feeding a bird to enlarge its liver beyond normal size, and bans selling or distributing products made this way, including foie gras. The Department of Energy and Environment would enforce it during routine food safety inspections, with civil penalties.

Yes: A yes vote approves the initiative, making it illegal in the District to force-feed birds this way or to sell or distribute products made from force-fed birds, such as foie gras, with civil penalties.
No: A no vote rejects the initiative, leaving current law unchanged, so this force-feeding ban and foie gras sales ban would not take effect.