Trump’s shadow hangs over DC mayor primary vote

Trump’s shadow – As Washington DC prepares to choose a new mayor on 16 June, Donald Trump’s threat to “take back Washington” is already shaping how residents read the Democratic contest. Two council Democrats—democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George and former prosecutor Keny

For many Washingtonians, the decision they’re about to make on 16 June isn’t only about who runs city hall. It’s about what happens when the White House leans in.

Donald Trump. who is not on the ballot. weighed in a week before the election by threatening DC home rule—arguing that if Lewis George wins. the district’s self-governance should be taken away. “I wouldn’t like it. Maybe we take back Washington and run it on the federal basis. We won’t put up with it,” Trump said.

That’s the pressure in the background of DC’s mayoral primary race on Tuesday. a contest that will decide who is most likely to win in November in a city that is overwhelmingly Democratic. For the first time in more than a decade. Washington DC is set to have a new mayor this year. as Mayor Muriel Bowser—who led the city through both of Trump’s terms—steps aside.

In the center of the fight are two Democrats: DC councilmember Janeese Lewis George and former councilmember Kenyan McDuffie. Both are running to succeed Bowser. Lewis George. a two-term city councilmember who describes herself as a democratic socialist. has been campaigning on a “people-first platform.” She promises to lower childcare costs and utility bills. stabilize rent for tenants. and prioritize down payment assistance for homebuyers. A new poll released by the Washington Post and George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government shows Lewis George leading McDuffie by 11 points.

McDuffie. a former at-large city councilmember and former prosecutor. has built a different coalition—drawing support from much of Washington’s business community. including restaurants and realtors. His campaign emphasizes expanding affordable housing, improving public safety, and diversifying the local economy.

How the next mayor handles Trump is a question residents are tracking closely, including whether any of the president’s supporters are pouring money into the race.

That tension shows up in both campaign messaging and the endorsements around them. Bowser has said she supports McDuffie, but stopped short of a full endorsement. “I have always supported Kenyan McDuffie … [but] I’m not endorsing or making any endorsements for mayor because I’m stepping off the political stage. ” Bowser said during an Axios event on 10 June.

Both candidates have said how they would stand up to the current administration.

Lewis George says she would build relationships with members of Congress while also looking for compromise with the Trump administration. “My approach to Donald Trump is one where I set a line that there is going to have to be [that] DC autonomy and DC statehood are non-negotiables. our immigrant community and neighbors. our Black youth are non-negotiables. ” she said. “But if there are things you want to work with together. I’m happy to do that … I look at Union Station as an opportunity to build and create a regional transit hub and create jobs for our city.”.

McDuffie, for his part, frames himself as ready for confrontation. If elected. he said he would be a “fighter” for Washingtonians. working with the attorney general to preserve DC home rule. “Washington DC residents deserve leaders who will never back down from Congress or the White House when they attempt to undermine our autonomy. and I have consistently opposed federal interference in DC’s local affairs and fought to protect our rights to govern ourselves. ” he said. “We know as local officials what’s best for local Washington DC. and we are really working hard to make sure that we can protect our home rule.”.

The race is also being fought over how to respond to increased federal immigration enforcement in the district.

Lewis George says she would rescind former chief of police Pamela Smith’s executive order that directs Metropolitan police department officers to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement for individuals not in police custody. “Our officers need to be focused on getting guns off our streets and solving crimes. It is not their jobs to be alongside or babysitting or transporting federal immigration officers across the city to wreak havoc on our communities in our neighborhoods. ” Lewis George said.

McDuffie offered a different approach, describing a staffing and coordination plan. “On day one. I’m going to appoint a police chief and a chancellor of our school system. and to make sure that we have an interagency coordinated effort to tackle the biggest challenge facing Washington DC residents right now. which is affordability. ” McDuffie said.

Even as the candidates argue about policing and housing, their race has also turned into a fight over political money and credibility.

Democratic candidates have tried to distance themselves from Trump while trying to connect him—and Republicans—to their opponents, and Lewis George and McDuffie have attacked each other in the process.

In a recent televised debate on NBC4 Washington. Lewis George accused McDuffie of accepting “tens of thousands of dollars from Trump’s supporters. ” even though the article says it was actually a relatively small number of donors who have given to both Trump and McDuffie. McDuffie responded by saying he was being targeted. “My principal opponent has been running a disinformation campaign that rivals Trump in spreading rumors and innuendo about donors to my campaign. ” he said. “The reality is … largely 99.9% of my donations have come from Democrats and independents who agree that I am best qualified to lead Washington DC and make our city safer and more affordable.”.

Days before the election. the DC Office of Campaign Finance fined Lewis George $16. 000 after it investigated her campaign for improperly coordinating with unions that also manage an independent political action committee. The campaign said it would appeal the order, calling it a “reckless order … riddled with factual errors.”.

Lewis George’s team also said it raised concerns about the timing and process. “Filing an order without legal merit just before an election follows a disturbing pattern of OCF’s conduct,” the campaign said in a written statement.

Before the OCF decision, Lewis George had already framed it as political strategy. “I want [voters] to see through the political attacks and this political strategy to try to muddy the waters. It is clear that there is a candidate in this race who is accepting Trump donor dollars. big Trump donor dollars. and that is my opponent. Mr McDuffie. who has accepted those dollars and refused to return them. ” she said.

Money from conservative donors has also appeared in the race for Eleanor Holmes Norton’s seat in Congress. Norton is the city’s non-voting House delegate, and five Democratic candidates are running to succeed her. Brooke Pinto. a well-known candidate and a city councilmember. has reportedly received nearly $170. 000 from donors who have also contributed to Trump and other Republican candidates in the past.

In a social media video response. Pinto said five of her donors out of nearly 2. 000 have previously donated to Trump. and she said her opponent. Robert White. also has donors who have given to the president. “The difference, though, is that I understand what it means to build a broad tent coalition. I have support from Democratic socialists, and Democrats, and independents, and yes, even Republicans,” Pinto said in the video. “It’s time that we have someone in this seat who can work with a broad set of stakeholders to make sure that those values are carried out.”.

The mayoral ballot is crowded as well. After the top frontrunners, these candidates are also on the ballot for DC mayor: Rini Sampath, Vincent Orange, Gary Goodweather, Ernest Johnson and Hope Solomon.

And this year’s primary comes with a rule change that could affect how people cast their votes. The 16 June primary marks the first election using ranked choice voting in Washington DC.

For voters, the method may be new. The feeling behind it isn’t. In a city where home rule and federal pressure are already bound together. Trump’s threat has given the race a sharper edge: not just a contest between Democrats. but a test of what DC’s next mayor will do when the federal government pushes back.

Washington DC mayoral primary Janeese Lewis George Kenyan McDuffie Muriel Bowser Donald Trump home rule immigration enforcement ranked choice voting Pamela Smith DC Office of Campaign Finance ranked choice voting 16 June