Washington City Council member Janeese Lewis George has taken the lead in the Democratic Party mayoral primary in the capital as vote counting continues.
With about two-thirds of the expected votes counted, Lewis George received 53% of the first-choice votes. Former City Council member Kenyan McDuffie is in second place with 37%.
The remaining votes are split among five other candidates. While the final results could still change the overall picture, Lewis George has established a strong position against her closest rival.
Uncertainty Over How the Result Will Be Determined
If no candidate secures an absolute majority of first-choice votes, ranked-choice voting will come into play. In this system, the support of lower-ranked candidates is redistributed according to voters' subsequent preferences.
For months, candidates in Washington have campaigned on promises to reduce crime rates and lower the cost of living. The relationship between the city administration and the Trump administration as well as Republicans in Congress has also been a significant campaign topic.
Outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser has had a relationship with President Donald Trump that has been at times close and at times tense. In his first year of a second term, Trump sent National Guard troops to Washington and other cities led by Democratic mayors to reduce crime rates, a move Bowser opposed but ultimately accepted.
Earlier this month, Bowser said the new mayor should create a better business environment in the capital and announced her support for Kenyan McDuffie.
Last week, Trump raised the possibility of federal intervention by stating that he would not accept Lewis George if she were elected. Both Lewis George and McDuffie responded critically to these remarks.
Lewis George said that interfering with voters' choice is an attack on democracy itself. McDuffie emphasized that the next mayor of the capital will be chosen by the people of Washington, not Donald Trump.
The two candidates also clashed over expanding curfews for young people citywide. McDuffie defended the measure as a "common-sense" step, while Lewis George opposed its expansion.
The candidate who wins the Democratic primary is expected to be a strong favorite in the general election in the deeply blue city.
