Washington’s city council has just seen a new contender throw her hat into the ring for mayor. On Monday, 37‑year‑old Democratic Socialist Janeese Lewis George filed her candidacy, reportedly looking for inspiration from Zohran Mamdani’s 2024 New York City campaign. She is set to challenge incumbent Mayor Muriel Bowser, who declined to run for a fourth term.
In a brief video announcing her bid, Lewis George said, “Rent’s rising in homes people can’t afford. Folks are working hard and still feeling the squeeze, while the few in power rake in profits.” She went on to describe how “our neighbors, our families, are under attack because we are failing to stand up to defend them,” with footage of federal officers arresting people playing behind her. “That’s not the D.C. I know. That’s why I’m running for mayor,” she added, urging for leaders who fight corruption and support the people who make Washington functional.
The Axios piece from last month noted that Lewis George plans to rally a volunteer force of about 5,000 to knock on doors and phone bank. She’s also hoping to enlist a top digital strategist from Mamdani’s campaign to reach younger voters on platforms like TikTok.
Since taking her seat on the council in 2021, Lewis George has been backed by the DC chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, which praised her “grassroots, people‑powered victories” in Ward 4 and lauded her stance against corporate‑friendly politics. She, like Mamdani, has faced scrutiny over her earlier support for defunding the police. In October 2019 she declared on X, “I will absolutely divest from [DC’s Metropolitan Police Department] and put that money into violence interruption programs. Full stop.” However, during her 2020 campaign she retracted that position, promising as mayor to rely on “evidence‑based strategies to prevent crime,” advocating for swift but short sentences and stressing the deterrent effect of the perceived likelihood of being caught.
Lewis George has been a vocal opponent of President Trump’s decision to federalize the district’s police force earlier in the year. Bowser initially criticized the takeover but later acknowledged that the federal presence has helped bring down crime rates in the city.
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