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Donald Trump doesn't like Janeese Lewis George's chances of winning. She's counting on that.
D.C. Council member Janeese Lewis George — a democratic socialist leading in polls for Tuesday's (June 16) Democratic mayoral primary — drew a direct threat from President Trump last week when he suggested the federal government could "take back Washington and run it on a federal basis" if she wins. "I wouldn't like it," Trump said when asked about her candidacy.
Lewis George's response was immediate and unambiguous. "We are not going to get ICE off our streets by fearing this president," she said in a statement. "We are not going to protect our rights or Home Rule by obeying in advance. Threatening Home Rule because you do not like how residents vote is an attack on democracy itself."
Lewis George, 37, has represented D.C.'s Ward 4 since 2021 and is running on a platform of universal childcare, ending D.C. police cooperation with federal immigration authorities, and taking a confrontational approach to the Trump administration — a sharp contrast to outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser, who allowed D.C. police to cooperate with ICE and was praised by Trump in turn, as reported by HuffPost.
Tuesday's primary marks D.C.'s first time using ranked-choice voting, where voters rank candidates by preference. If no candidate reaches 50 percent after the first count, the lowest vote-getter is eliminated and their votes redistributed until someone reaches a majority.
Her main opponent is Kenyan McDuffie, a former 13-year council member who argues that electing Lewis George could backfire. "If you believe Donald Trump is a threat to D.C.'s local autonomy, then the last thing we should do is elect someone whose agenda would make it easier for him to justify federal intervention," McDuffie said, per CNN.
His campaign has positioned him as the more pragmatic choice — someone who will fight Trump when necessary but work across the aisle when it benefits D.C. residents.
Legal experts have been quick to note that Trump cannot unilaterally take over D.C.'s government. The Home Rule Act, passed by Congress in 1973, would require a new act of Congress to undo, and that would need Democratic votes in the Senate, which is highly unlikely. But that hasn't stopped him from meddling. Last year, Trump temporarily took over D.C.'s police department and deployed National Guard troops — many from Republican-controlled states — who still patrol the city's streets today.
D.C. gave Trump less than 7 percent of its vote in 2024, making whoever wins Tuesday's Democratic primary the overwhelming favorite in the general election.
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