DC Primaries: Voters Face Trump's Influence in Local Politics

WHO:

ABC News - Denise Rosado is an immigration lawyer running unopposed for the Republican congressional delegate position.

ABC News - Other candidates for mayor include former council member Vincent Orange and Hope Solomon, a former federal contractor.

ABC News - Five candidates are seeking to replace Eleanor Holmes Norton, who is finishing her 18th term representing D.C. in Congress.

ABC News - Candidates for the Democratic spot on the ticket include Trent Holbrook, Kenney Zalesne, and Gregory Jaczko.

ABC News - Eleanor Holmes Norton is finishing her 18th term representing D.C. in Congress.

ABC News - Denise Rosado is a Republican candidate running unopposed for the congressional delegate position.

CNN - Amanda Huron is a professor at the University of the District of Columbia who teaches courses on D.C. history and politics.

ABC News - Voters in Washington, D.C. are participating in primaries for mayor and congressional delegate.

ABC News - Democratic front-runners for mayor include Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie.

ABC News - Eleanor Holmes Norton is stepping down as the district's congressional delegate.

ABC News - Candidates for the congressional delegate position include Brooke Pinto and Robert White Jr.

CNN - Janeese Lewis George is a councilmember and leading candidate for mayor.

CNN - Kenyan McDuffie is a former DC councilmember and primary opponent of Lewis George.

CNN - Amanda Huron is a professor at the University of the District of Columbia.

CNN - Phil Mendelson is the chairman of the DC council.

CNN - Sam Epps is the president of Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO.

WHAT:

ABC News - A Washington Post/Schar School poll indicated that Lewis George has a double-digit lead over McDuffie.

ABC News - Trump stated, "I wouldn't like it," in response to a potential victory by Lewis George, adding, "Maybe we take back Washington and run it on a federal basis. We won't put up with it."

CNN - A Washington Post/Schar School poll found that 53% of voters under 30 prefer socialism to capitalism.

CNN - A Washington Post/Schar School poll found that 35% of DC registered voters trust Kenyan McDuffie more to handle the relationship with the Trump administration, while 32% trust Janeese Lewis George.

CNN - The poll indicated that 50% of DC registered voters wanted Mayor Bowser to do more to oppose Trump, while 34% felt she was handling the relationship appropriately.

ABC News - Lewis George stated her top priority is addressing “the affordability crisis here in DC, which the Trump administration has only made worse by unjustly firing federal employees en masse and militarizing our streets.”

ABC News - McDuffie plans to add 1,000 police officers over four years and focus on mental health in violence reduction.

CNN - A Washington Post/Schar School poll found that 50% of DC registered voters wanted Bowser to do more to oppose Trump, while 34% felt she was handling the relationship appropriately.

ABC News - The primary election is the first time in a generation that D.C. residents will vote for a new mayor and delegate in the same election.

ABC News - The primary will include ranked choice voting for the first time.

ABC News - Trump threatened a federal takeover of Washington, stating, “Maybe we’d take back Washington, run it on the federal basis."

CNN - A Washington Post/Schar School poll found that 50% of DC registered voters wanted Mayor Bowser to oppose Trump more.

CNN - The poll indicated that 79% of voters disapproved of the federal takeover of DC’s police department.

CNN - Under the new ranked choice voting system, 32% of registered Democratic primary voters ranked Lewis George first, 25% ranked McDuffie first, and 26% were undecided.

WHERE:

ABC News - The elections are taking place in Washington, D.C.

CNN - The Oval Office is where Trump made his comments regarding the potential victory of Lewis George.

WHEN:

ABC News - The primary election is scheduled for a Tuesday.

CNN - Trump made his comments on a Thursday prior to the primary.

WHY:

ABC News - Critics of Bowser's approach argue she has at times complied in advance with the federal government.

ABC News - Critics, including Norton’s former chief of staff, pressured her to step down, claiming she was diminished and unable to defend against Trump effectively.

ABC News - The election is occurring amid significant changes in Washington under Trump’s administration, affecting local autonomy.

CNN - The candidates are addressing the need to protect home rule and local autonomy from federal interference.

HOW:

CNN - Lewis George criticized McDuffie for not understanding that “you don’t stop Donald Trump by fearing him.”

ABC News - The primary election will utilize ranked choice voting, which may delay results for days.

CNN - Lewis George's campaign emphasizes standing up to Trump and advocating for DC statehood.

(UPDATED June 16, 2026 23:24 UTC)

Denise Rosado, an immigration lawyer, is running unopposed for the Republican congressional delegate position, while the race for mayor includes former council member Vincent Orange and Hope Solomon, a former federal contractor. A recent Washington Post/Schar School poll shows Lewis George with a double-digit lead over McDuffie, prompting Trump to express his disapproval of a potential Lewis George victory by saying, "I wouldn't like it." In the same poll, 53% of voters under 30 indicated a preference for socialism over capitalism, highlighting a significant generational shift in political attitudes.

(UPDATED June 16, 2026 14:41 UTC)

Five candidates are vying to succeed Eleanor Holmes Norton, who is wrapping up her 18th term in Congress, with Trent Holbrook, Kenney Zalesne, and Gregory Jaczko among those seeking the Democratic nomination. A recent Washington Post/Schar School poll revealed that 35% of D.C. registered voters trust Kenyan McDuffie more to manage relations with the Trump administration, while 32% prefer Janeese Lewis George, who has criticized McDuffie for his approach. Additionally, the poll showed that half of D.C. voters believe Mayor Bowser should take a stronger stance against Trump, while 34% think she is managing the relationship appropriately.

(UPDATED June 16, 2026 12:36 UTC)

Eleanor Holmes Norton is wrapping up her 18th term representing D.C. in Congress, while Denise Rosado is running unopposed as a Republican candidate for the congressional delegate position. Lewis George has made it clear that her top priority is tackling the affordability crisis in D.C., which she believes has worsened under Trump’s administration, and she criticized McDuffie for not grasping that “you don’t stop Donald Trump by fearing him.” Meanwhile, a recent poll revealed that half of D.C. registered voters want Mayor Bowser to take a stronger stance against Trump, highlighting the ongoing tensions in local politics.

(UPDATED June 16, 2026 06:51 UTC)

Voters in Washington, D.C. are heading to the polls for a historic primary election, marking the first time in a generation that residents will choose a new mayor and congressional delegate simultaneously, with ranked choice voting being introduced for the first time. Leading candidates for mayor include councilmember Janeese Lewis George and former councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, while Brooke Pinto and Robert White Jr. are vying for the congressional delegate position, following Eleanor Holmes Norton's decision to step down. Amid these developments, Trump has threatened a federal takeover of Washington, prompting local candidates to emphasize the importance of protecting home rule and local autonomy from federal interference.