The race to become the next mayor of Washington, D.C. is taking shape as voters cast their ballots in a closely watched Democratic primary election. With 64% of votes counted as of 12:32 AM ET, Janeese Lewis George has emerged as the frontrunner, holding a significant lead over Kenyan R. McDuffie in the district’s first mayoral contest using a ranked-choice voting system.
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Latest Washington, D.C. Democratic Primary Results
According to the latest vote count, Janeese Lewis George leads the field with 50,260 votes, representing 52.8% of ballots reported so far. Kenyan R. McDuffie follows with 34,816 votes, or 36.6%, while Gary Goodweather has received 2,861 votes, accounting for 3.0%.
A total of 95,211 votes have been reported, with additional ballots still left to be counted.
Janeese Lewis George Builds Strong Citywide Support
One of the most notable aspects of the election results is Lewis George’s broad support across Washington, D.C. She currently leads in seven of the city’s eight wards, demonstrating strength in multiple communities and voter groups.
Her strongest performance came in Ward 1, where she led by an impressive 41-point margin. She also posted double-digit victories in Wards 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8.
Meanwhile, McDuffie managed to secure a narrow advantage in Ward 3, where he leads by approximately three percentage points.
Results by Ward
Ward 1
Lewis George +41 points
Ward 2
Lewis George +8 points
Ward 3
McDuffie +3 points
Ward 4
Lewis George +19 points
Ward 5
Lewis George +18 points
Ward 6
Lewis George +21 points
Ward 7
Lewis George +10 points
Ward 8
Lewis George +14 points
How Ranked-Choice Voting Works
This election marks an important milestone for Washington, D.C., as it is the first mayoral primary conducted under a ranked-choice voting system.
Under this format, voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than selecting only one candidate. If no candidate receives the required majority after the initial count, lower-performing candidates are eliminated, and their votes are redistributed based on voters’ next choices. This process continues until a winner is determined.
The system is designed to ensure that the eventual nominee has broader support among voters.
Why the Democratic Primary Matters
Washington, D.C. is a heavily Democratic city, making the Democratic primary one of the most significant elections in the local political calendar. Political analysts generally expect the Democratic nominee to enter the November general election as the overwhelming favorite.
As a result, the primary race often serves as the decisive contest for determining the city’s future leadership.
What Happens Next?
Although Lewis George currently holds a commanding lead and is above the 50% threshold in the reported vote count, election officials will continue counting remaining ballots before declaring a final result.
If current trends continue, Janeese Lewis George appears well-positioned to secure the Democratic nomination and move one step closer to becoming the next mayor of Washington, D.C.
Stay tuned for more Washington, D.C. mayoral election updates as additional votes are counted and the final results become official.
