DC’s 2026 Elections Will Be Insane, Here’s What To Watch

Three D.C. leaders — Mayor Muriel Bowser, Councilmember At-Large Anita Bonds, and Police Chief Pamela Smith — all announced recently that they will be stepping down, opening up 2026 to be one of the wildest election years in decades, where the number of seats up for grabs is dizzying. Here’s what to watch as we inch closer to November.

What We Know For Sure

• Bowser is not running again. Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George announced she will be running for mayor.
• At-Large Councilmember Anita Bonds and Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau are stepping down.
• Then there are several council seats up for normal reelection. Ward 3 Councilmember Matt Frumin is running again, as are Ward 5’s Zachary Parker, Ward 6’s Charles Allen, Attorney General Brian Schwalb, and Council Chair Phil Mendelson.

Other Seats That Could Open

• The Ward 8 council seat could open depending how Trayon White’s trial goes in March. If he’s convicted, he will lose his seat and there will be a special election.
• Though still unannounced, it’s speculated that 88-year-old Eleanor Holmes Norton will not run again as D.C.’s congressional delegate. Already, two D.C. councilmembers are vying for her seat: Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto and At-Large Councilmember Robert White.
• Then there are the “what ifs” for various councilmembers running for higher office. For example, if Lewis George becomes mayor, her seat as Ward 4 councilmember will open up for a special election. Similarly, if At-Large Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie runs for mayor (Bowser already hinted she may endorse him) and wins, his seat would open. The same goes for Pinto and Robert White if either of them win Norton’s seat.

Whew! It’s reminding me of that It’s Always Sunny meme…

2026’s Big Test: Ranked Choice Voting

As if things aren’t crazy enough, this election season will likely be the first time D.C. uses the ranked choice voting system. Proponents say it’s the perfect time. Because there will be so many candidates, ranked choice voting will ensure that the winning candidates has a bigger plurality of the vote, avoiding a situation like previous years where a winning candidate might only have 15%.

But opponents worry that the system might not be ready to roll out in time for the 2026 elections, and if it is, that voters won’t be sufficiently educated to use it.

Hot Topics To Watch This Election Season

Trump’s intervention in D.C. affairs is clearly top of mind for both voters and candidates this election. Polling data shows a lot of Washingtonians are not happy with leaders accepting the status quo. We can already see mayoral candidate Lewis George tapping into that anger with her strong stance against federal intrusion into the D.C. government — and her Mamdani-style campaign.

The other things we’re watching are how the impending recession, loss of government jobs, and rising cost of living will make an appearance in 2026. D.C.’s unemployment rate is now at six percent. How candidates address impending economic issues will be something to watch.