When Will D.C. Know Its Next Mayor?

What You Need to Know About Ranked-Choice Voting

On election night, Kenyan McDuffie supporters will gather at The Park at 14th of boozy brunch fame and Janeese Lewis George voters will flock to the historic Howard Theatre to watch the votes roll in. But, unlike in years past, they may not know whether they’re toasting to a win or drowning their sorrows.

The District’s first foray into ranked-choice voting has officials bracing for delays. I sat down with the D.C. Board of Elections Chair to learn more about how-ranked choice voting tabulation works. Also, what should you do if you – like me – get mailed someone else’s ballot?

I found out it could take up to 10 days to know the winners of the June 16 primary election, with election officials expecting the first round of ranked-choice results to be released by June 21. The city’s policy of receiving ballots postmarked by Election Day for up to 10 days after polls close will contribute to longer counting times.

Here’s what else you need to know about ranked-choice voting, how the District prevents voter fraud and when D.C. will know its next mayor.

Latest from the D.C. Council

The D.C. Council met yesterday – here’s one thing they did vote on and one thing they didn’t.

The Budget

The council took its first of two votes on the 2027 budget, unanimously approving a budget that looks much different than the one proposed by Mayor Muriel Bowser in April. Council Chair Phil Mendelson scrounged up more than $400 million dollars to restore some of the social services on the chopping block, including a program that increases pay for childcare workers and a contract with an emergency response team for children in crisis. And he managed to do it without raising taxes for now (this could change before the final budget vote June 23).

But more than $300 million of that funding is not recurring, meaning the council will face similar challenges next year.

“I am concerned that we are running into a buzzsaw of sorts next year,” said Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker. To Mendelson, he said: “You made possible what was impossible… so don’t take my comments as criticism but I just am clear-eyed that we are heading toward a cliff.”

Revenue growth is failing to keep pace with the District’s rising costs, but lawmakers were hesitant to hike taxes in a year when so many residents have lost their jobs. Mendelson has pledged to hold a public hearing in the fall on new ways for D.C. to increase revenue. On Tuesday, he said he can’t hold off taxes forever – an increase looks likely next year.

i-Ready & Screens in Schools

Councilmember Christina Henderson withdrew a resolution to reject the $1.5 million contract for i-Ready, an online reading and math diagnostic and instructional program used in D.C. public schools.

Chief among her concerns was screen time in the classroom. In a memo to her colleagues, she wrote that parents told her the program is “frequently used beyond its intended purpose, resulting in excessive student screen time and reducing opportunities for direct instruction.”

In response, Bowser urged the council not to support the resolution, calling the program “essential” and “a limited component of the classroom experience, not a replacement for high-quality teaching.” She wrote that i-Ready provides diagnostic math and reading assessments three times a year and, on average, D.C. public schools students use the program for one hour per week.

Although the resolution was withdrawn, councilmembers expressed interest in a public hearing on the use of devices in schools.

A Watch Party… Or A Wait Party?

It’s bound to be an odd year for election parties, since ranked-choice voting delays mean candidates will likely not know whether they should be celebrating or conceding. I’m always fascinated by where candidates choose to host their election night revelries and what they are trying to signal with their locations.

Lewis George is closing her campaign in the same place she launched it: the historic Howard Theatre, named after the founder of the historically Black university from which both she and McDuffie hold a degree.

McDuffie picked The Park at 14th, a stable of Black D.C. nightlife owned by Marc Barnes, a well-known but at times controversial businessman who has owned D.C. nightclubs for more than 30 years.

Rini Sampath fans will head to Dacha, an outdoor beer garden in Shaw, and Gary Goodweather supporters will go to Bar Angie, a swanky West End restaurant that opened just last year. Brooke Pinto will host on the rooftop of the Eaton Hotel on K Street, while Robert White will rally at a waterfront seafood spot, The Point D.C.

Which election party spot is your favorite? Respond to this email and let me know.