Some DMV locals are escaping town during the election
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Some locals are planning to escape the D.C. area during the November election, stoked by fears about their safety or seeking a break from the whiplash news cycle.
The big picture: Americans are witnessing a particularly contentious and tumultuous election year marked by an assassination attempt on former President Trump, President Biden dropping out of the race amid intense pressure, and threats against Vice President Kamala Harris.
- Plus: There have been heightened threats against election workers and members of Congress in recent years — with the Jan. 6 attack in particular amplifying concerns about violence against political figures.
What they're saying: Arlington residents Tony and Mary Ruffine plan a weeklong trip to Iceland during the election.
- The dayslong news coverage that typically surrounds an election is too stressful, the couple says. In 2020, they did their best to tune out. "This year, we felt that we could do better by just fleeing the country altogether," says Tony.
- They plan to vote early, then spend the vacation unplugging from American politics and adventuring in nature.
Chinatown resident Krysten Copeland is also planning to leave town during the election — possibly to a cabin in West Virginia.
- She's worried about her safety after seeing far-right extremist groups in D.C. during the Jan. 6 insurrection — especially as a Black woman, she tells Axios. "It was a really scary time to be in the city, and I would just hate to see that happen again."
- Copeland says she didn't worry about violence during elections and inaugurations before the 2020 election.
The Ruffines, who also factored safety concerns into their decision to travel, say the possibility of another violent event is especially triggering to Washingtonians who lived through Jan. 6.
- "I don't want to be here. I can't do this again," says Mary.
Meanwhile, several Washingtonians told Axios they would be out of town as they volunteered on the presidential campaigns.
Reality check: Some locals may be skipping town to avoid Washington's political events, but they're still a big draw.
- Five months out, reservations at D.C.-area hotels during inauguration weekend are hard to find and expensive. For instance, a room at the Marriott at Metro Center is $1,260 a night over the inauguration; the same room is $255 a night the weekend before.
- "Over the past couple of weeks, we've seen a notable increase in queries when it comes to Washington D.C. travel in January," Dupont Circle's St. Gregory Hotel told the Washington Post.
What we're watching: In deep-blue D.C., some locals have said they would take a permanent vacation should former President Trump be elected come November — aka leaving D.C. for good.