Exclusive: D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb runs for reelection
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Attorney General Brian Schwalb was elected in 2022. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who is fighting President Trump in court over his takeover of D.C. police, is running for a second term.
Why it matters: The Democrat with a progressive record on criminal justice is increasingly taking on Trump officials — stepping out from his low-key profile to lead local resistance against the White House.
What they're saying: "Standing up for the rule of law" — and "Home Rule" — is why he's running for reelection, Schwalb says in an announcement video first shared with Axios.
- "Now more than ever, leaders in the city need to stand up and stand strong," Schwalb says in front of D.C. Superior Court.
- His campaign declined an interview request.
The big picture: Schwalb sued the Trump administration last month, leading White House officials to back off from an attempt to strip Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith of her authority.
- City officials hope for another hearing to settle a question over how far D.C. can be forced to cooperate with ICE on deportations.
- D.C. also joined several other states in suing the Trump administration this year over the federal layoffs.
In addition to representing D.C. on Trump-related lawsuits, Schwalb's office prosecutes juvenile crime.
- That has put him in the crosshairs of Trump's U.S. Attorney for D.C. Jeanine Pirro, who says D.C. youth who commit crimes are being "coddled." Pirro told NBC4 she wants the D.C. Council to amend the law to allow her office to prosecute "young punks" as adults.
Between the lines: Schwalb, a Harvard Law graduate and former partner at Venable, won his seat in 2022 with the blessing of his predecessor, former D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine.
- Racine held the national limelight with lawsuits against Trump and big tech companies. Until recently, Schwalb had opted for a more low-key persona, often focusing his 500+ person law office on suits against local real estate developers and companies.
- Schwalb's announcement will quiet speculation about whether he would call it quits, which had invited chatter that other local names or council members would take a swing for the seat. That could still happen, but no one else has yet announced a bid for the June 2026 primary.