The biggest wannabes of D.C. politics: Who wants to be mayor, delegate
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Clockwise from upper left: Council members Robert White, Christina Henderson, Kenyan McDuffie, Charles Allen, Janeese Lewis George and Brooke Pinto. Photo illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios; Photos: Allison Robbert and Craig Hudson/The Washington Post via Getty Images
D.C.'s full of strivers, schemers, wannabes — and I'm talking about our local town. With next year's elections approaching, and the District's autonomy in the trough, we're naming the city's most ambitious politicians.
Why it matters: Who desperately wants to be mayor? Who wants to replace don't-say-she's-retiring Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton? Who thinks they can defuse the ticking DOGE recession?
- The problems are big! So is the cast of characters who want to, erm, be D.C.'s next hero.
Robert White — The Opportunist
We thought Robert White wanted to be mayor, but either because he didn't see a path to beating Mayor Muriel Bowser or because who wants this job anyway, he's running for Congress.
- The 43-year-old at-large council member has long been among the most ambitious in the Wilson Building.
Now he's challenging Norton, who insists she's running for reelection despite so many around her urging her not to.
- If Norton does retire, expect more wannabes to jump in. But declaring early has given White a leg up.
Brooke Pinto — The Talk of the Town
[Update: Pinto announced she's running for Del. Norton's seat on Monday morning.]
There's a reason why the D.C. political cognoscenti can't stop gossiping about Brooke Pinto's future.
- An attorney and chair of the council's Judiciary Committee, Pinto, 33, has deftly instrumented the city's pivot to a more moderate criminal justice posture, hand in glove with the mayor.
- On any given day, she could be in a community room talking about crime in Washington Highlands, far beyond the domains of Ward 2 council members. Or back downtown, rubbing shoulders with fat cats at black-tie dinners. After rumors of a mayoral or AG bid, Pinto is running for Congress.
Janeese Lewis George — The Wild Card
Perhaps no one else is better positioned than Janeese Lewis George, 37, to run citywide, having been repping a diverse Ward 4.
- The Democratic socialist (it was AOC who inspired her to run for office) could become the Zohran Mamdani of D.C.'s mayoral race. Or challenge council Chairman Phil Mendelson from the left.
- Did I mention JLG wouldn't even have to risk her current seat? It's a free swing.
Charles Allen — The Dynasty Man
Charles Allen would love to be council chairman. Chairman Charles Allen. It's even got the alliteration. As he's less a bomb thrower and more of a diplomat, Allen boosters have a case to make for a job that requires dealmaking.
- Allen would have to risk losing his safe Ward 6 seat, though, after winning it from his mentor and predecessor, Tommy Wells.
- Expect Allen, 48, to run for reelection next year and keep his eyes on the chair seat in four years.
Kenyan McDuffie — The "Next Next Mayor"
Kenyan McDuffie has been called the "next next mayor" for more than a decade. He's primed to one day seek higher office, after an ill-fated attorney general bid.
- But his 2022 comeback heroics to become an independent at-large council member left him with a political hex.
The TL;DR: If he really wants higher office, he'll need to register as a Democrat again — and, because of the rules requiring that two of the at-large council members not be Democrats, forfeit his current council job.
- The educated guess: He'll cruise to reelection next November.
Christina Henderson — The Maverick
As an at-large council member, Christina Henderson distinguishes herself as a "pragmatic progressive." There's one seat speculators put her in: D.C. delegate.
- A former aide to Sen. Chuck Schumer, she's rumored to be eyeing the seat after speaking out against Norton's ability to continue serving.
But Henderson, 39, has the McDuffie problem: If she decides to run, she's an indy who'll need to quit her seat and become a Democrat.
- It's a political gamble, but here's the upshot: If you win, then win reelection, you can keep a lock on that job until, well, as long as Eleanor....
💭 Not mentioned: The game of musical chairs that will follow if one of them wins Del. Norton's seat. Town Talker is a column about money and power in Washington. Tell me about the talk of the town: [email protected].
Editor's note: This story has been updated after Brooke Pinto announced she's running for Congress.