Scoop: Kenyan McDuffie tells insiders he'll run for D.C. mayor

What we're hearing: McDuffie phoned potential supporters this week to tell them he'll run.

• "He just had not decided when he was going to announce," Bill Lightfoot, the chairman of Bowser's previous mayoral campaigns, told Axios, describing a gathering where McDuffie spoke about it.

What they're saying: "I am giving it serious consideration," McDuffie told Axios in a written statement. "The outreach and encouragement I've received so far has been nothing short of humbling, and it reinforces the importance of this moment for the District. I do not have a decision to announce today, but when the time is right, I will share my plans for 2026 with you."

The intrigue: Bowser had been expected to seek re-election. But McDuffie's plans suggest Bowser is leaning the other way.

• McDuffie and Bowser are likeminded business-friendly liberals who'd prefer to not run against each other.
• "At this point, [Bowser] is considering all the factors," Lightfoot tells Axios. "Primarily, she's still focused on running the city."

Between the lines: McDuffie is registered as an independent and would have to switch his registration to participate in next year's Democratic primary.

• Since his at-large council seat is reserved for the non-majority party, he'd also have to resign from the council, a significant political gamble.