Exclusive: D.C.'s snowstorm failures lead resident to run for mayor

What they're saying: "There's potholes everywhere. There's uneven sidewalks, huge delays in basic city services," Sampath told Axios. The snow logjam was the "breaking point."

• Sampath works for a federal government contractor and has lived in the District for ten years, she tells Axios. Her campaign HQ: The U Street apartment she shares with her dog.
• "The current frontrunners in the D.C. mayor's race are political insiders who have served on the city council for years, but we all know D.C. government is broken," Sampath says in a campaign launch video.

State of play: Those frontrunners are Council member Janeese Lewis George and former council member Kenyan McDuffie.

• Hope Solomon, another first time candidate, got in the race last week after losing her federal job due to DOGE cuts.
• Former council member Vincent Orange and Army veteran Gary Goodweather are also running.

What's ahead: Sampath will gather signatures to make the ballot and says she's raised an estimated $15,000 since filing her campaign last Friday, using the public financing Fair Elections program.