How D.C.'s mayoral race became a restaurant industry battle

• RAMW's move underscores how restaurant issues, like wages and downtown recovery, have become major political flashpoints in town.

Driving the news: RAMW is backing McDuffie for mayor as part of an endorsement slate that includes Brooke Pinto for D.C. Delegate*, Brian Schwalb for attorney general and Phil Mendelson for Council chair.

• RAMW says the candidates align with its priorities around "reducing regulatory burdens," improving public safety and supporting long-term growth for hospitality businesses.

The big picture: RAMW's endorsements mark an escalation for one of D.C.'s most influential local business lobbies at a moment when restaurants say they're being squeezed by rising costs, shrinking foot traffic, immigration enforcement and labor battles.

• The trade group, representing more than 1,500 hospitality businesses across the region, doesn't endorse candidates every cycle — and hasn't backed a mayor in many years, says RAMW president and CEO Shawn Townsend. But he believes the moment demands it.
• "We're at a real crossroads in the restaurant industry," he says. "For candidates that haven't addressed that, that's concerning for me."

What we're hearing: Several operators told Axios they're reluctant to publicly align with candidates.

• "I have many businesses, and you know, you're just scared to death — this is such a political city," said Greg Casten of Fish and Fire Group, which operates Tony & Joe's and other high-profile restaurants (he's also a RAMW board member).
• "I don't think that the candidates on either side appreciate how desperately difficult it is for the businessman today," he added.

Friction point: The endorsement also reflects a broader split between business groups and labor-backed progressives.

• McDuffie has positioned himself as a pragmatic, business-friendly candidate focused on permitting reform, public safety and economic recovery.
• Meanwhile, fellow front-runner Janeese Lewis George has support from major labor groups, and is campaigning on cutting red tape for small businesses and expanding streateries. She opposed efforts to roll back or modify Initiative 82, the tipped wage law strongly opposed by many restaurant operators.
• Townsend drew a sharp distinction between the two candidates. "Janeese Lewis George has, for the most part, been on the other side of policy pushes that RAMW and folks in the industry have advocated for," he said, noting that JLG's campaign declined to complete the group's candidate questionnaire.

The other side: A spokesperson for her campaign told Axios the group was "already publicly campaigning for Kenyan McDuffie" when the questionnaires came out.

How it works: RAMW based its endorsements on the questionnaires, legislative records, policy alignment and what it described as a "credible path to victory."

• But questionnaires weren't everything. In documents obtained by Axios, McDuffie scored lower on RAMW's issue matrix than candidate Vincent Orange — 64% compared to 74%.
• Townsend says governing relationships and track records mattered more.

• "We don't look for lawmakers to agree with us on every single thing," he said. "But there is this expectation that elected officials at least hear us out."

Zoom in: McDuffie's questionnaire focused on issues operators say are making restaurants harder to run in D.C. His positions include:

• Streamlining permitting and licensing through a single digital portal
• Making the steateries program permanent with lower costs
• Eliminating or reducing the city's 4% meals tax
• Increasing police presence in commercial corridors
• Opposing the proposed $25 minimum wage ballot initiative
• Protecting cashless businesses while also supporting "financial inclusion" measures, like pre-paid cards

The intrigue: McDuffie's most unusual idea may be a proposed "Business Launch Navigator" — using AI tools and dedicated staff to help entrepreneurs navigate D.C.'s notoriously difficult permitting and licensing.

• The goal: Cut in half the time it takes to legally open a business within two years.
• He also proposed culinary incubators and a "Stay in DC" fund to help small businesses avoid displacement.

Yes, but: Not all restaurant owners are backing McDuffie — or RAMW's decision to endorse.

• Gus May, co-owner of La Tejana in Mount Pleasant, has publicly supported Lewis George and says some neighborhood operators feel disconnected from larger hospitality groups.
• "Being friendly to developers and being friendly to mom-and-pops is two very different things," May, who is not a RAMW member, tells Axios.

What they're saying: "Just because RAMW comes out and supports a candidate, I wouldn't want voters to think that's the unanimous mayoral pick amongst all the entrepreneurs in the city," he said. "Absolutely not."

What's next: With roughly a month until the June 16 Democratic primary — effectively the decisive election in deep-blue D.C. — RAMW says it plans to campaign for its endorsed candidates through fundraisers, town halls and member outreach.

* Shawn Townsend is a co-chair of Brooke Pinto's campaign