18 hours ago - Politics

Democratic socialists lead in key D.C. races for mayor, council

Cuneyt Dil

A sign on a lamppost says "Ranked Choice Voting Is Here" while Janeese Lewis George and other people stand in the background — Janeese Lewis George leads in D.C.'s first ranked-choice voting election. Photo: Eric Lee for The Washington Post via Getty Images

Key races for mayor and D.C. Council remained too close to call on Wednesday, but democratic socialists were in the lead.

Why it matters: A lefty wave is poised to take charge in City Hall, at a time of economic uncertainty and unprecedented pressure from MAGA Republicans.

State of play: Council member Janeese Lewis George led heading into Wednesday with 53% of the vote over Kenyan McDuffie, with an estimated third of the ballots left uncounted, according to the AP.

In a special at-large contest, former council member Elissa Silverman looked set for victory. A progressive favorite, Silverman had 55% of the vote to serve out the remainder of McDuffie's term.
For the D.C. Council seat in Ward 1 — home to dense, inner-city nabes like Columbia Heights and Adams Morgan — Aparna Raj captured 47% of the vote. She ran with the endorsement of the local Democratic Socialists for America.
And in a crowded at-large council race, another lefty ally, Oye Owolewa, led with 34%.
That tight contest and the Ward 1 race will likely be decided by ranked-choice voting, along with potentially the mayoral race if JLG's lead slips.

What's next: The Board of Elections says it'll release on Sunday the reallocated votes of candidates who finish last, until one candidate gets more than 50% support to win.

Add Axios on Google

Democratic socialists lead in key D.C. races for mayor, council

More Washington D.C. stories