Axios D.C.
May 19, 2026
1 big thing: 👀 Mayoral race becomes restaurant industry battle
The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington is jumping into D.C.'s mayoral race, flexing its political muscle in a way it hasn't in years.
Why it matters: The next mayor could shape the future of D.C.'s dining scene — and restaurant issues, like wages and downtown recovery, have become major political flashpoints in town.
Driving the news: RAMW is backing Kenyan McDuffie for mayor as part of a larger endorsement slate.
- It marks an escalation for one of the 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, doesn't endorse candidates every cycle — and hasn't backed a mayor in many years, says RAMW president and CEO Shawn Townsend.
- "We're at a real crossroads in the restaurant industry," he says.
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, who operates Tony & Joe's and other major restaurants (he's also a RAMW board member).
Friction point: The endorsement 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.
✍️ How it works: RAMW based its endorsements on a questionnaire, legislative records, policy alignment and what it described as a "credible path to victory."
- JLG's campaign declined to complete the group's questionnaire, Townsend says.
- Meanwhile, McDuffie's 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
Yes, but: Not all restaurant owners want McDuffie.
- Gus May, co-owner of La Tejana in Mount Pleasant, publicly supports Lewis George and says some neighborhood operators feel disconnected from larger hospitality groups.
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