Washington, DC, voters cast ballots in crucial primaries as Trump reshapes the capital

Source: AP

Updated 12:08 AM EDT, June 16, 2026


WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters in the nation’s capital head to the polls on Tuesday to select party candidates for mayor and the district’s delegate to Congress, an election taking place as Washington undergoes major change under President Donald Trump’s administration. The primary marks the first time in a generation that D.C. residents will vote for a new mayor and delegate in the same election. And in an overwhelmingly Democratic city, that party’s winner is expected to come out on top in the general election in November.

The most prominent race is for mayor after Muriel Bowser, who was first elected in 2014, decided not to seek a fourth term. Democratic front-runners Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie are hoping to replace her.

The district’s long-serving congressional delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton is also stepping down, with top candidates council member Brooke Pinto and at-large council member Robert White Jr. vying for the role. Republican Denise Rosado, an immigration lawyer, is running unopposed.

The primary will include rank choice voting for the first time, which D.C. election officials have warned could delay results for days.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/washington-dc-primaries-bowser-norton-trump-8d4aa81d46e089de5c2c83c718d7fe07