Update on 2026 D.C. Campaigns for Mayor, Delegate, and Council
By • January 26, 2026 0 109
With Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton indicating this weekend that she would not seek reelection and former Council member Vincent Orange announcing that he would seek the Democratic nomination for mayor of D.C., the most active local election campaign just got more interesting.
Below is an updated list on who is running and who has filed paperwork for the D.C. mayoral race and who has declared and withdrawn from the House of Representatives list for D.C. delegate.
The 2026 Washington, D.C., mayoral election will be held on Nov. 3 to elect the mayor of Washington, D.C. Incumbent Mayor Muriel Bowser is retiring after serving three consecutive four-year terms. Primary elections will be held on June 16 to select party nominees.
Mayor of Washington, D.C.
Democratic primary
Candidates
Declared
- Gary Goodweather, real estate developer
- Janeese Lewis George, councilmember from Ward 4 (2021–present)
- Kenyan McDuffie, former councilmember from Ward 5 (2012–2023) and at-large councilmember (2023–2026)
- Talib Karim Muhammad, attorney and engineer
- Yaida Ford, civil rights attorney
- Vincent Orange, former at-large councilmember (2011-2016) and councilmember from Ward 5 (1999-2007)
Filed paperwork
- Regan Jones, motivational speaker
- Adrian Byrd
- Robert L. Gross
- Jeffrey Wincott
House of Representatives
Declared
- Deirdre Brown, former Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) Commissioner
- Gordon Chaffin, former congressional staffer
- Greg Maye, candidate for this seat in 2022
- Brooke Pinto, councilmember from the 2nd ward (2020–present)
- Trent Holbrook, former senior legislative counsel for Norton
- Robert White, at-large councilmember (2016–present) and candidate for mayor in 2022
- Kinney Zalesne, deputy national finance chair of the Democratic National Committee and former counsel at the Department of Justice
- Vincent Morris, former spokesperson to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and former mayor Tony Williams
Withdrawn
- Jacque Patterson, president of the District of Columbia State Board of Education (running for council)
- Eleanor Holmes Norton, incumbent delegate
The Council of the District of Columbia
Seeking reelection are Council Chair Phil Mendelson and Council members Matthew Frumin, Zachary Parker and Charles Allen. At-large Council seats held by Kenyan McDuffie and Anita Bonds will be up for grabs as well as the Ward 1 seat currently held by Brianne Nadeau.
Independent At Large Candidates
- Doni Crawford, incumbent at-large councilmember (2026-present)
- Elissa Silverman, former at-large councilmember (2015-2023) and candidate for the at-large seat special election
Democratic At Large Candidates
- Leniqua’dominique Jenkins, former council staffer
- Candace Tiana Nelson, former chief of staff to councilmember Janeese Lewis George
- Oye Owolewa, shadow congressperson from the District of Columbia’s at-large congressional district (2021–present)
- Lisa Raymond, former president of the District of Columbia State Board of Education
- Kevin Chavous, staffer to Bonds and son of former councilmember Kevin P. Chavous
- Patricia Stamper, former ANC member for district 7C
- Nate Fleming, former shadow congressperson, staffer for Councilor Trayon White, and candidate for the At-large council seat in 2022 and the Ward 7 seat in 2024 Council of the District of Columbia election
- Dyana Forester, labor relations advisor to Maryland governor Wes Moore and former president of the Metro-Washington AFL-CIO
- Addison Sarter, community activist
Ward 1 Candidates
- Rashida Brown, ANC member for district 1E
- Miguel Trinidade Deramo, ANC member for district 1B
- Brian Footer, ANC member for district 1E
- Terry Lynch, community activist
- Aparna Raj, community organizer, former chair of the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America
- Jackie Reyes-Yanes, former director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs
