Mayoral Candidate Kenyan McDuffie
By • May 12, 2026 0 706
By Francis Rienzo
Kenyan McDuffie is one of the eight Democratic candidates in D.C.’s mayoral race. We spoke with him about his experience as a District Council member, his priorities and his beliefs. When asked about his time on the Council, he quipped: “How much time do we have?”
McDuffie worked on the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results (NEAR) Act, which implemented more of a public health approach to public safety. It “both supported enhanced safety by the Metropolitan Police Department, but also brought in community violence intervention policies,” he said.
McDuffie also authored the police body-worn camera law, which is particularly relevant in today’s landscape with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He worked on the Child Wealth Building Act, known as “baby bonds,” designed to “give kids hope and the ability to invest themselves in a city that has become increasingly unaffordable,” he said.
McDuffie vows to achieve stable economic growth, growing the city’s economy without displacing anyone. One plan includes investing close to $4 billion at the former RFK Stadium site, which he says will create thousands of jobs.
“We need to be training our young folks to complete these jobs and create a workforce development pipeline,” he said, pointing to the importance of workers in the trades, such as plumbers, electricians and carpenters. He emphasized that we need to protect and prepare our youth population.
McDuffie openly supports the youth curfew, believing that this temporary measure is absolutely necessary. “We have a serious crisis with these juvenile takeovers in communities like Navy Yard and U Street, where young people are at extreme risk of harm.” Interagency support, involving the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, is essential to fixing the issue, so that opportunities for youth can be ushered in, he said.
McDuffie’s plans for his term include expanding MPD, saying “we need to hire 1,000 new officers.” He cites his experience as a civil rights attorney as proof that he can create an equitable police department, hiring the right kind of leadership. Referring to the reports of data manipulation, he stated that “the issues with the MPD are about the leadership at the department, not the rank and file who show up every day to protect and serve residents and visitors.”
Amid President Trump’s administration, McDuffie said we need an “abundance mentality.” By attracting new residents and businesses, he wants to grow the economy without defaulting to raising taxes. He pointed out the need to address local issues such as unfilled potholes and the omnipresent rat problem. “We can’t have a government that people can attribute its best work to predatory ticketing or automated traffic cameras that don’t prioritize safety,” he said.
McDuffie offered solid solutions to these problems, mentioning using AI to help with 311 calls and using existing 311 staff to aid the 911 operations. “You should know how the government is spending your tax dollars,” he said. “What that does is put accountability where it belongs, with the mayor.”
