DC election results: Lewis George leads early DC mayor race primary returns

WASHINGTON - D.C. Councilmember Janeese Lewis George is leading the Democratic primary for mayor, according to early results reported Wednesday morning. 

FOX 5’s Melanie Alnwick reports that 52.79% of voters ranked Lewis George as their first choice, while 36.57% ranked Kenyan McDuffie. The remaining candidates each received less than 3% of first‑choice votes.

DC Primary Election Results 2026: Live Results for Mayor, Delegate and Local Races

So far, 95,211 ballots have been counted. This marks the District’s first open mayoral race in two decades, with Mayor Muriel Bowser stepping away after three terms and leaving the city’s top job open for a new leader.

Seven candidates are running, with Lewis George and McDuffie emerging as the leading contenders. McDuffie has emphasized public safety, job creation, economic growth and protecting D.C.’s home rule. Lewis George has centered her campaign on affordability, housing, childcare and education.

Lewis George delivered an upbeat speech to supporters late Tuesday night, telling the crowd, "Tonight we are making history by showing America that the dream of America is alive in its capital city." With results still rolling in, she expressed confidence in her standing and thanked the volunteers and workers who backed her campaign.

McDuffie told supporters Tuesday night that it would "be a while before we know the results of this election" and urged voters to "respect the process." He thanked those who turned out and said Washington residents "showed up in this election like I have never seen before." McDuffie also defended the city’s autonomy, saying Washington "has a right to govern itself" despite threats of a federal takeover. "Donald Trump does not run Washington, D.C. We do," he told the crowd. "And we will fight for D.C.’s autonomy every single day of the week."

The D.C. Board of Elections says round‑by‑round ranked‑choice results will begin posting Sunday, June 21. Mail‑in ballots postmarked by June 16 will be accepted until June 26.

Voting guide: How DC's new ranked choice voting ballot works

Here’s how DC's new ranked choice voting ballot works:

D.C. is now using ranked choice voting (RCV) for city elections, beginning with the June 16 primary — the first time the District has used the system.

In races with three or more candidates, voters can rank up to five in order of preference instead of choosing only one. Ranking a backup choice does not hurt your first choice.

All first-choice votes are counted first. If a candidate wins more than 50% of first-choice votes, that candidate wins outright, according to the D.C. Board of Elections.