DC mayoral race heats up: McDuffie and Lewis George clash during Free DC forum
File Photo.
WASHINGTON - The race for D.C. mayor intensified Saturday as two Democratic frontrunners, Kenyan McDuffie and Janeese Lewis George, took the stage for a live forum that quickly grew heated.
The forum — hosted as part of the lead‑up to the June 16 Democratic primary — saw McDuffie and Lewis George directly challenge each other’s records and visions for the city’s future. It took place at Matthews Memorial Baptist Church in Southeast D.C. and was hosted by Free D.C., a nonprofit organization that hosts forums, debates and civic events in the District.
READ MORE: Here's who is running in DC's mayoral primary on June 16
The exchange unfolded in real time before a crowd of D.C. residents.
Candidates spar over utility rates and oversight
Dig deeper:
At the center of the clash was utility rates in the District and who bears responsibility for recent increases, as both McDuffie and Lewis George serve as D.C. Council members, and therefore vote on issues affecting city utility policies.
They specifically criticized each other’s records on the Public Service Commission (PSC) — the agency that sets utility rates — and on how they’ve handled oversight of rate decisions.
What they're saying:
"Every single time she had the opportunity to vote against the public service commissioners, she voted yes, not once but twice," McDuffie said during the forum.
"That's a lie. I've never voted. He's been the chair. He's been the chair," Lewis George said in response.
Later online, Lewis George responded to the incident on Facebook saying, "As my grandmother would say, when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."
Then, McDuffie responded to that post on X, saying he "won't legislate via TikTok and Instagram." He shared his comments alongside a Free D.C. video of the exchange, which showed a worked-up crowd responding to their back-and-forth.
Local perspective:
Pepco’s multiyear rate plan, approved by the D.C. Public Service Commission, includes a $37.3 million increase in distribution revenue for 2026, meaning residents will continue to pay more for electricity this year compared with prior years, according to a D.C. utility committee report.
Big picture view:
Both McDuffie and Lewis George used their additional time on stage to highlight their respective hometown roots and long histories in city politics, while continuing to depict the other as out of step with voter priorities. Both candidates have made affordability a cornerstone of their campaigns.
Two other D.C. mayoral candidates participated in the Free D.C. Forum: Gary Goodweather, a real estate manager and former U.S. Army captain, and Yaida Ford, a civil rights attorney and urban farmer.
READ MORE: FOX 5 DC hosting DC Democratic mayoral primary debate with Georgetown University
What's next:
FOX 5 D.C. and Georgetown University announced last week they will be hosting a televised debate for D.C.'s upcoming Democratic mayoral primary election.
The debate will be held at Georgetown's McCourt School of Public Policy on Monday, May 18 at 7 p.m.
The Source: Information above was sourced from a live stream of the event, a D.C. utility committee report, the Public Service Commission of the District of Columbia, Free D.C., social media and previous FOX 5 DC reporting.