District of Columbia 2026 Election Overview

This client alert summarizes the election timeline and the status of who is running for reelection, focusing on the offices of Mayor, Attorney General, and Council (chair, at-large, and ward seats). It reflects the status as of the date of this alert and will be updated as official calendars are finalized and candidate filings are confirmed.

Key Dates and Structure

On Tuesday, June 16, the DC Board of Elections will conduct Democratic and Republican primaries for mayoral and Council races, which will be considered this cycle. The general election will occur on Tuesday, November 3, in which independent candidates can also participate. Because an overwhelming majority of the District’s registered voters are Democrats, it is likely that many of the races will effectively be decided on June 16.

Office of the Mayor

For the first time since 2014, there is an open seat for the Office of the Mayor. Mayor Muriel Bowser has served three terms and decided late last year not to run for reelection. This will undoubtedly result in many people picking up petitions (which will be available in late January) and then trying to qualify for the primary election. Currently, there are three declared candidates (Councilmember Janese Lewis George, Gary Goodweather, and Rhonda L. Hamilton). In addition, Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie is widely anticipated to announce that he is running in this race following his resignation from the Council and his switching his party affiliation from Independent back to Democratic.

At-Large Councilmembers

Councilmember Anita Bonds and Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie are both At Large Councilmembers who are not remaining on the Council after this year. Councilmember Bonds is a Democrat, and her replacement likely will be decided in the primary in June. There are currently four DC residents who have announced they will be picking up petitions later this month to run for her seat, and many more are expected to run for this important citywide office.

Special Elections

Vacancy appointments and special elections are also occurring this year. As we noted above, Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie resigned effective January 5. Because McDuffie held the seat as an Independent, the DC Code requires the Council to appoint an interim non-majority party member who will serve until a special election can be held. By contrast, if the seat had been held by a Democrat, the DC Code would empower the DC Democratic Party to choose the interim Councilmember. The special election is anticipated to align with the June 16 primary, and then the seat will be filled in the normal November general election. Additional vacancies could be triggered if sitting councilmembers win other offices (e.g., at-large or Ward 2 if Robert White or Brooke Pinto wins one of their races for US House of Representatives).

Notes on Candidate Filings and Ballot Access

Candidate fields for this year’s election cycle are still forming. Petitions that are required for candidates to get on the ballot for the primary open in late January, and the primary is June 16. Final ballot access is contingent on meeting petition and eligibility requirements. Party-balance provisions applicable to at-large Council seats also may affect candidate strategy and ballot composition in those contests (the Home Rule Charter provides that two of the District’s 13 Council seats must be filled by non-majority party members). In addition, ranked-choice voting is expected to be implemented for the first time in the District of Columbia in the June primary.

Summary Table of 2026 Races