Lewis George projected to win DC mayoral race

Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George will win D.C.’s mayoral race, NBC News projects.

Lewis George, a self-described Democratic socialist, told News4 over the summer she will push back against any attempts by President Donald Trump to federalize the city — vows she echoed in her Election Night speech.

“We will defend our families, our immigrant families, because D.C. is a sanctuary city,” Lewis George told supporters Tuesday night. “And more importantly, we will protect our local autonomy and we will win D.C. statehood.”

In her one-on-one interview with NBC Washington this summer, she said she planned to sign two executive orders challenging Trump’s policies on her first day in office, immediately addressing federal immigration enforcement in the District and police participation in the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force.

“Probably on that Monday, what you will see is my administration signing an executive order rescinding the participation with our law enforcement in federal immigration enforcement,” Lewis George said in her interview with News4’s Mark Segraves over the summer. 

She’s also ready to challenge any efforts to federalize D.C. police.

Trump said he will not let D.C. “be destroyed” in a social media post published in June. 

“In the end, it will never work out, nor will I let it even have a chance because I have worked too hard to make Washington, D.C., the Envy of the World, with almost No Crime, and a Beautification process that has been second to none,” the president’s post said. 

Lewis George said she was willing to work with the Trump administration “to improve the lives of D.C. residents.” 

“I will stand up to anyone who puts our city or its residents in harm’s way,” Lewis George said, in part, in a statement in response to the president’s post.

Lewis George said she believes the outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser’s administration has not pushed back strongly enough against federal intrusion and emphasized that she would prioritize building and leveraging stronger relationships with Congress.

Lewis George also campaigned on universal childcare and housing affordability. 

The mayor-elect told News4 she wants to increase funding for the Pre‑K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP), which offers free childcare for eligible 3- and 4‑year‑olds in D.C., until the program becomes universal for all residents. 

“We will make childcare affordable and within reach,” she told her crowd of supporters on Election Night.

She also said she plans to lower costs for tenants by expanding D.C.’s rent stabilization program and build more infrastructure, according to her campaign website. 

“We will make childcare affordable and within reach,” Lewis George said Tuesday night. “We will lower costs for tenants and build more homes and better homes for all of us.”

“We will pick up the trash, plow the snow, eliminate the rats and make every tax dollar count,” she added.

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