Less than one week from when voters will cast their ballots in the Washington, D.C., mayoral race, last-minute endorsements have shored up the Democratic Party establishment’s support of Kenyan McDuffie, while Janeese Lewis George has maintained her backing from union powerhouses.
The mayoral contest between the more centrist McDuffie and socialist Lewis George has brought in national attention and endorsements ahead of the June 16 Democratic primary, as the nation’s capital will choose which direction it wants the District’s Democratic party to head: following in the footsteps of Mayor Muriel Bowser or swinging to the left. Former Democratic National Committee officials, regional politicians, and the country’s biggest unions are making their voices heard ahead of the consequential primary.
On Tuesday, Bowser expressed her support for McDuffie, though she said she was not making a formal endorsement because she is trying to step away from the political spotlight. Jaime Harrison, former Chair of the DNC, also backed McDuffie on Tuesday, marking the former councilman’s latest full-throated endorsement from a Democratic establishment official.
“DC needs a Mayor with the experience, backbone, and judgment to stand up for this city and move it forward,” Jaime Harrison, former Chair of the Democratic National Committee, said in his endorsement message. “Kenyan McDuffie has spent his career doing just that, from protecting civil rights at the Department of Justice to delivering results for residents on the DC Council.”
Holder’s endorsement also came just days after former President Barack Obama’s attorney general, Eric Holder, backed McDuffie, calling him an official with “integrity, judgment and commitment to justice.” McDuffie had served in Obama’s Department of Justice as a federal prosecutor in the Civil Rights Division.
But Lewis George, who has campaigned on bucking the status quo in favor of Zohran Mamdani-style leadership in D.C., has garnered several endorsements from progressive city leaders and leftist organizations, like D.C.’s chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. She is also backed by dozens of major unions, including various SEIU locals, Unite Here! locals, and the Washington Teachers’ Union. Last Tuesday, the D.C. Firefighters Association, IAFF Local 36, backed Lewis George.
“Janeese Lewis George understands the importance of respecting collective bargaining, listening to front-line first responders, and working collaboratively to solve challenges,” Local 36 President David Hoagland said in a statement.
But Lewis George’s ties to unions have been the subject of a campaign finance investigation, with allegations that her campaign had improperly staffed union employees tied to an independent expenditure committee supporting her candidacy, according to the Washington Post. The Lewis George campaign denies the allegations, calling it a “baseless complaint” in a statement to the outlet.
Progressive at-large councilman Robert White, who is running for D.C. delegate against more centrist councilwoman Brooke Pinto, traded endorsements with Lewis George, teaming up with her as they have hit the campaign trail together.
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“We need somebody who folks know are going to fight for them, someone who’s not going to back down, somebody who’s going to stand for everyday people like my family and like your family, and you’re going to do it,” White said in a video with Lewis George.
Lewis George has led McDuffie in recent, limited polling on the Democratic primary match-up. In deep-blue D.C., whoever wins the Democratic primary is all but assured to take the general election in November.