Janeese Lewis George leads DC mayor primary with 53% of vote
What's next: Ranked-choice counting could delay a final result, but the Democratic winner is likely to succeed retiring Mayor Muriel Bowser.
Washington, D.C., Council member Janeese Lewis George held a clear lead early Wednesday in the Democratic primary for mayor, putting the democratic socialist on track to replace retiring Mayor Muriel Bowser. With roughly two-thirds of ballots counted, Lewis George had about 52.6% to 53% of the vote, ahead of Kenyan McDuffie at about 36.8%, according to results cited by the Associated Press and Decision Desk HQ. The race is highly consequential in the heavily Democratic city, where no Republican candidate is running. It is also the first D.C. mayoral contest to use ranked-choice voting, a change that could slow certification of the winner.