Janeese Lewis George, a candidate for mayor in Washington, D.C., is leading the vote count in her bid to succeed outgoing mayor Muriel Bowser. As of 12 a.m. ET on Wednesday, George has received 52.6% of the votes counted, with 66% of ballots tallied. Her closest competitor, Kenyan R. McDuffie, has 36.8% of the votes.
The election occurs in the context of former President Donald Trump's administration's focus on crime in the district, which included deploying the National Guard last year. Trump has indicated he would consider a federal intervention if George, who identifies as a Democratic socialist, is elected.
George has responded to Trump's comments, describing them as an "attack on democracy itself." The D.C. election is notable for using ranked-choice voting for the first time, which may affect the timeline for declaring an official winner. Additionally, voters are participating in the Democratic primary to select a new non-voting U.S. Delegate following the retirement of Eleanor Holmes Norton. The Associated Press has already called the race for At-Large Council member Robert White.