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December 9, 2025

Police Chief Retires, Council Shake Up, And Why DC Politics Will Be Wild in 2026

City Cast DC

Police Chief Retires, Council Shake Up, And Why DC Politics Will Be Wild in 2026

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We already know Mayor Bowser isn’t running for another term, but both Councilmember Anita Bonds and MPD Chief Pamela Smith also just announced their retirements, meaning a real shakeup is coming for the DC government. WAMU's Alex Koma is here to explain what all of these resignations mean for the city and why the 2026 field is looking so crowded.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

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