austin

Austin

chicago

Chicago

denver

Denver

lasvegas

Las Vegas

madison

Madison

nashville

Nashville

philly

Philly

pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

portland

Portland

saltlake

Salt Lake

seattle

Seattle

twincities

Twin Cities

We make podcasts and newsletters that connect people with the cities they love.

City Cast DC

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

We’re on a mission to get out there and remember why we 

 living in D.C. again. We think this bingo card will help.

How many can you check off before spring?

 if you get bingo and we’ll give you a shoutout!

Emma Uber

With Congress demanding internal documents and the police union gloating about the proposed sacking of 13 top officials, interim police chief

Jeffery Carroll met the press Tuesday, a day after he moved to clean house over manipulated crime data.

It made for quite a spectacle in a department that in recent years has faced leadership turnover and intensified federal scrutiny. Carroll opened by confirming the rumors: All 13 of the proposed firings are related to an internal investigation into crime data manipulation, he said.

He confirmed the restructuring of the department began yesterday with the shuttering of an office formerly led by the department’s second-in-command, as well as a series of transfers and promotions to fill the positions of officials under investigation. 

After news of the pending firings first broke in the Washington Post, I was the 

first to report the details of the department’s restructuring

 after obtaining internal communications sent Monday evening. The officials are all on administrative leave pending the results of the department's “trial board” disciplinary process, where they can appeal the decision.

But Carroll refused to disclose the findings of the internal investigation, citing personnel matters. That transparency seems pretty essential given that the alleged manipulation of crime statistics cuts to the basic question of whether Carroll’s department is trustworthy – and could serve as further reason for President Donald Trump to seize control in the District. Trump has zeroed in on long-standing complaints about crime misclassification, using it to justify his takeover of the D.C. police department and declaration of a crime emergency last summer even as D.C. crime rates fell.

Carroll also declined to answer why he was moving to dismiss top officers when even scathing Justice Department and House Oversight Committee reports haven’t actually identified any case of top brass ordering underclassification of crimes. (Those reports merely cited an overall toxic culture as the culprit for inaccurate stats).

And when asked whether D.C. police have heeded Republican Rep. James Comer’s 

public demands to hand over the investigation

, Carroll was vague, saying he is “in communication" with the House Oversight Committee chairman about the request.

But he was clear on one point: crime is still down in the District.

“We have made meaningful progress over the last three years in reducing crime,” he said. “Homicides, shootings and car jackings have fallen steadily since 2023.”

Want to follow Emma's work? Sign up for her newsletter, which launches May 20.

D.C. began the year with its longest stretch without a homicide in decades and – even after a spate of killings in April – the homicide rate is down 42 percent compared to this time last year. And last year, D.C. already experienced its fewest slayings since 2017. Even crime statistic skeptics generally agree that these numbers are accurate – it’s hard to fudge the stats when there’s a dead body and a grieving family.

Carroll also said he still trusts the police department’s crime data and depends on it each morning to guide deployment decisions.

He also confirmed the details I reported yesterday on the departmental restructuring. Christopher Dorsey will replace Tatjana Savoy as Second District Commander and Nikki Lavenhouse will replace LaShay Makal as assistant chief of patrol services south. He said the commanders have “already hit the ground running” in their new roles.

The shuttered office, the Office of Patrol Operations, was established in 2024 by former chief Pamela Smith and had been led by executive assistant police chief Andre Wright. Wright’s name appeared multiple times in a draft Justice Department report on alleged crime statistics manipulation at the department. He had been placed on administrative leave earlier this year after an investigation surfaced inappropriate text messages on his work phone, according to two law enforcement officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

On Tuesday, both the House Oversight Committee and the D.C. police union gloated. In a scathing statement, Comer took credit for the pending terminations and railed against D.C. leaders for “running cover for corrupt MPD officials.” And Gregg Pemberton, president of the union, called the disciplinary actions long overdue.

“Justice is being served,” Pemberton said in a statement. “The command staff officials responsible for this betrayal must be held accountable, not just for the sake of the thousands of dedicated MPD officers they undermined, but for the residents of the District of Columbia who deserve honest leadership and real public safety. The corruption that endangered lives, eroded trust, and allowed shooters, robbers, and predators to evade justice cannot be tolerated.”

Jeffery Carroll also confirmed the restructuring of the department. 

Police Chief: 13 Top Officials Face Termination Amid Crime Stats Scandal 

Local News

Get the story that everyone in Washington is talking about. Sign up for Emma Uber's newsletter, DC Dispatch. It takes you deeper into the scandals, disputes and delights in Washington.

D.C. Local News

The DC Dispatch

Multiple high-ranking D.C. police leaders have been informed the department intends to fire them based on findings from an internal investigation into crime data manipulation, according to three police officials familiar with the matter.

The changes could constitute a sweeping restructuring of department leadership – one that was already underway Monday evening, when interim police chief Jeffery Carroll abolished the Office of Patrol Operations, effective immediately.

The office – established by former police chief Pamela Smith in Oct. 2024 to oversee all patrol operations – was run by executive assistant police chief Andre Wright. Widely considered second-in-command under Carroll, Wright’s name appeared multiple times in a draft Justice Department report on alleged crime statistic manipulation at the department. He had been placed on administrative leave earlier this year after an investigation surfaced inappropriate text messages on his work phone, according to two law enforcement officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

A D.C. police official said no one other than Wright would lose their job due to the abolishment of the office, and all functions are being moved to other bureaus.

But the shakeup doesn’t end with Wright. According to internal D.C. police communications I reviewed, officers received a message signed by Carroll just after 7 p.m. Monday advising them of five transfers and seven promotions. Among them, Christopher Dorsey will replace Tatjana Savoy, who is facing termination, as Second District Commander. And Nikki Lavenhouse will replace LaShay Makal, who is facing termination, as assistant chief of patrol services south. 

It’s not clear yet whether all of the firings are tied to allegations of cooking the books to make crime rates appear lower. Some officials – including assistant chiefs and commanders – were served termination papers, according to the officials. Others were informed of disciplinary measures. Those accused of misconduct will go through the department’s “trial board” disciplinary process, where they can appeal the decision.

The pending terminations come after months of heightened scrutiny from President Donald Trump, including probes into the police force from the Justice Department and the House Oversight Committee. The police union has publicly applauded the intervention and some officers voluntarily cooperated, seizing the opportunity to address long-standing concerns with leadership.

A D.C. police spokesperson declined to comment on Monday, saying he cannot discuss personnel matters or internal investigations.

At least some of the officials I spoke to told me it’s about time. A D.C. police officer described the sentiment of the department in one word: “finally.”

Another member of the department’s top brass said both the police union and rank-and-file officers are “very pleased someone is finally addressing this in a meaningful way.” He added that it has renewed many in the department’s faith in Carroll, who took the helm of the department after Smith resigned in December.

“It goes to show we’re not standing for any shenanigans,” the official said. “We have to protect the agency. We have to protect the city.”

Last summer, Trump took over the D.C. police force and cited out of control crime as justification. Critics pointed to the city’s plummeting crime rates, but Trump seized on long-circulated rumors that some police department managers regularly downgraded crime classifications to avoid being reprimanded by top brass.

As evidence, Trump pointed to Commander Michael Pulliam, who was placed on paid leave while under investigation for allegedly manipulating crime statistics in D.C. police’s Third District. He has denied wrongdoing.

The Justice Department and the House Oversight Committee conducted investigations, both of which railed against the leadership style of Smith and many of her inner circle.

However, neither of the investigations identified a time when Smith or another leader explicitly ordered the misclassification of crime. Instead, the Justice Department report cited a “culture of fear” that indirectly led officials to downplay crime rates in an attempt to dodge Smith’s wrath.

Smith has vehemently denied allegations that she ordered any manipulation of statistics.

House Oversight Committee Rep. James Comer, a Republican, wrote a letter last week demanding all the records from the police department’s internal investigation. 

House Oversight Republicans gloated at the news of the potential firings in a 

 Monday, claiming its letter "is already forcing action inside the MPD."

"Now they must release EVERY document from their internal investigation into manipulated crime data," the post read. "This isn't over. We're not stopping until the full truth is out."

The D.C. Office of the Inspector General also began a review of D.C. police crime data reporting in January. That review has not been released.

The changes could constitute a sweeping restructuring of department leadership.

Multiple D.C. Police Leaders Face Termination Over Crime Data Manipulation

Yu Vongkiatkajorn

Hey D.C., I’m Yu, City Cast DC’s new managing editor overseeing our reporters. 

I was one of the journalists laid off at the Washington Post, and I joined City Cast because I believe deeply in its mission of helping residents stay connected and providing original reporting for the city. We’ve been growing our staff and adding more reporting to our website, podcast and newsletters — and we’re only getting started.

We have some big news for you: In just a couple of weeks, we’re launching 

If you're already a subscriber to City Cast DC, you will 

Obsessed is Kaela Cote-Stemmermann’s newsletter on food and culture. 

If you’ve been reading our daily newsletter (now being authored by our executive editor and podcast co-host Michael Schaffer), then you probably love Kaela’s signature smarts and humor. After writing a daily newsletter for four years, we wanted a place for Kaela’s writing about D.C. to truly shine. I’m so excited for her to now be fully immersed in what she loves: being your guide to the best food and events in the city.

In Kaela’s words, the newsletter is “an absolutely local, always fun, and totally honest weekly dispatch on D.C. food and culture.” It launches May 14. Follow her on 

is Emma Uber’s weekly newsletter on the stories that everyone in Washington is talking about. 

She’ll take you deeper into the scandals, disputes and delights of life in the District, touching on subjects both light and serious.

Emma joined City Cast from the Washington Post and says she’s thrilled to be part of a newsroom investing in local news. “As soon as I met the City Cast team, it became clear they love D.C. and care deeply about the people who live here,” she says. “I can't wait to work with them to bring D.C.'s must-read stories to your inbox."

Her newsletter starts May 20. Follow her on 

When City Cast DC launched its daily podcast and newsletter back in 2022, the goal was simple: help D.C. residents stay connected to their city and become better neighbors. That hasn't changed. But now, we’ll also bring you essential original reporting you can’t get anywhere else.

This expansion isn’t possible without community support. 

We need more Neighbors to make this work long term.

Become a neighbor

Being a Neighbor isn’t just for feeling good about supporting local news, though. Neighbors get exclusive perks and this week only, a free welcome gift. The choice between 

 to declare your love for D.C. and the people who live here.

I hope you sign up for our newsletters and consider becoming a member. Thanks for your support.

Sign up now to get the big stories Washington is talking about and our can't-miss guide to food and culture. 

We're launching two new newsletters

News and updates about the City Cast DC podcast and Hey DC newsletter.

City Cast DC Announcements

Announcements

,” director Eli Bauman stood before the audience and instructed them to pretend they had never heard of the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, he asked them to go back to 2008, when HOT 99.5 was pumping out Katy Perry and D.C. felt on the brink of political change.

”The truth of the matter is this show, which happens to be about politics, actually feels like an escape, " says Bauman.

“44” tells the story of the Obama presidency from the perspective of a go-lucky Biden, wistfully observing the trials of Barack (played by T.J. Wilkins) and Michelle (played by Shanice Wilson-Knox) as they navigate their life in the White House

 Written and directed by Bauman, a TV writer and former Obama campaign organizer, it’s a “Hamilton-esq” wet liberal fantasy that had the entire crowd singing “He’s motherfucking Obama” while they fondly reminisced about a bygone era.

Since premiering in L.A. in 2022, the show has been bouncing from city to city in a four-year quest to make itself Broadway-ready. Now, it’s playing at the Shakespeare Theater in D.C. until May 10.

Bauman said that D.C. has been their favorite crowd so far and the shows have consistently been sold out on Fridays and Saturdays.

“There's just a certain level of knowledge [in D.C.] that makes everything land,” said Bauman, “I feel like they've picked up the most on the nuance-y stuff, and also I feel like they could really use a laugh.”

I can’t imagine a more fitting or enthusiastic crowd than the one that filled the Shakespeare Theater last Thursday night. The show’s two hours were packed with Motown grooves, Sarah Palin scream-singing “drill me baby!” in her bra, and jokes that only the most entrenched 2008 hill staffers could decipher. I must admit, even I had a hard time keeping it together when Hilary Clinton whipped off her pantsuit to reveal…another pantsuit.

The audience's frenzy reached its peak when Biden started dancing awkwardly to gogo — a song added specifically for the show’s D.C. run. It was almost as painful as watching Justin Timberlake's 

. (Though, some semblance of self-awareness made it more endearing.)

It was an unabashed love-letter to the Obamas. Though, unfortunately, despite the actors’ great performances, the ungainly reverence given to the first couple makes their scenes some of the most boring in the whole show. Especially when compared to the outrageous but poignant satirical treatment given to Hillary Clinton, Mitch McConnell, and the show's other front-runners.

Bauman first had the idea to write “44” the day after Donald Trump was first elected president. Like many people, he found himself grappling with the question of “what the hell happened?”

”This felt like my attempt at reconciling that question,“ he explained.

It wasn’t until Covid that Bauman said the changes started to become relevant to him personally, pushing him to put pen to paper.

”During COVID it felt more and more relevant to me. And I just had time all of a sudden to do something that, quite frankly, would make no money.”

He never expected it to take off, but said that luck and a few key early decisions set the show up for success.

“There's no Trump in it, and our Biden is 45 years old and has a six pack,” explained Bauman. “Those two decisions made the show somewhat Teflon to the chaos going around.”

According to Bauman, only one character from the show has ever contacted him; Sarah Palin. Apparently, she absolutely 

 the clips she has seen of herself in the show. Which is somewhat surprising as she spends much of it shirtless grinding up against an American flag pole.

“ I think actual Sarah Palin was like, Ooh! I look hot. And was very interested in coming to witness that for herself,” explained Bauman. So, maybe not so surprising after all.

At the end of the show, I was left wanting more and was distraught when Bauman told me they had to cut a whole 90s boy-band-style number called “Gay for the NRA” about Republicans being in love with their guns.

“It was a pure banger. I stand by that, but the audiences…it was just too much for them to handle,” said Bauman. I assured him D.C. audiences would have absolutely raged to it.

Instead, a projection of the Obama family holding hands during inauguration gave a heavy handed-end to our quick but hopeful trip down memory lane. After the show, the harsh comedown to reality was only somewhat comforted by free slices from Gordon Ramsey’s pizza joint and riding a CaBi home in the (finally) warm spring night.

This raunchy love letter to 2008 D.C. by a former Obama campaign staffer left us weeping with laughter and nostalgia. 

'44: The Musical' returns Washingtonians to an old, hopeful DC

The Obama musical returns Washingtonians to an old, hopeful DC

What Washingtonians have been wondering. We break down why things in DC are the way they are and how they work.

DC, Explained

Michael Brice-Saddler

Ward 6 Council member Charles Allen (D) is endorsing Ward 4 Council member Janeese Lewis George (D) in the D.C. mayoral primary, praising her as a decisive leader who can restore a sense of ambition to the city.

Allen plans to announce his endorsement Monday. He said in an interview that his backing of Lewis George comes down to a desire for a more assertive approach — arguing that over the last several years, the city’s leadership has “lost the ambition.”

“Just constantly thinking about how you nibble on the edges of a problem, it’s clearly not working for us, it’s not making D.C. more affordable,” Allen said. “I want us to be a city that’s proud: leading, innovating and being ambitious. I don’t know why we think it’s okay not to be.”

In a competitive primary where voter attention remains limited, the backing of an established, longtime lawmaker helps send a clear signal to undecided voters that Lewis George’s campaign has institutional support.

Allen’s endorsement adds to a growing list that solidifies Lewis George’s backing from the progressive wing of the D.C. Council. She has already secured support from At-Large Council member Robert White Jr., Ward 1 Council member Brianne K. Nadeau and former D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine.

Her top rival in the Democratic primary, former Council member Kenyan R. McDuffie, has been endorsed by Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks (D), former Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh, former D.C. Mayor Sharon Pratt and the Associated Builders and Contractors of Metro Washington, among others.

The candidates’ different approaches can be seen in their housing goals. Lewis George is pushing a lofty target of 72,000 new units. McDuffie has dismissed that number as 

, countering with a more modest pitch: build 12,000 new units and preserve 20,000 more by 2030.

"Twelve thousand is not part of a bold way to think about how we grow our city," said Allen, who likened Lewis George’s vision to former Mayor Anthony Williams’s historic — and at the time, controversial — push to add 

"People said, 'That’s unrealistic, we shouldn’t think and dream that big,'" recalled Allen. “And guess what? We added 100,000 new residents, and by adding more housing and more residents, we diversified our tax base. We became a growing city.”

A centerpiece of Lewis George’s platform is achieving universal childcare, potentially funded by a proposed Business Activity Tax. Supporters, including Allen, frame it as a restructuring of the city’s business taxes — aimed at capturing more revenue from large firms while 

Finding that funding for childcare, Allen noted, is paramount for voters across his ward and the District. “When my kids were in childcare, it was as if we were carrying a second mortgage,” he said. “It made everything more expensive and harder than it needed to be.”

Allen said that while he and Lewis George won’t agree on everything, she possesses a rare political trait behind closed doors: she engages directly with her detractors.

“She is the only candidate that is curious, expands the circle of people she listens to and is also a decisive leader,” Allen said. “And those are the qualities that you need to have a successful mayor and executive.”

 additional endorsements from the American Postal Workers Union, the D.C. Nurses Association and AFSCME District Council 20 — the city’s largest public-sector union.

In recent weeks, McDuffie has gradually fleshed out his campaign platform — including a plan unveiled last Thursday called “

,” focused on expanding access to child care and creating targeted programming for students at all grade levels.

The council member says the city’s leadership has “lost the ambition” — and Lewis George offers a bolder path forward. 

Charles Allen endorses Janeese Lewis George in D.C. mayoral race

Scoop: Charles Allen backs Janeese Lewis George in D.C. mayoral race

Politics

DC Politics

Empower, the embattled ride-hailing service, will live another day. A judge ruled on Thursday that the company, which has been forbidden from vehicle-for-hire operations in the District, didn’t violate a court order by offering free rides in the city.

It’s the latest in a legal dispute between D.C. and the ride-share company that markets itself as a cheaper alternative to Uber and Lyft. The company has been operating in the District without registration since 2020. Empower and its CEO Joshua Sear have racked up $8.85 million in unpaid court fines – a total that increased $30,000 each day the company failed to comply with the 2024 order to stop operating as a private vehicle-for-hire company in D.C.

Last year, after it became clear fines weren’t an effective deterrent, Judge Shana Frost Matini told Sear he was heading to jail. Facing incarceration, he conceded – but the rides still didn’t stop.

Since then, Empower has tried a series of loopholes to remain in operation, from saying rides in D.C. are not subject to contracts between Empower and the driver to the latest strategy: offering rides for free.

Since no money is being exchanged for a service, Matini ruled that Empower has technically followed her previous order to stop doing business in D.C. until it registers with the city. But the D.C. Attorney General’s Office has said that this is another tactic for Empower to continue operating without regulation.

Is there really such thing as a free ride?

How do free rides actually work? Turns out – at least for me Thursday morning – they don’t.

As I headed from my D.C. apartment to court for the hearing, I tried to use the Empower app. Immediately, I was met with a message in bold: “If you want Empower to stay in DC, leave Kenyan McDuffie off your ballot!”

I entered my destination, D.C. Superior Court, and a message about a different D.C. politician appeared: “Mayor Bowser has banned Empower from facilitating drivers who work for themselves to provide for-hire transportation in DC. Your ride within the District cannot be for-hire if you wish for Empower to facilitate it. It must be free.”

Empower has taken its fight for survival in D.C. beyond the courtroom, organizing protests at the Wilson Building and waging public pressure campaigns on various D.C. politicians – the messages on its app being one prime example.

 last week, McDuffie said his daughter had received a death threat against him that referenced the ban on Empower. He said the company had warned him that if he did not agree to a meeting, they would tell customers not to rank him on their mayoral ballots.

D.C. police have arrested a 17-year-old boy in connection with the threat. In a statement Friday, Empower said the company had no association with the teen and called McDuffie’s suggestion that Empower targeted his family "absurd and defamatory.”

“[I]t's not surprising that Mr. McDuffie would view having to discuss his position on affordable transportation and the right of drivers to work for themselves, instead of for Uber, as a threat to his campaign,” the statement read.

On the app, I clicked past the message to a screen informing me that, for $0.00, a driver could pick me up in one minute. A free ride and hardly any wait? Sweet! But just seconds after I requested the ride it was cancelled. And yes, the cancellation was accompanied by another political message.

“Thanks to corrupt Uber-backed politicians like Kenyan McDuffie, Empower cannot facilitate the provision of for-hire rides within the District,” the message read. “Your ride within the District booked using Empower must be free, and there are no drivers currently available to provide you with a free ride.” (The D.C. Council – including McDuffie’s mayoral opponent Janeese Lewis George – has been unanimous in its votes on Empower).

After some more poking around on the app, I was offered three different ways to voice discontent with McDuffie but, alas, not a ride.

If I had been heading to court from Virginia or Maryland, things might have been different. As Sear explains it, it would have been considered two rides – one from my location to a point just outside the D.C. border, a second from this point to the courthouse. The first ride, conducted entirely outside of the District, would cost money. The second would be free.

Mia Bowden, an assistant chief at the D.C. Department of For-Hire Vehicles, testified that she tested the two-stop method on Wednesday by hailing six Empower rides that crossed between D.C. and Virginia or Maryland. Out of the six, she said only two drivers drove to the first stop. The rest went straight to the second, Bowden testified. And the fare for all six rides was calculated based on the total mileage of the trip, she said, including the portion of the trip inside the District.

For instance, when she booked an Empower trip from a Northeast D.C. Whole Foods to Pentagon City Mall, her driver first drove her to Long Bridge Aquatics and Fitness Center in Arlington as the free leg of the trip. But the 1.4 remaining miles cost $15.37 – an amount D.C. attorneys said was calculated on the total trip, not just the second leg. In other rides, she said, the driver didn’t even mention the first stop and drove her directly to her final destination.

Sear responded that drivers who do not operate using two separate stops are violating both Empower’s terms of service and the law, and that he will work to enforce the two-stop system. He blamed the fare calculation issue on a bug, acknowledging it was an error and saying he had engineers fix the issue overnight so that fare will be calculated exclusively on miles outside D.C.

“Obviously this makes us look not very good, I realize,” Sear said of the bug.

“We’re not trying to be cute,” he said in court Thursday. “I am doing everything I can to comply with the court’s order without destroying the lives of thousands of drivers.”

Lawyers for D.C. called the two-stop strategy “legal fiction” and in court filings earlier this week argued that the free rides were a “bait-and-switch tactic.”

Empower launched in 2019 and arrived in the District in 2020. Unlike other popular ride-share services like Uber and Lyft, Empower considers its customers to be the drivers, who pay a subscription fee for access to the reservation software, then get to set their own rates and keep all of the fare.

D.C.’s Department of For-Hire Vehicles issued a cease-and-desist order soon after Empower began operating in D.C., court records show, citing the company’s failure to register as a private sedan business and digital dispatch service. Registering would mean Empower would give 6 percent of its revenue to the city, as required of all ride-hailing services, as well as be subject to safety regulations such as providing commercial insurance and driver background checks.

In 2024, Matini ordered Empower to cease business operations in D.C. until the company registered itself, and the city and Empower have been locked in a legal battle since. Sear testified Empower has repeatedly tried to register with the city, but has been denied. The District has said the company would need to pay the millions of dollars in outstanding fines to register.

“We’re not trying to avoid registration, the District is trying to prevent us from registering,” Sear said in court Thursday.

Thursday’s ruling marked a win for Empower, but the company’s woes are far from over. Empower drivers in the D.C. area made about $1 million less last week than normal, Sear testified. “We are going to suffer a meaningful decrease in revenue because there are going to be drivers who no longer pay for our services,” he said.

Meanwhile, millions of dollars in unpaid fines continue to loom over the company. D.C. lawyers wrapped up the hearing by saying they would begin tabulating the District’s legal fees to add to Empower’s outstanding fines.

Beyond D.C., Empower continues to expand. The company is available in seven other areas, including New York City, Atlanta, Baltimore and Miami. Sear said Empower is not registered with the equivalent of D.C.’s Department of For-Hire Vehicles in any of those markets.

The embattled ride-share service can continue to offer free rides, a judge ruled yesterday, but the company and its CEO still owe nearly $9 million in fines.

The loophole (barely) keeping Empower alive in D.C. 

Kenyan McDuffie is finally showing his teeth. Aside from a viral moment last month when he 

 in protest, the former council member has largely been seen as the race’s lower-energy, establishment-aligned mayoral candidate. But he’s now signaling a more aggressive path forward, vowing to “call out misinformation” and reclaim the narrative from his top opponent, Ward 4 Council member Janeese Lewis George.

At Monday’s mayoral candidate forum, led by The 51st and other local news organizations, that new gear was on full display. McDuffie arrived at the forum with a vocal contingent of supporters in campaign sweatshirts — a visible attempt to display the movement energy that has been a staple of the Lewis George camp since her December launch.

He didn’t stop at the branding. During his closing remarks, McDuffie took a direct swipe at what he claimed was Lewis George’s imported political model, asserting he would not run a campaign based on “dark money coming out of New York City.” It was a pointed reference to Lewis George’s ties to the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America, a local chapter of a national organization that has been a key part of her ground game.

Lewis George met the jab with a practiced cool, and her campaign later dismissed the accusation as a misunderstanding of her local coalition of labor unions and the Sierra Club. On stage, she flipped the script and questioned McDuffie’s own establishment fundraising by claiming she is “not taking big Trump donor dollars like other candidates.”

With a little less than two months until the June primary, the forum marked a shift in what has otherwise been a sleepy mayoral race. While Lewis George’s campaign is projecting confidence, the path to winning the primary now depends on which version of District leadership voters choose to buy.

McDuffie’s counter-narrative relies heavily on his roots as a fourth-generation Washingtonian. His campaign website features a prominent "from mailman to mayor" pitch — a biographical anchor he has leaned on for years to illustrate a blue-collar connection to the city. However, in a primary defined by a looming fiscal crisis and the vacuum left by Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s exit, there's growing skepticism among political operatives that legacy branding still carries the weight it once did.

The questioning isn't about McDuffie’s local bonafides — Lewis George is a native Washingtonian as well — but about whether his brand of leadership is a sufficient answer to the city’s major structural challenges. To counter that skepticism, he is leaning on his legislative record and what his campaign calls a history of delivering “actual results.” And to address criticisms that he has been less publicly visible, the campaign has argued that his focus has simply been concentrated elsewhere: in living rooms and at people’s front doors rather than on social media.

It is an investment in traditional retail politics, but increasingly looks like a campaign trying to protect its ground. Despite McDuffie’s 14 years of business, legislative and legal experience, the “native son” identity has not prevented a mass migration of major 

 to Lewis George’s camp. That has left McDuffie vulnerable to the portrayal of him as a well-connected insider, a narrative currently being amplified by a Sierra Club-funded “

” campaign that frames his legislative record as a series of missed opportunities for oversight in favor of corporate cozying.

The two frontrunners traded jabs at a mayoral forum Monday, marking a shift in what has otherwise been a sleepy mayoral race. 

The D.C. mayor's race is actually heating up

The D.C. Mayor's Race is Actually Heating Up

Not to be dramatic, but this might just be the longest winter of our lives. We’re on a mission to get out there and remember why we love living in D.C. again. We think this bingo card will help.

DC Life Hacks

Best Ways to Beat DC’s Winter Blues

Kaela Cote-Stemmermann

Share article

DC Life Hacks

Your Guide to DC in May 2026

The Best Bands To See At DC’s 2026 Porchfests

Hacks To Save Money on Gas in DC

Underrated Spots To See Cherry Blossoms In DC

The Best Spring Trips Around DC For Under $150

How To Rent a Car In DC

Your Guide to DC's Film Scene

Your Guide to DC in March 2026

The latest in DC