Previous post
Washington, D.C., is holding its first open mayoral race in more than a decade, and one of the leading candidates is a democratic socialist. Having spent time in the city during the crack cocaine addicted Marion Barry years, I thought my ability to be surprised by D.C. politics had been permanently damaged. After all, this is a city that has never lacked for colorful political characters.
What surprised me wasn’t the candidate. It was how little attention the socialist label seems to attract. Not long ago, a democratic socialist mounting serious campaign for mayor of the nation’s capital would have been front-page news. Today, it barely raises an eyebrow.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) is not seeking a fourth term in office, leaving an open mayoral race for the first time since 2014 and setting up a battle between two wings of the Democratic Party. Since Washington is one of the most solidly blue cities in the U.S., whoever wins the Democratic nomination will almost certainly win the general election in November.
The primary to succeed Bowser is crowded but likely comes down to former D.C. Council member Kenyan McDuffie, a moderate, and sitting Council member Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist. – The Hill
The race itself matters, but it also points to something much larger. Ideas that once lived on the political fringe are increasingly finding a home in the mainstream American politics, particularly in some of America’s largest cities.
The coverage surrounding this race has been subdued. News reports discuss housing, public safety, economic development, and the ongoing tug-of-war between city leaders and the Trump administration.
We are not going to get ICE off our streets or protect Home Rule by fearing this President.
Threatening DC because you do not like how our residents vote is an attack on democracy itself.
The people of DC elect the Mayor of DC. And they want someone who will stand up to Trump. https://t.co/2sRQNsPRZT
— Janeese Lewis George (@Janeese4DC) June 11, 2026
What receives far less attention is the fact that a democratic socialist is a serious contender to run the nation’s capital.
Perhaps that should not be surprising. The political landscape has changed considerably over the past decade.
Not long ago, democratic socialism occupied a relatively small corner of American politics. Today, socialists and self-described democratic socialists routinely win local office, shape policy debates, and influence the direction of the Democratic Party. Washington may be the latest example, but it is hardly the first.
Washington may be getting the headlines today, but the larger story stretches far beyond the Beltway.
Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani is now the mayor of New York City.
Seattle elected Katie Wilson as mayor and previously sent Kshama Sawant to its city council for years.
And then there is the Los Angeles mayoral race. Nithya Raman, a socialist, allegedly won her little primary and will go up against Karen Bass.
We are no longer looking at isolated local elections anymore. It’s becoming a trend. Ideas that once seemed far outside the mainstream are now winning elections in some of America’s largest cities. Democratic socialism is no longer knocking at the door. It’s already inside.
Supporters of democratic socialism often campaign on problems that are very real. Housing costs are high. Homelessness is a problem. Crime concerns voters. City services rarely seem to improve as quickly as taxpayers would like.
What I find interesting is that many of these problems exist in cities that have been governed by Democrats for decades. New York is not a conservative city. Los Angeles is not a conservative city. Seattle is not a conservative city. If voters are unhappy with the results, the question becomes obvious: why would moving even further left suddenly produce a different outcome?
I lived in Washington during the Marion Barry years.
Back then, the controversies were obvious. Everyone knew what the arguments were about.
What makes this race different is that the most significant part barely seems controversial at all.
A democratic socialist is a serious contender to lead the nation’s capital, and much of the discussion has moved on as though that fact hardly deserves mention.
Perhaps Washington will decide that is the right direction.
The rest of us should at least be willing to ask whether cities already struggling under decades of progressive governance really need an even more progressive version of the same thing.
Feature Image: Janeese4DC, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons/edited with AI.
Scott says: Anyone with a brain understands the evils of socialism, the problem is, very few people in blue cities have a brain, and DC ( as evidenced by Marion Berry) is on the very short end of the list..
One way to fix this is remove the obvious conflict of interest. ANYONE on govt. assistance should lose the ability to vote, and being able to directly vote to give yourself other people’s money while contributing nothing is a blatant conflict of interest.. anyone on the dole should lose the ability to vote until they’ve been self sufficient for 6 months.. thats the only way, as single race, primarily welfare districts like DC are populated by the dregs of society… extremely low IQ, low info, culture of crime areas.. they have, and will continue to vote for those that allow and encourage their behavior..
American Human says: How about everyone gets one vote, but you get an additional vote for every $1000 you pay in federal and/or state taxes. This idea is thanks to the brilliant Walter Williams may he RIP.
Lloyd says: Once again, we see the impact of the past several years of idiotic liberal ideology capturing the minds of idiots!
3 Comments