The 2026 D.C. mayoral race has officially kicked off — and all it took was a major revelation from the would-be incumbent.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) announced Tuesday that she wouldn’t seek a fourth term. In a letter, she expressed gratitude for an opportunity afforded to only a few in the Home Rule era.
“When you placed your trust in me 10 years ago, you gave me an extraordinary opportunity to have a positive impact on my hometown,” Bowser’s letter said. “Every day since, I’ve cherished that opportunity, and have happily given all of my passion and energy to a job I love. Together, you and I have built a legacy of success of which I am intensely proud. My term will end on January 2, 2027, but until then, let’s run through the tape and keep winning for DC.”
Bowser started her political career as an advisory neighborhood commissioner in her stomping grounds of Riggs Park in Northeast.
She later became Ward 4 council member during a special election, serving in that role from 2007 to 2015.
In 2015, Bowser entered mayoral office after defeating a then-scandal-ridden D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray in the 2014 D.C. Mayoral Democratic primary.
Under Bowser’s stewardship, the District’s public and public charter schools experienced enrollment and graduation gains.
Other feats include increased spending on certified business enterprises, the construction of the Frederick Douglass Bridge, the launch of a new hospital in Ward 8, and most recently, the Washington Commanders’ return to a newly constructed RFK Stadium.
Despite qualms among grassroots activists and marginalized District residents about what they describe as Bowser’s deference to developers, Bowser won reelection twice.
In 2022, she made history when, after defeating D.C. Councilmembers Robert White and Trayon White in the mayoral primary, and later comedian Rodney “Red” Grant in the general election, she became the first Black female U.S. mayor elected to three terms.
Juggling life as a mother and mayor, Bowser’s third term, however, has been anything but a cakewalk, especially since President Donald J. Trump’s return to the White House.
From her preemptive removal of Black Lives Matter Plaza, to her cooperation with the Trump administration during and after the federal surge, Bowser has been the target of vitriol from those adamant that she’s not defending D.C. residents.
The mayor has also sparked criticism from members of the D.C. Council — Janeese Lewis George (D) and Kenyan McDuffie (I) — who John A. Wilson Building insiders speculate will soon launch their campaigns.
For the time being, Lewis George continues to advocate for D.C. residents — particularly those who struggled to secure emergency rental assistance last week. She did just as much during a Nov. 21 event held in honor of The Rev. Graylan Hagler at Busboys and Poets in Northwest.
“Families, seniors, left out in the cold in this city we call home,” Lewis George said. “Struggling to meet their basic needs. Can’t afford rent, can’t afford utilities, can’t afford groceries. At the same time we’re watching our community members get kidnapped by ICE.”
While he hasn’t officially launched a mayoral bid, McDuffie weighed in on Bowser’s post-surge cooperation with ICE while on WAMU’s Politics Hour with Kojo Nnamdi and Tom Sherwood.
“Who wants to live in a city that is constantly under siege by federal law enforcement?” McDuffie said during the Nov. 14 show. “I don’t want to be mayor of a city like that.”
Despite all the criticism coming her way, some people, including those representing Opportunity DC, wanted Bowser to run for another term. Bowser, who hadn’t given any clues as to her next move, said she’s laser focused on facing an enemy that’s hellbent on stripping the District of its power.
“We… brought our city back from the ravages of a global pandemic and summoned our collective strength to stand tall against bullies who threatened our very autonomy, while preserving Home Rule,” Bowser said in her letter. “That is our north star.”
Now it remains to be seen who will officially throw their hat in the ring.
Until then, there are other election-season matters to attend to, including whether D.C. Council will approve a needs assessment for ranked-choice voting, which has been approved by voters and funded during the last budget deliberation season.
Regardless of how the 2026 election season turns out, Bowser doesn’t appear regretful about her decision. As Bowser told NBC4 Mark Seagraves, she’s given much thought to a decision that didn’t come easy.
“Running an unprecedented fourth time, you have to get over a thick bar,” Bowser told Seagraves. “Now’s the time to take my talents and energies and focus on the next 20 years of my life.”