D.C.'s November Ballot Is Set: An Open Mayor's Race, an Open Seat in Congress, and Ranked-Choice Voting

For the first time in more than a decade, Washington voters will choose a mayor whose name is not Muriel Bowser — and they will do it on a ballot that also includes an open seat in Congress and, election officials say, the District's first use of ranked-choice voting. With the candidate-filing window for the November 3 general election now closed, the field is essentially set for what is shaping up to be the most consequential local election here in a generation.

Here is what D.C. residents need to know about who and what will be on their ballot — and how the rules are changing.

An open race for mayor — and a heavy favorite

Mayor Bowser, first elected in 2014, is not seeking a fourth term, a decision she announced in late November 2025. Her departure threw open the top of the ticket for the first time since she took office.

In the June 16 Democratic primary, Ward 4 Councilmember Janeese Lewis George — one of the Council's leading progressives — won the nomination, taking 54.1% of the vote (76,276 ballots) to At-Large Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie's 35.1% (49,414), according to certified results. That result matters enormously in the District: the Democratic nominee has won every mayoral election since the office became elective under Home Rule in 1974. Barring a major surprise, Lewis George is the strong favorite to become the city's next mayor.

She will not be alone on the November ballot. Certified general-election candidates include Robert L. Gross of the D.C. Statehood Green Party and independents Rhonda Hamilton and Nadeem Adam Khan, among others who filed. Bowser, for her part, did not endorse in the primary but signaled sympathy for McDuffie before saying she was "stepping off the political stage."

Analysis: A Lewis George administration would likely mark a generational and ideological shift at the Wilson Building, moving the executive branch to the left of the Bowser era on housing, policing and social spending. But governing D.C. means managing a tense relationship with a Republican-controlled federal government that holds power over the city's budget and laws — a constraint that has shaped every recent mayor regardless of ideology.

An open seat in Congress for the first time in 35 years

The District's lone (non-voting) seat in the U.S. House is also open. Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton, 88, who has represented D.C. since 1991, ended her reelection campaign in late January 2026 after 18 terms, following mounting pressure over her age and fundraising. "Although I've decided not to seek reelection, I will never falter in my commitment to the residents I have long championed," Norton said in a statement.

Her retirement set off the first genuinely open contest for the delegate's seat in 35 years, drawing a crowded field. Because the delegate has no floor vote, the job is largely a bully pulpit for statehood and District interests — but it is one of the most visible offices in D.C. politics, and whoever wins will inherit Norton's role as the city's chief advocate in a Congress that frequently intervenes in local affairs.

The rest of the ballot

Beyond the marquee races, D.C. residents will also decide, per the 2026 election calendar:

• Attorney General — incumbent Brian Schwalb is running for a second four-year term.
• D.C. Council — several of the 13 seats are up, including ward and at-large seats. (Confirm the specific seats and candidates for your ward with the Board of Elections; down-ballot fields are still being finalized on the certified list.)
• State Board of Education seats, the shadow U.S. senator and representative posts, and the D.C. Democratic State Committee.
• Advisory Neighborhood Commissions — the hyper-local, block-by-block bodies that weigh in on liquor licenses, zoning and development. Many ANC seats are on the November ballot, and turnout in these races is often tiny, which means a handful of votes can decide who represents your neighborhood.

A new way to vote: ranked choice

Under Initiative 83, which District voters approved in 2024, election officials have said the November election is slated to be D.C.'s first to use ranked-choice voting. In a ranked-choice contest, voters rank candidates in order of preference rather than choosing just one; if no candidate wins an outright majority, the lowest finishers are eliminated and their supporters' next choices are counted until someone crosses 50%.

What to confirm: The rollout of ranked-choice voting in D.C. has been the subject of funding and implementation debates, and the exact contests in which it will apply this November are worth verifying directly with the D.C. Board of Elections before you vote. We will update readers as the Board finalizes the details.

Why this matters for residents

Open seats at the top of the ticket — mayor and the congressional delegate — are rare in the District, and both will be filled by people who have never held those specific offices. Combined with a new voting method and a crowded set of down-ballot and ANC races, this is an election in which how you vote, and how carefully you fill out the ballot, will matter more than usual.

What D.C. Residents Should Watch

• Election Day: Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Early voting and mail ballots typically open in the weeks beforehand.
• Check your registration and ballot — and look up the certified candidates for your ward, council seat, State Board of Education district and ANC single-member district — at the D.C. Board of Elections (dcboe.org).
• Ranked-choice mechanics. Watch for official guidance from the Board of Elections on which races use ranking and how to mark your ballot.
• Candidate forums and debates in the mayor's and delegate's races, expected through the fall.
• ANC races in your neighborhood, where a few votes can determine local representation on development and licensing.

Sources

• 2026 Washington, D.C., mayoral election — certified primary results and candidate list
• 2026 District of Columbia elections — offices on the ballot
• The Hill — Bowser not seeking reelection
• NPR — Norton ends reelection campaign; Washington Times — Norton retiring after 18 terms
• D.C. Board of Elections — official candidate lists and voter information

This article will be updated as the D.C. Board of Elections finalizes certified candidate lists and ranked-choice voting details.