WASHINGTON – As Janeese Lewis George paves a path to the mayor’s office in Washington, D.C., she’s told voters they could have it all.
Her unapologetically expansive, left-wing agenda includes subsidized or even free childcare, increased down payment assistance for homebuyers, and community resources to reduce crime, along with a promise to aggressively confront former President Donald Trump’s attempts to reshape the nation’s capital.
“People are tired of hearing what government can’t do. They want to hear what government can do,” Lewis George said in an interview before the city’s primary, where she defeated her Democratic opponents and positioned herself to win the general election in November in a city dominated by Democrats.
Lewis George’s victory signals a break with a quarter-century of centrist governance in Washington, placing her in the vanguard of democratic socialists who have ascended in urban politics over the last year. Notable figures like Zohran Mamdani, who toppled Andrew Cuomo to become New York City mayor, and Katie Wilson, who achieved an upset victory in Seattle last fall, illustrate this trend. Additionally, Nithya Raman clinched a spot in the November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, further showcasing the influence of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).
The DSA has seen its membership swell from a few thousand to over 100,000 nationwide over the past decade, fueled by the enthusiasm generated from the presidential campaigns of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. While there is little evidence of national coordination among the candidates, it remains ambiguous whether voters are drawn to their promises of enhanced government services, their commitments to combat the Trump administration, or their critiques of capitalism.
Across the U.S., confrontational progressives are making strides in mayoral races, drawing significant attention to their successes and failures. Democratic socialists will face pressure from constituents to deliver on their promises for a new style of governance. Eric Stern, a Democratic strategist with Fight Agency, noted, “They are all channeling a displeasure with a status quo and a serious desire for economic populism that the establishment Democratic Party hasn’t been preaching.”
Stern added that Democratic voters appear more inclined to back the most progressive candidate in mayoral races compared to contests for the U.S. House. Candidates like Mamdani and Raman are “daring voters to dream and fall in love not just with the individual candidates but also the political process as a whole.”
A Rising Left Navigates America’s Urban Challenges
The trend of progressives surging in urban areas may encounter limits in its broader impact on Democratic politics. Mayors from cities like Atlanta, Houston, Miami, and San Francisco have recently won elections on relatively moderate platforms.
Progressives have also faced considerable challenges. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, endorsed by the city’s DSA chapter during his 2023 mayoral run, has encountered criticism from both moderate and liberal leaders regarding issues such as immigration, local budgeting, and public safety. Recalls and public pressure have ousted progressives from district attorney offices in various jurisdictions in recent years, often in response to dissatisfaction over public disorder following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump’s hardline immigration and law enforcement tactics pose additional challenges for liberal cities. His agenda presents a serious threat to Washington, D.C., due to its status as a federal territory. “Maybe we take back Washington and run it on a federal basis,” Trump remarked when asked about the potential election of a democratic socialist as the district’s mayor. “We won’t put up with it.”
Nevertheless, progressives hope that the current wave of anti-Trump sentiment in deeply blue cities will bolster the prospects of those on the far left. Ravi Mangla, representing the left-wing Working Families Party, stated, “It’s not folks looking for the leftmost option so much as looking for a candidate who’s gonna be on their side.” The party, which often endorses candidates alongside the DSA, is preparing to target more mayoral offices in major cities in the upcoming fall and 2028 elections.
Mamdani and Lewis George both identify as “sewer socialists,” emphasizing the need for responsive government services rather than critiques of market economics. This revival of the term seeks to align leftist ideas with issues of affordability and the economy, which are voters’ primary concerns during midterm elections, and to reshape public perception of democratic socialists as independent-minded public servants rather than radical policy advocates.
“This is absolutely a change election, and I’m excited to bring the change that people want, which is really putting people first in the city and having the moral clarity and courage to stand up to Trump,” Lewis George expressed.
For Voters, the ‘Socialist’ Label Did Not Seem to Matter
While conservatives have utilized the “socialist” label to depict Democrats as extreme or ineffective, some D.C. voters displayed ambivalence before Tuesday’s primary. Numerous lifelong residents expressed that they viewed Lewis George as a “fighter” but were skeptical about her potential impact on the local economy, given the city’s role as a federal district.
“I go back and forth on my own labels and whether I am supportive of that movement or not, but I am supportive of making D.C. more affordable,” said Owen Fitzgerald, a University of Maryland graduate student, regarding his support for democratic socialism. Fitzgerald voted for Lewis George because he believed she would challenge Trump and noted that he first learned of her campaign through friends in his neighborhood. Interestingly, he only discovered her democratic socialist affiliation after seeing news reports.
“It sends a cultural message to this administration that the people surrounding them in the capital oppose their platform and political agenda, and I think that it will resonate both nationally and internationally,” Fitzgerald concluded.
