Janeese Lewis George for Mayor

I’m Janeese Lewis George, the daughter of a union postal worker and a third-generation Washingtonian. I’m a proud graduate of DC Public Schools (Cuno H. Rudolph Elementary School, Alice Deal Middle School, and School Without Walls) as well as Howard University School of Law.

I was a prosecutor and served as an Assistant Attorney General under DC Attorney General Karl A. Racine.

I fight for working families because I know firsthand what working people in DC are up against. As Ward 4 Councilmember, I’ve worked to save tenant protections and make housing more affordable because when I was a kid, my family had to leave my childhood home due to rising rent. I expanded Paid Family Leave because when my dad got sick, I took time off to care for him and everyone should be able to do that for the people we love.

I championed legislation that raised wages for early childhood educators, created good jobs for construction and retail workers, ended the subminimum wage for restaurant workers, increased SNAP food assistance for families and seniors, and improved traffic safety around schools.

As Mayor, I’ll always side with working people to make DC safe and affordable.

Kenyan McDuffie for Mayor

Kenyan R. McDuffie is a 4th-generation Washingtonian and proven public servant raised in the working-class Stronghold neighborhood of Ward 5, where a deep family commitment to fairness, opportunity, and justice shaped who he is today. He worked for the U.S. Postal Service to put himself through college, ultimately graduating from Howard University and the University of Maryland School of Law before launching a legal career as a prosecutor and later a civil rights attorney at the U.S. Department of Justice under President Obama.

First elected to the D.C. Council in 2012 to represent Ward 5 and then elected citywide in 2022, Kenyan has spent more than 13 years turning bold ideas into law. His legislative record includes landmark achievements in affordable housing, tenant and worker protections, public safety rooted in accountability and prevention, and closing racial and economic gaps across the city.

He is running for Mayor on a platform centered on affordability, opportunity, and accountability, with a commitment to delivering real results for residents from every walk of life. Kenyan continues to live in Ward 5 with his wife and 2 daughters, remaining rooted in the community that raised him.

Gary Goodweather for Mayor

Gary Goodweather is a U.S. Army veteran, former National Guard member, and senior executive with more than 30 years of experience in organizational leadership and operations management.


A resident of Washington, DC for over 20 years, Gary has experienced the city as a place where families, businesses, and institutions intersect. His perspective on public service is shaped by long-term engagement with the city’s neighborhoods and civic systems.
Gary earned a B.A. in Political Science from Bucknell University and an MBA in Finance from Johns Hopkins University. His academic training provided a foundation in policy analysis, budgeting, and decision-making in complex environments.


Prior to his civilian career, Gary served in the United States Army. Commissioned in the Armor branch, he attained the rank of Captain and received an honorable discharge in 2004. His military experience emphasized leadership under pressure, teamwork, and responsibility for outcomes.


Across his career, Gary has led teams and managed complex operations with direct accountability for results. These experiences inform his interest in public leadership, institutional effectiveness, and evidence-based decision-making.

Vincent Orange for Mayor

Vincent Orange is an attorney, certified public accountant, and proven public servant with degrees in taxation, law, communications, and business administration. Served as Ward 5 Councilmember, At-Large Councilmember, and as D.C. Democratic National Committeeman. Career has been about delivering results: creating jobs, modernizing schools, strengthening neighborhoods, advancing workers’ rights, and fighting for D.C. statehood.

Orange sparked economic development through projects like Home Depot, Costco, Lowe’s, Rhode Island Row, and Union Market. Modernized schools including reopening McKinley Technology High School. Upgraded and modernized Turkey Thicket, North Michigan Park and Brentwood recreation centers, and delivered investments that strengthened neighborhoods and created opportunity for DC residents. Secured the $15 minimum wage with CPI indexing which will increase minimum wage to $18.40 on July 1, passed laws securing 5 days sick leave pay for tipped wage workers, expanded MBSYEP to include 22, 23 and 24-year-olds, and worked to ensure students receive books and materials by second week of each new school year.

Passed more than 40 laws that improved residents’ daily lives, established D.C. Emancipation Day as a public holiday, and been a strong voice for D.C. statehood, including delivering the “Statehood or Else” speech at the 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March.

Ernest Johnson for Mayor

Ernest Johnson is a native Washingtonian and Harvard-educated leader committed to restoring trust in city government and delivering results for District residents. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in mathematics from the University of Maryland and brings decades of real-world leadership experience to his campaign.

Johnson began his public service journey managing the first mayoral campaign of Marion Barry, gaining firsthand insight into grassroots organizing and the power of community-driven leadership. Today, he serves as Chairman and CEO of the Friends of the Frank Reeves Center, where he advocates for responsible development that benefits DC residents.

His campaign is focused on three core priorities: affordability, public safety and education. Johnson has pledged to hold the Public Service Commission accountable for rising utility costs and to revoke the $2 billion lead pipe replacement program, which he argues has unfairly increased residents’ water bills. He also proposes a full audit of the past 36 months of residential and commercial development to ensure compliance with local hiring and affordable housing commitments.

Johnson supports renegotiating the RFK redevelopment deal to secure a 26% ownership stake for DC taxpayers.

Rini Sampath for Mayor

Rini Sampath is a candidate for Mayor of Washington, DC, running to bring a new generation of leadership focused on competence, execution, and results. A proud Washingtonian and immigrant from India, she has called DC home for over a decade and believes this city deserves a government that works hard for its people.

Rini’s campaign is centered on a simple idea: fix the basics. She is focused on restoring trust in government by improving core city services like public safety, schools, housing delivery, 311 responsiveness, clean streets, and reliable infrastructure. She believes residents should expect efficiency, accountability, and measurable outcomes from government.

Professionally, Rini is a business executive and technology leader who has managed large teams, multimillion-dollar budgets, and complex operations. She has spent her career solving organizational problems, driving growth, and modernizing systems—experience she believes the Wilson Building has lacked. During this campaign, she unveiled a prototype reimagined 311 app to show what more responsive, tech-forward government could look like in practice. Rini is running as an outsider to the political establishment, committed to making DC safer, more affordable, and better run for every neighborhood.