Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser says she will not seek a fourth term, ending more than a decade in office as the city faces ongoing debates over crime, federal oversight, and home rule.
“For 10 years, you and I have worked together on an ambitious agenda to restore faith in our government and ensure that every DC resident gets the fair shot they deserve,” she wrote. “To keep that promise we took big swings: keeping DC teams in DC, raising enrollment and graduation rates in our schools, and investing more money per capita in affordable housing than any other city or state.”
Bowser highlighted specific achievements, including redevelopment projects, a new full-service Cedar Hill regional medical center, an AAA bond rating, increased spending with certified business enterprises, and the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge, which she called the largest infrastructure project in the city’s history.
She also pointed to the city’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, telling residents that Washington “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.” She said the city’s self-governance remains “our North Star.”
Bowser has spent much of the year balancing relations with the White House and criticism from residents who argued she should have pushed back harder against the federal intervention.
Under the District’s limited home rule, federal political leaders retain significant control over local affairs, including approval of the city’s budget and laws passed by the D.C. Council.
In August, Trump signed an executive order that brought thousands of federal law enforcement officers into the city and placed the local police department under federal control for a month, also activating National Guard units. Although the emergency period has ended, a heightened federal and Guard presence remains.
Bowser also spent part of the year trying to secure the release of about $1 billion in city funding that was frozen during federal budget fights, while the city absorbed cuts to the federal workforce ordered by the Department of Government Efficiency.
In her letter, Bowser credited “countless dedicated city executives and extraordinary front-line workers” and said she is deeply grateful for their “bold vision, big ideas, personal sacrifices, and relentless pursuit of excellence.” She praised residents for their hard work, ingenuity, and pride in the city, calling them “the very heartbeat of this place we proudly call home.”
Looking ahead, she wrote that the city has “laid the groundwork for others to build upon, to reshape and grow DC’s economy, establish DC as the 51st state, and protect our investments in affordable housing, transportation, public safety, and public schools.”
The election for mayor will take place next November, and Bowser’s decision not to run again opens the door for a wide field of potential candidates. D.C. Council members Robert White Jr. and Brooke Pinto have already launched campaigns for the district’s nonvoting U.S. House delegate seat, while fellow council member Janesse Lewis George is viewed as a possible mayoral contender.
Bowser told residents that “together, you and I have built a legacy of success of which I am intensely proud.” She said her term “will end on January 2, 2027,” and urged Washingtonians to “run through the tape and keep winning for DC” until then.
