Democratic Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser will not run for a fourth term after overseeing the nation’s capital for over a decade, the Washington Post first reported Tuesday afternoon.
Bowser, 53, told the outlet the previous night she determined it was time to step aside, saying, “we’ve accomplished what we set out to accomplish,” in the heavily Democratic district. The mayor’s public Tuesday announcement comes on the heels of a turbulent few months in which President Donald Trump declared a public safety emergency, deployed National Guard troops to the city and federally took over the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). (RELATED: How America’s Capital Became Soft-On-Crime Haven)
It had been speculated Bowser would step down, and her absence from the campaign trail now opens up a highly competitive mayor’s race at a time when mass layoffs of federal employees combined with weakened consumer confidence create economic woes for the district.
It has been the honor of my life to be your Mayor. Together, we have built a legacy of success of which I am intensely proud.
With a grateful heart, I am announcing that I will not seek a fourth term.
For the next 12 months, let’s run through the tape and keep winning for DC. pic.twitter.com/q0wQWe0h2c
— Muriel Bowser (@MurielBowser) November 25, 2025
Kenyan McDuffie, a Democratic-turned-independent at-large member of the D.C. council, told Axios in October he was considering a run, and his decision hinged on whether Bowser would leap into the race or not.
Janeese Lewis George, a Democratic socialist also serving on the D.C. council representing Ward 4, also confirmed in October she was considering a run.
Bowser did not say if she will end up endorsing a candidate to succeed her, saying “D.C. voters will pick the right [candidate].”
Mayor Bowser’s office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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