Former D.C. councilmember Kenyan McDuffie made his long-rumored plans to run for D.C. mayor official on Wednesday, diving headfirst into what’s expected to be an open and hotly contested race in a moment of profound change and uncertainty in the city.
“We need somebody who’s going to fight to ensure our city is more affordable, that we’re delivering government that’s accountable to our taxpayers, and that we’re delivering opportunity to parts of the city that have felt shut out from government,” he told The 51st. “We’re going to usher in opportunity to these communities like we’ve never done before.”
McDuffie, now 50, was born and raised in D.C., and still lives in his childhood home along North Capitol Street. He paid his way through college by delivering mail for the U.S. Postal Service, later attending law school and working his way up to a position as an attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice.
While Lewis George – a self-proclaimed democratic socialist – has drawn excitement from D.C.’s progressive set, McDuffie comes into the race as a formidable candidate in his own right. He was first elected to represent Ward 5 on the council in 2012, and was re-elected twice over the subsequent years. His 2022 run for attorney general ended disastrously amidst questions over whether he was technically qualified for the office, but he quickly pivoted and successfully ran as an independent for an at-large seat on the council.
In more recent years, McDuffie has come to be known a business-friendly legislator and close ally of Mayor Muriel Bowser, including the $3.8 billion deal to bring the Commanders back into a new stadium at RFK last summer. (He says he helped improve the original deal to make it more friendly to labor and the city’s coffers.) But in prior terms he was more closely associated with ambitious efforts like the NEAR Act, which directed resources and attention to addressing crime like a public health crisis. He also pushed to reduce racial disparities with initiatives like requiring most legislation to undergo a racial equity assessment, and spearheaded an effort to create Baby Bonds, publicly funded trusts for low-income kids. (Bowser defunded the program last year.)
McDuffie says those two sides of him — his focus on amplifying opportunities for residents while looking to let businesses grow — will be reflected in how he governs as mayor, with what he’s calling “growth with guardrails” and a focus on “affordability, accountability, and opportunity.”
“We’re not pushing people out to the margins of our city or pushing them into the suburbs,” he says. “We’re going to make sure that we are training our displaced federal workers so that they can compete for jobs that are in demand today. And we’re going to make sure that every young person that graduates from D.C. Public Schools is AI-ready. We’re going to embrace technology that streamlines processes and eliminates waste and makes government work for everybody.”
McDuffie says a critical component of making D.C. more affordable will be building more housing (a position he shares with Bowser and Lewis George). However, he says he will focus not just on how much gets built but on how costly affordable housing construction can be. (Some units can require more than $1 million to build.) “We have to reduce those costs,” he says.
Where McDuffie and Lewis George also seem to align is in criticizing how Bowser has managed her relationship with President Trump, and in allowing MPD officers to cooperate with federal agents on immigration enforcement. “It’s got to end,” he says.
Still, critics of McDuffie say he’s often too close to business interests. As one example, they point to his repeated efforts to repeal voter-approved measures that phased out the tipped wage in D.C. He also supported the city’s disastrous first foray into sports betting, before working to undo it. And in December, Bowser hinted that she would back McDuffie in the race to succeed her. “If you like me, you’re gonna love Kenyan … wink wink,” she said.
Regardless, McDuffie says he’s the right man for the job. “I know what it’s like to struggle in the city, but I also know what it’s like to get opportunity,” he says.
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