D.C. Mayor Bowser seeking a third term in office

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Thursday announced that she is seeking another four years in office.

The two-term Democratic mayor confirmed on Twitter that she is running again, touting her efforts to push for more affordable housing, better education, women’s rights and public safety as well as recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our finances are excellent, and our government is ethical, accountable, and transparent. We managed through a pandemic and we are making a comeback,” Miss Bowser tweeted. “But there are still challenges for us to tackle, and we have more work to do. That’s why I am running for reelection to be your mayor of the greatest city in the world, my hometown, and soon to be the 51st state.”

If Miss Bowser wins, she would be the first D.C. mayor elected to a third term since Marion Barry’s victory in 1986. She is the second woman to hold the position, but the first to be re-elected. Sharon Pratt was the first female mayor of the District, holding office from 1991 to 1995.

It is unclear if Miss Bowser has filed paperwork to run for office again. The Washington Times has reached out to her campaign team.

Both Ward 8 D.C. Council member Trayon White and at-large Council member Robert White have announced they are also running for mayor. Former ANC commissioner James Butler has also thrown his name into the race.

Robert White and Trayon White have said they will run campaigns focused on spreading the city’s wealth more evenly across its neighborhoods, the same theme Bowser used for her first two campaigns for mayor, the DCist reported. Mr. Butler, described as a civil rights advocate on his campaign website, said he would focus on gun violence, housing, education and homelessness among other issues if elected into office.

Karl Racine, the city’s attorney general, denied reports last month that he was running for mayor, WTOP reported.

Miss Bowser said she has always been a grassroots campaigner and, therefore, is participating in a new public financing program that only accepts small-dollar contributions.

While in office, Bowser has had to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and protests and unrest over racial justice and police brutality. She’s also advocated to establish D.C. as the 51st state. She grabbed the media’s attention when she unveiled the Black Lives Matter Plaza on the street leading to the White House.

As mayor, she’s increased spending on affordable housing and secured a deal to bring a new hospital to Southeast D.C.

Miss Bowser is currently grappling with rising homicide rates in the city, a similar issue other metropolitans are facing. She has also been criticized for misspending funds for affordable housing and a recent pilot program to clear homeless encampments, the DCist reported.

She was elected as mayor in January 2015 and succeeded Vincent C. Gray.

Previously, Miss Bowser served on the D.C. Council from 2007 to 2015 as a representative for Ward 4. Before her time on city council, Bowser served on the Washington, D.C. Advisory Neighborhood Commission from 2004-2007.

She grew up in North Michigan Park, a neighborhood in Ward 5, as the youngest of five children.

The last D.C. mayor to be reelected into office was Anthony Williams. Mr. Williams was mayor from 1999 to 2007, having won reelection in 2002.

The Democratic primary is scheduled for June 2022, with the winner likely to emerge as the heavy favorite in a strongly Democratic city. The D.C. mayoral election will be held on Nov. 8, 2022.