Democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George surges ahead in high-stakes D.C., mayoral primary

Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist, has reportedly opened up a commanding double-digit lead in the Democratic primary for mayor of Washington, D.C. as the city continues to tally later-arriving ballots.

Lewis George holds 53% of the first-place votes, with former City Council member Kenyan McDuffie in second place at 37%.

At present, it’s not clear whether the Janeese Lewis George race will win the race or if the election will trigger sequential rounds under D.C.’s new ranked-choice voting system.

The support from eliminated candidates is reallocated to those voters' next choices until one candidate gets an absolute majority. The contenders have scuffled for months, pitching the city on how they plan to mitigate crime and lower the cost of living in Washington.

Notably, Trump deployed National Guard troops to Washington and other cities across the US run by Democratic mayors in a bid to reduce crime.

Trump shook up the race by declaring from the White House that “we won’t put up with it” if Lewis George wins. He further clarified that he would consider taking over Washington and running it on a federal basis if she clinches victory.

In this regard, Lewis George said: “Threatening Home Rule because you do not like how residents vote is an attack on democracy itself. The people of D.C. elect the mayor of D.C. And they want someone who will stand up to Donald Trump”

McDuffie and Lewis George also clashed during a significant debate over youth curfews around the city/ McDuffie advocated the curfews as a “common sense policy" while Lewis George argued for restricting them.