DC voter guide: What to know before June primary for mayor, council, Congress

The 2026 election cycle will mark the start of a new era in D.C. politics.

Voters in the District will choose a new mayor for the first time in 12 years. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced late last year she would not seek a fourth term.

But an even more rare opportunity for D.C. voters will appear on the ballot 鈥� the chance to pick a new delegate to Congress. After 36 years advocating for the District in the Capitol, Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, affectionately called D.C.’s “Warrior on the Hill,” is making way for a new warrior to fight for the nation’s capital.

Several candidates have eagerly entered the race for both positions, many of them current D.C. Council members. That’s created openings on the District’s 13-member legislative body.

Put it all together, and it figures to be the biggest political shake-up in D.C. in decades.

The wave of new leadership will largely be decided during June’s primary, since the winners of Democratic primaries are all but assured office in the deep-blue District.

Dates at a glance

May 11: Ballots mailed to registered voters
May 22: Mail ballot drop boxes open
May 26: Voter registration deadline, however, same-day registration is available
June 8 to June 14: Early in-person voting
June 16: Primary Election Day

Registering to vote

D.C. residents can .

If you need to register or update your registration, there are three ways to do so: , by mail (email or fax work, too) or in-person at the D.C. Board of Elections office or any voter registration agency.

The deadline for voters to make sure they’re properly registered is May 26.

For those who miss the deadline, same-day voter registration is available at early voting centers and Election Day vote centers. You’ll need to bring proof of residence that shows your name and current D.C. address.

and acceptable forms of proof of residence is available on the D.C. Board of Elections website.

Voting by mail

All registered voters will receive a ballot by mail. D.C. voters who will be away from their residence during the election should .

Instructions on how to vote and return mail-in ballots will be included with the ballot. The voted and mailed ballot must be postmarked on or before Election Day and arrive no later than the 10th day after Election Day.

Mail ballots can also be submitted at any of D.C.’s drop boxes, which are scheduled to open May 22. Ballots should be dropped into the boxes by 8 p.m. on Election Day, June 16. A is available online.

Voters can online.

Voting early

Early vote centers in D.C. will be open from June 8 through June 14, between 8:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. All early vote centers will also operate as polling places on Election Day.

Each of the District’s eight wards has multiple early vote centers. See the on the Board of Elections’ website. Registered voters can cast a ballot at any early vote center in D.C., regardless of their address.

Registered voters don’t need to bring ID, but those who plan to register same-day must bring proof of D.C. residence.

Voting on Election Day

Just like with early voting, registered voters in D.C. can show up to any Election Day voting center to cast a ballot, regardless of their address.

A full is available online.

As with early voting, those who are already registered don’t need to bring ID, but those who plan to register same-day must bring proof of D.C. residence.

Polls are open on Election Day, June 16, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Ranked choice voting

For this first time since 2024, when voters in D.C. supported a ballot measure to implement ranked choice voting, the new method of choosing candidates will be in effect.

Instead of picking one candidate in each race, voters can rank up to five candidates by order of preference.

Voters still have the option to only rank one candidate as their first choice, and leave bubbles in the other columns for second choice, third choice, fourth choice and fifth choice blank.

However, voters should not rank the same candidate multiple times, fill out multiple bubbles in the same rank column or skip a rank column (picking a first choice and a third choice, but not a second choice).

Examples of valid and invalid ranked choice voting ballots can be seen in the photo to the right, provided by the D.C. Board of Elections.

The board is also hosting a series of webinars to educate voters about ranked choice voting, how to fill out ballots properly and mistakes to avoid. Details about the webinars, along with videos, graphics and even exercises to help voters familiarize themselves with the process, are .

What, and who, is on the ballot?

Voters will be deciding who will fill the top leadership positions in the District, including mayor, delegate to the House of Representatives, several D.C. Council seats and attorney general.

Note that since this is a primary election, voters will only see candidates for their party on the ballot.

Mayor

Janeese Lewis George (D)
Gary Goodweather (D)
Kathy Henderson (D)
Ernest Johnson (D)
Kenyan McDuffie (D)
Vincent Orange (D)
Rini Sampath (D)
Hope Solomon (D)
Robert Gross (Statehood Green Party)

Delegate to House of Representatives

Trent Holbrook (D)
Greg Jaczko (D)
Brooke Pinto (D)
Robert White (D)
Kinney Zalesne (D)
Denise Rosado (R)
Kymone Freeman (Statehood Green Party)

Council chair

Phil Mendelson, incumbent (D)
Abi-Ananiah Prudent (R)

At-large council member

Kevin Chavous (D)
Dwight Davis (D)
Dyana Forester (D)
Fred Hill (D)
Greg Jackson (D)
Leniqua’dominique Jenkins (D)
Candace Tiana Nelson (D)
Oye Owolewa (D)
Lisa Raymond (D)
Darrell Green (R)
Darryl Moch (Statehood Green Party)

Ward 1 council member

Rashida Brown (D)
Terry Lynch (D)
Aparna Raj (D)
Jackie Reyes Yanes (D)
Miguel Trindade Deramo (D)
Jett James Jasper (R)
Jude Crannitch (Statehood Green Party)

Ward 3 council member

Matthew Frumin, incumbent (D)

Ward 5 council member

Bernita Carmichael (D)
Bridget French (D)
Zachary Parker, incumbent (D)
Jeffrey Kihien-Palza (R)
Joyce Robinson-Paul (Statehood Green Party)

Ward 6 council member

Charles Allen, incumbent (D)
Michael Murphy (D)
Gloria Ann Nauden (D)
Jorge Rice (R)

Attorney general

Brian Schwalb, incumbent (D)
J.P. Szymkowicz (D)
Manuel Rivera (R)

There is also a special election to fill Kenyan McDuffie’s at-large seat on the D.C. Council. The council appointed a former McDuffie staffer, Doni Crawford, to fill his seat until this special election could take place. Crawford is running to finish the term, which ends in January.

The seat is included in the primary election, but the special election will determine who holds the seat until January, when the winner of this election cycle will be sworn in to start their term.

At-large council member (special election)

Doni Crawford (I)
Khalil Lee (I)
Jacque Patterson (I)
Elissa Silverman (I)
Doug Sloan (I)

All the candidates in the special election are running as independents, since there can only be one Democratic at-large member of the council at a time. At-large Council member Anita Bonds is a Democrat, but is not seeking reelection, which is why there are Democratic candidates for an at-large seat in the primary election.

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