Democrat Muriel Bowser has served as mayor since 2015 after more than 10 years in city government, including as a city council member.
D.C. Mayor Reacts to President Trump’s Plan to Take Control of City Police Department
Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called President Trump’s takeover of the D.C. Police Department “disturbing” and “unprecedented.”
WASHINGTON, Nov 25 (Reuters) – Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said on Tuesday she would not seek re-election next year, paving the way for the heavily Democratic city to run without an incumbent mayor for the first time in 20 years.
“It has been the honor of my life to serve as mayor. Together, we have built a legacy of success that I am deeply proud of,” she said. “With gratitude, I would like to announce that I will not seek a fourth term.”
Bowser, a Democrat, has served as mayor since 2015 after more than 10 years in city government, including as a city council member.
The mayor has been at odds with the federal government, pushing back after Republican President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 800 National Guard troops to the city and the federal government’s takeover of the Washington Police Department in August.
President Trump has long derided Washington as crime-ridden.
The city sued the Trump administration to block the deployment of the National Guard, but a federal judge last week temporarily blocked the deployment.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Bowser’s decision not to seek reelection.
During Trump’s first term, Bowser was often sharply critical of the administration’s messaging, including having a two-block “Black Lives Matter” mural painted along the street leading to the White House during the 2020 global anti-racism protests. The mural was removed in March of this year in response to Republican threats to cut the city’s transportation funding.
In a video message to the
“We have also mobilized our collective strength to take our city back from the ravages of a global pandemic and stand firm against the bullies who threaten our very autonomy while upholding domestic rules. That is our North Star,” Bowser said.
