Leftist Wins D.C. Ward 4 Democrat Primary Despite Tough on Crime Stance

Janeese Lewis George emerged victorious in the Democrat primary on Tuesday, defeating two challengers. She is now poised to retain her Ward 4 seat on the D.C. Council in the upcoming general election.

A prominent figure in the council’s leftist faction, George overcame Lisa Gore and Paul Johnson in the primary. Both of her opponents criticized her stance on crime, claiming it was too lenient.

The surge in violent crime in Washington, D.C. in 2023 has set the tone for this year’s elections. While homicide and carjacking rates have dropped in 2024, the political tension stemming from last year’s crime wave is still evident. The Democratic Party’s centrist and leftist wings are clashing in various races.

The primary saw five out of the 13 council seats up for grabs, with the most competitive race being to fill the vacancy left by Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray’s retirement. Gray, a former mayor of Washington, served on the council for a total of 13 years. The race to succeed him drew 10 candidates, including Wendell Felder, Nate Fleming, Ebbon Allen, Kelvin Brown, Roscoe Grant, Eboni-Rose Thompson, Villareal “VJ” Johnson, Ebony Payne, Veda Rasheed, and Denise Reed.

As of Tuesday night, the race was still too close to call, with Felder (who received Gray’s endorsement), Payne, and Thompson all closely matched.

Although the primary in D.C. is essentially the final election in a city dominated by the Democratic Party, unsuccessful primary candidates often run as independents in the general election in November.

Gray, who served as D.C. Council chairman before becoming mayor in 2011, lost to the current Mayor Muriel Bowser in the 2015 Democrat primary. Following his defeat, Gray reclaimed his Ward 7 council seat in 2016, representing one of the city’s most economically challenged and diverse wards.

The 81-year-old Gray has been battling declining health and faced speculation about his physical capability to fulfill his council duties. Last month, his office announced that Gray had suffered a second stroke.

Councilmembers Trayon White and Robert White (not related) are expected to secure their seats, with Trayon White facing challenges from Rahman Branch and Salim Adofo, while Robert White is up against Rodney “Red” Grant. Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto ran unopposed.

Councilmembers Charles Allen and Brianne Nadeau, whose seats are not up for election this year, are facing recall campaigns due to criticisms of their criminal justice policies.

Mayor Bowser, currently serving her third term, typically does not publicly endorse council candidates. However, in 2018, she supported an unsuccessful effort to remove then-At-Large Councilmember Elissa Silverman.

Bowser has clashed with the council on public safety issues, arguing that progressive policies have contributed to rising crime rates and harmed police morale. In a significant disagreement last year, Bowser vetoed a comprehensive criminal code overhaul, leading to a swift override by the council. The new code was later repealed by the U.S. Congress, with some Democrats citing Bowser’s opposition as evidence of the council’s deviation from mainstream Democratic principles.