Washington, D.C., mayoral candidates Janeese Lewis George and Kenyan McDuffie squared off in their first debate Wednesday, offering different visions on housing, public safety, and economic development eight weeks before the Democratic primary.
The debate marks the first faceoff in the race to succeed Mayor Muriel Bowser, who announced she will not seek a fourth term after nearly a decade leading the district. Lewis George and McDuffie have emerged as leading contenders in a crowded field. Both are veterans in Washington politics and serve on the Council of the District of Columbia, with Lewis George representing Ward 4 and McDuffie representing Ward 7.
The two first clashed over the scale of their proposals to solve the district’s housing shortage and whether their opponent’s plans were grounded in reality.
McDuffie pledged to add 12,000 new housing units by 2030, claiming his plan was achievable based on the city’s track record. He dismissed Lewis George’s far more ambitious goal of 72,000 units over five years as unrealistic.
“There’s no way that she’s going to build 72,000 units of housing,” McDuffie said, pointing to past production levels. “At our best, when we had hundreds of millions of dollars in the Housing Production Trust Fund, we built on average 5,500 units.”
Lewis George countered that the scale of the city’s housing crisis demands a more ambitious approach.
The candidates also split on public safety, particularly the use of youth curfews in neighborhoods such as Navy Yard, U Street, and others — a timely topic as the district’s emergency curfew law is set to expire on Friday.
McDuffie defended the policy as necessary to prevent violence and disorder.
“Doing nothing allows hundreds of kids to descend on areas like the Navy Yard where they risk their own safety and put others at risk,” he said. “I’m not going to wait for a tragedy to happen in Navy Yard or The Wharf or U Street or anywhere else.”
Lewis George criticized enforcement tactics, pointing to the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and National Guard troops in the district.
“When we have federal agents from different agencies who don’t have oversight from the district government, who are not trained in de-escalation by giving them this opportunity, we are creating a very real risk of harm and to our black youth in this city and to all of our families in this city,” she said.
She pointed to her own observations at Navy Yard, describing children as young as 7 encountering armed personnel at Metro stations, which she said led her to oppose support for the curfew law.
Food access in Wards 7 and 8 became another flash point.
Lewis George emphasized government investment and openness to a publicly owned grocery store model, arguing that access to food is directly tied to health outcomes.
“We have to show up and let a provider know that we are willing to invest the dollars if it means sustaining food access,” she said.
While she expressed interest in a city-run option in the long term, she said partnerships would be necessary in the near term.
McDuffie pointed to the RFK Stadium redevelopment deal as a vehicle for bringing grocery stores east of the Anacostia River.
“When we negotiated RFK, we also put in incentives to bring two grocery stores to Ward 7 at the side of the RFK campus and another one at another location in Ward 7, because I know what it’s like not to have access to healthy food options,” he said, adding that similar efforts would extend to Ward 8.
Lewis George responded by tying those promises to McDuffie’s record.
“My opponent has been the chair of the Business and Economic Development Committee for eight years, and under his leadership Ward 7 has still been waiting for a grocery store that says ‘coming soon,’” she said.
The candidates also diverged on the district’s broader economic identity.
McDuffie highlighted his role in sports and entertainment development, arguing that it has helped grow Washington as a national hub.
“I made D.C. the sports capital of the United States,” he said, pointing to deals such as arena renovations. He added that the city should deepen partnerships with universities and follow models like Austin, Texas, to drive innovation.
Lewis George pushed for a more expansive vision beyond sports.
“D.C., we talk a lot about being a sports town,” she said. “But we’re also a university town and a hospital town.”
The debate also touched on campaign financing since both candidates participate in the district’s Fair Elections Program, which limits donations to help curb outside influence.
McDuffie criticized outside spending influencing the race.
“There is money coming from outside, based in New York, that are telling lies about utilities and my relationships, and the reality is it’s false, right?” McDuffie said. “We want to make sure that we are based on D.C. and focused on D.C. residents, and I’m running a campaign powered by D.C. residents.”
Lewis George accused McDuffie of taking campaign funds from supporters of President Donald Trump.
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“I think the real question is, Mr. McDuffie, will you return those big Trump donor dollars so district residents know you actually will have their back?” she asked.
“I’m accepting fair election money the same way that my opponent is,” McDuffie responded.