DMV New Liberals Endorse McDuffie for DC Mayor
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the DMV New Liberals, Washington, D.C.’s leading center-left grassroots organization, are announcing their endorsement of Kenyan McDuffie in the Democratic primary for the 2026 mayoral race.
“Kenyan McDuffie has earned our endorsement for his pragmatic, abundance-oriented agenda that will drive real economic growth and affordability across the District,” said Colin Mortimer, Founder & Director of CNL and a D.C. Resident. “He is a sensible leader with a credible plan to deliver results for DC residents. Unlike Janeese Lewis George, whose proposals would strain the District’s finances without a realistic path of implementation, McDuffie offers solutions that are bold and achievable.”
“I am grateful to the DMV New Liberals for this endorsement and the grassroots and advocacy work they do every day in support of creating more opportunity and a better quality of life for everyone who is fortunate enough to call DC home,” said Kenyan McDuffie. “We share a common belief that DC can build more housing, grow a 21st-century economy, and protect our right to govern ourselves at the same time without making DC less affordable. That is exactly what I intend to do as Mayor.”
With over 13 years of experience on the DC City Council, McDuffie has a proven record as an innovative, pragmatic leader. With rising housing costs a top concern for voters, McDuffie offers creative, actionable solutions, including streamlined permitting processes and modernized zoning regulations to accelerate housing construction and lower costs. McDuffie also stands out from some of his opponents in the field for his strong support of bringing autonomous vehicles and rideshares to DC, a move that would improve pedestrian safety and reduce driver fatalities. He has also committed to implementing a citywide performance dashboard, holding agencies accountable to measurable outcomes, and promoting transparency.
Candidate Rankings
In addition to endorsing McDuffie, the DMV New Liberals ranked the following candidates:
#2: Gary Goodweather - Goodweather combines a bold vision for DC with a strong emphasis on government accountability. His platform prioritizes housing and public transit abundance, including expedited construction timelines for new housing developments and a government-wide efficiency review.
#3: Rini Simpath - Bringing a compelling urbanist perspective to the race, Simpath is committed to making DC a safer and more accessible place to live with policies like eliminating parking minimums and permitting autonomous vehicles, reflecting a forward-looking approach to governance.
The DMV New Liberals are explicitly declining to rank Janeese Lewis George. Her platform relies on heavy investments in housing and childcare programs without a credible funding mechanism, raising fiscal responsibility concerns at a time when D.C.’s economy is already shrinking. Lewis George has also demonstrated a lack of credibility on increasing housing supply, such as her use of NIMBY tactics to voice opposition to the Chevy Chase Civic Core apartment project. While her passion for the District is admirable, we believe her proposals lack a realistic path to implementation, and risk overpromising and underdelivering for Washingtonians.
Because DC’s ranked-choice voting allows voters to list up to five candidates, the DMV New Liberals encourages D.C. residents to leave the fourth and fifth choices blank.
About the DMV New Liberals
The DMV New Liberals are a grassroots coalition of pragmatic liberals committed to growing the center-left community in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. Guided by evidence-based policy, the organization works to foster freedom and fairness throughout the DMV while securing abundant outcomes through liberal means. The DMV New Liberals are a local chapter of the Center for New Liberalism, a digital-first grassroots organization dedicated to fighting for liberalism during the age when it is most under attack.
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