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D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the first Black woman to serve three consecutive terms in the nation’s capital, has announced that she won't seek reelection in 2026, per the Associated Press.
Bowser, 53, made the announcement on Tuesday (November 25), calling the past decade as D.C. mayor "the honor of my life."
“With a grateful heart, I am announcing that I will not seek a fourth term,” Bowser said in a video message. “For the next 12 months, let’s run through the tape and keep winning for DC.”
Bowser highlighted key achievements under her administration, including higher graduation rates in D.C. Public Schools, major expansions in housing, and historically low unemployment. The mayor told the Washington Post that she felt like she had “accomplished what we set out to accomplish,” noting her recent success in securing a deal to build a new NFL stadium in the city.
Bowser also navigated President Donald Trump’s declaration of a federal emergency in D.C., when he deployed the National Guard and increased federal law enforcement in the city. She worked with the administration to address crime, but maintained that there was “no emergency” in the District.
Courtney Snowden, a former D.C. deputy mayor, called Bowser’s tenure “a transformative period,” particularly for Black residents.
“Being the first Black woman to serve three consecutive terms—and while Trump has been in the White House—is a powerful statement about progress, resilience, and fight,” Snowden said. “Mayor Bowser’s achievements serve as an inspiring example of what can be accomplished when Black women are at the forefront of governance.”
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