What races are on the ballot?

Mayor, attorney general, council chair and council members for wards 1, 3, 5, 6, and at-large are on the June 21 Democratic primary ballot. Ward 6 council member Charles Allen (D) is running uncontested. In addition, the primary includes races for D.C.'s shadow representative to the U.S. House (a largely ceremonial position meant to advocate for statehood) and congressional delegate (D.C.'s member of Congress, who can serve on committees but cannot vote since D.C. is not a state).

When does voting begin?

Ballot drop boxes began accepting ballots on May 27. Early voting began June 10 and runs through June 19. On Election Day, June 21, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

How do I register to vote?

D.C. residents who are U.S. citizens ages 16 and older can register to vote online , in person at the D.C. Board of Elections office (1015 Half St. SE, Suite 750, Washington, D.C. 20003) or any voter registration agency, by mail, email or fax (by filling out this form , printing it and mailing it to the D.C. Board of Elections; emailing it to dcregistrations@dcboe.org ; or faxing it to 202-347-2648), or on the same day as the election. (Those younger than 18 can vote only if they will turn 18 by the Nov. 8 general election.) If you register online or by mail, email or fax, you must register by the 21st day before the election. If you register in person at the Board of Elections or another voter registration agency, you must register before the start of early voting, which for the June primary begins June 10. If you weren’t able to meet those deadlines, you can register the same day as you vote, during early voting and on Election Day. For more information, visit the D.C. Board of Elections website . To check the status of your registration, visit this link .

Voters can cast their ballots by mail, drop box, during early voting (June 10-June 19), in person on Election Day (June 21), or by absentee ballot if they are going to be away from D.C. during the election. You can find an in-person voting location here . Voters can go to any early vote center or Election Day vote center to cast their ballots.

Who’s running for the Democratic nomination for mayor?

Muriel E. Bowser Bowser, 49, has been mayor since 2015 and is running for her third consecutive term in office. Bowser lives in Colonial Village. As mayor, she has led the city through tumultuous times, including the pandemic and the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol; she boasts that her achievements include investing $1 billion in affordable housing construction and dramatically reducing family homelessness. Bowser said her priority is to lead the city out of the coronavirus pandemic and ensure that the city’s recovery is “equitable, urgent, and impactful.” Bowser is endorsed by Emily’s List, Democrats for Education Reform D.C., the District of Columbia Association of Realtors, the Small Multifamily Owners Association, Metro Washington Labor Council AFL-CIO, Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, and Unite Here Local 23 and Local 25. James Butler Butler, 46, is a Carver Langston resident and former advisory neighborhood commissioner. He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2018 on a platform of calling for tighter rent regulations to prevent District residents from being displaced, getting 10.7 percent of the vote in that year’s Democratic primary. Butler is a former attorney who was disbarred in 2009 because of allegations of fraud and neglect. His application to be reinstated to the bar was denied in 2017. He is focusing on safety during this run, saying that the D.C. police department does not have enough officers to adequately deal with crime. Robert C. White Jr. Robert C. White Jr., 40, has been an at-large council member since 2016. White says he thinks he can tackle systemic issues such as gun violence and affordable housing, as well as poor bureaucratic management of programs such as D.C.’s unemployment insurance . An occasional critic of the mayor, White has helped pass laws over Bowser’s objection, including imposing higher taxes on the wealthy and establishing paid parental leave, and has advocated for shrinking the city’s spending on police in favor of increasing alternatives to police, while Bowser says more officers are needed to confront a worrisome wave of violence this year. His endorsements include the Washington Teachers’ Union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) District Council 20, which is D.C.'s largest public-sector labor union, Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund, D.C. Working Families Party, the Sierra Club, the D.C. chapter of the National Organization for Women, AFGE Local 1975 and D.C. for Democracy. Trayon White Sr. Trayon White Sr., 38, has represented Ward 8 on the council since 2017. A Southeast Washington native and graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, White emphasizes the need for resources in his community that are readily available in more affluent areas — particularly in the areas of housing, youth services and education. He has made gun violence his top priority in office, frequently calling attention to the crimes that disproportionately plague some areas of the city, including the ward he represents. White regularly meets with victims’ families after shootings, and has spoken out about the personal toll that gun violence has taken on his own family and friends.

Who’s running for the Democratic nomination for attorney general?

Ryan Jones Jones , 36, a solo practitioner lawyer, said he wants to build on work done by Racine — the city’s first elected attorney general — to target scammers and price gougers, especially those who have taken advantage of residents during the coronavirus pandemic. Jones, who lives in Fort Totten, also said he would focus on national events that have an impact on people who live in the city, such as police shootings that lead to civil unrest in the District. He graduated from the Southern Illinois University School of Law and received a master of laws at George Washington University Law School. Brian Schwalb Schwalb, 54, partner in charge of Venable’s D.C. office, earned his law degree from Harvard University, and defended and prosecuted civil tax matters as a trial attorney for the Justice Department. The Chevy Chase resident says his campaign’s priorities include addressing wage theft in the District, human and labor trafficking, and keeping children out of the criminal justice system, while using the law to help close gaps in equity and income across the city. Schwalb has been endorsed by Racine. He has also received an endorsement from Irvin B. Nathan, who was the last appointed attorney general before Racine was elected; the United Association of Union Plumbers and Pipefitters; the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters; and the International Association of Ironworkers. Bruce V. Spiva Spiva , 56, was most recently managing partner at the international law firm Perkins Coie. He earned a law degree from Harvard University. Before joining Perkins Coie, he was a partner at another law firm and headed his own firm for nearly 11 years. Spiva said he would expand on Racine’s work, with a particular focus on consumer protection and civil rights. He also sees the attorney general’s office as a platform to advocate for statehood and to reduce congressional interference in local laws and affairs. His endorsements include the Sierra Club, SEIU Local 32BJ, former U.S. solicitor general Don Verrilli, Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund, Greater Greater Washington and John Capozzi (D), former shadow representative to the U.S. House.

Who’s running for the Democratic nomination for council Ward 1?

Salah Czapary Czapary, 31, is an Adams Morgan resident and former D.C. police officer and police administrator. He says his focus is on addressing violence and rising crime by building strong cases against violent offenders and directing nonviolent 911 calls to other government agencies. He is advocating for more police officers to be hired, and wants to look at ways to prevent future violence, such as through education, job opportunities and housing. He would be the only Arab American member of the council if elected. He is endorsed by the LGBTQ Victory Fund. Sabel Harris Harris , 32, is an advisory neighborhood commissioner and director of marketing for Everfi, an education technology firm. Harris, who lives in the U Street area and was first elected as an ANC in 2020, said that generally she finds herself politically aligned with incumbent Brianne K. Nadeau, who has been a proponent of higher taxes on the rich, greater spending on housing for homeless and low-income residents, and greater density in the ward. But, she said, she feels Nadeau falls short on constituent services and in-person connection with residents. She also thinks the city should commit more resources to violence prevention in neighborhoods beyond those that are the main focus of the District’s violence interrupter programs. Harris said she hopes to be the council’s first Asian American member. Brianne K. Nadeau Nadeau, 41, has represented Ward 1 on the D.C. Council since 2015. She said her priority is “ending violence in our communities,” and points to her efforts for affordable housing and tenant protections in the city. She is the chair of the Human Services Committee on the council. Nadeau’s endorsements include D.C. for Democracy, the Sierra Club, D.C. Working Families Party, SEIU Local 32BJ, the Baltimore Washington Laborers’ District Council, Washington Teachers’ Union, Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund, D.C. Latino Caucus and D.C. Voters for Animals.

Who’s running for the Democratic nomination for council Ward 3?

Ben Bergmann Bergmann, 32, a Wesley Heights resident, is a policy consultant. He said his first priority is reducing the cost of housing and child care to lessen the burden on families and on seniors wanting to stay in their homes as they age. He wants to fully fund Birth to Three, which focuses on the development of small children, and is promoting the expansion of public education to include infant and toddlers. Bergmann also wants a “home rule” transit system “using the streetcar & circulator to fill in transit gaps.” His endorsements include Greater Greater Washington. Note: Bergmann dropped out of the race on June 14, indicating he would support fellow candidate Matthew Frumin instead. Deirdre Brown Brown, 50, is a Palisades resident and former ANC commissioner who owns a title company. She points to housing, education and transportation as her top priorities, and wants increases in teacher pay and more funding for special education. She also is in favor of making D.C. streets more friendly to cyclists. She is endorsed by D.C. Women in Politics. Tricia Duncan Duncan, 51, is a Palisades resident who is a stay-at-home mother. Her top priorities are issues around zoning and planning, and she is advocating for more housing of increased density. She also wants to focus more on public transportation, such as bus lanes and protected bicycle lanes, instead of cars. Duncan is president of the Palisades Community Association and president of the Key Elementary PTO. Note: Duncan dropped out of the race on June 13, indicating she would support fellow candidate Matthew Frumin instead. Henry Cohen Cohen , 18, is a lifelong Ward 3 resident and high school student. He’s made education issues the focus of his campaign, saying the city isn’t wisely managing its $2 billion education budget, and advocates for a moratorium on new charter schools. He also wants to eliminate single-family zoning in the ward to increase density. He wants to create a task force to examine the “major structural problems in Ward 3 schools,” schedule maintenance to fix these issues, and hold hearings on the findings. He said the city needs to pay teachers more and “revolutionize” the public transit system, adding bicycle and bus lanes and expanding Metro service. He also wants to push for more affordable housing in the ward. Note: Cohen dropped out of the race on June 14, indicating he would support fellow candidate Matthew Frumin instead. Beau Finley Finley, 42, is a Cleveland Park resident who left a career as a federal attorney with the Federal Communications Commission to run for council. He is chair of ANC 3C. He said his first priority is addressing public safety in the city and ultimately the “root causes of crime.” He also said the city needs to prepare for a likely reduction in tax revenue as downtown remains empty and as federal subsidies decrease. Matthew Frumin Frumin, 63, is an attorney who lives in American University Park. He cites education as his first priority and says that he supports mayoral control over D.C. Public Schools, but that the Office of the State Superintendent of Education should be independent of the mayor, with the State Board of Education having more of a say over policy. He said he is a strong supporter of increasing density, especially on commercial corridors and near transit, but he is in favor of retaining single-family zoning. He said clearing tent encampments should happen only when residents are offered “‘real’ alternatives into which they can be promptly relocated.” He has been endorsed by Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund, 32BJ SEIU and Washington Teachers’ Union. Eric Goulet Goulet, 45, is a Palisades resident and former budget director for D.C. He said his first priority is working with parents to provide a high-quality education for every D.C. child. He said he wants to address overcrowding in schools in the ward, and would like to increase per-pupil spending for D.C. Public Schools and charter schools. He said he supports hiring more police officers while also using crisis response teams to help those who have mental health and substance abuse issues. Goulet points to his record as a city employee for nearly 20 years, saying he’s listened to residents and worked with them on solutions to problems in education, public safety and health. He is endorsed by Council member Vincent Gray (D-Ward 7), former D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams, the D.C. Police Union, the AFGE Local 1975, the District of Columbia Association of Realtors, the Small Multifamily Owners Association and Democrats for Education Reform D.C. Monte Monash Monash, 51, is an American University Park resident who works as a consultant. She has pointed to education as a priority, saying that she wants to bring another school to the ward to address overcrowding in the schools there. She said she wants to create a new bus schedule to help connect students and residents to transit corridors, and wants to work with businesses to provide “convenient retail” in the ward. She has been endorsed by former council member Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), who is now director of the city’s Department of Energy & Environment. Phil Thomas Thomas, 36, is a Palisades resident who is a full-time candidate for office. He said he wants to build more schools in the ward to meet the demand and wants to continue to work to better schools there. Thomas is a former elementary school teacher in the District and a former ANC commissioner. He also was chair of the Ward 3 Democratic committee. He said he wants to create a senior wellness center in Ward 3 and help build a new high school in the ward. He said he wants to expand housing opportunities for the workforce and to let property owners in the ward construct accessory dwelling units.

Who’s running for the Democratic nomination for Council Ward 5?

Gordon Fletcher Fletcher , 37, lives in North Michigan Park and is a professor at American University and an ANC commissioner. He said his top priority is safety — targeting crime, traffic fatalities and increasing patrols by police and the community. He said he supports increasing the number of police officers and also increasing the number of women on the force, and says the city should have a “more culturally competent” police force to engage with the community. His endorsements include the Krimson PAC, several ANC commissioners and the Small Multifamily Owners Association. Faith Gibson Hubbard Hubbard , 41, is a Woodridge resident and a longtime high-level D.C. government employee who resigned her post to run for the council. Some of her initial ideas for issues she said she might focus on if elected include mandating more transparency from D.C. Public Schools and increasing the bus routes in Ward 5, along with helping residents connect with city programs and refocusing attention on constituent services. She pledged to focus on street-level local issues. Hubbard holds a doctorate in public affairs. Her endorsements include former at-large council member David Grosso, council member Christina Henderson (I-At Large), the D.C. chapter of the National Organization for Women and D.C. Women in Politics. Kathy Henderson Henderson, who declined to provide her age, is a Kingman Park/Carver Terrace resident, a Realtor and a former ANC commissioner. She said she would focus on public safety issues in the ward and addressing infrastructure that affects quality of life, such as traffic-calming devices and street cleaning. She also wants to expand the Landlord Roundtable initiative to help property owners keep up their rental housing. Gary Johnson Johnson describes himself as a D.C. native who played basketball professionally in Europe before returning to the District for a career as a teacher, charter school administrator, and founder of a nonprofit organization focused on youth. He wants D.C. high schools to offer more job training and year-round schooling. He said he wants to reduce the cost of medications, especially for seniors, and reduce taxes for them. Art Lloyd Lloyd did not respond to questions from The Washington Post about his background or his campaign. Vincent B. Orange Orange , 65, is a Brookland resident and attorney and certified public accountant. Long a fixture of D.C. politics, Orange has sought office nearly a dozen times since 1990 and represented Ward 5 between 1999 and 2007. He won an at-large seat in a 2011 special election but lost his campaign for reelection five years later. He then resigned before completing his term, amid scrutiny from the public and fellow legislators after he accepted a job to lead the D.C. Chamber of Commerce while serving on the council (an opinion from the District’s Board of Ethics later determined that Orange did not break ethics rules when he accepted the job). If elected again, Orange said, he would push for more incentives for businesses to remain in Ward 5 and seek to identify parcels of land to provide additional green space. He is endorsed by former at-large council member John Ray and businessman Don Peebles. Zachary Parker Parker , 35, lives in the Union Market/Ivy City area and is the president of the D.C. State Board of Education. He is a graduate of Northwestern University and earned a master’s degree in education at Columbia University. On a campaign website, Parker listed several ideas he would like to achieve as a legislator, including ending qualified immunity and capping police officers’ overtime, expanding rent control to more apartment buildings and creating a tax credit for residents born in the District before 2005 to help them afford the cost of living in the city. His endorsements include SEIU Local 32BJ, D.C. for Democracy, the Sierra Club, D.C. Working Families Party, Metro D.C. DSA, Sunrise D.C., Our Revolution, Run for Something, Huddle for the Future, Greater Greater Washington, the Baltimore Washington Laborers’ District Council, Council member Janeese Lewis George (D-Ward 4), Washington Teachers’ Union and Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund. He has also been endorsed by Racine.

Who’s running for the Democratic nomination for Council Ward 6?

Charles Allen Allen is running uncontested for reelection to the seat he has held since 2015. He chairs the council’s public safety committee, where he has advocated for police overhauls, including a 2020 law that limited police unions’ ability to bargain over police discipline. He helped craft the 2021 tax increase on high earners. His endorsements include D.C. for Democracy, Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund, Greater Greater Washington, the District of Columbia Association of Realtors, the Baltimore Washington Laborers’ District Council, Washington Teachers’ Union and the Sierra Club.

Who’s running for the Democratic nomination for Council at-large?

Anita Bonds Bonds , 77, lives in Truxton Circle and has been on the D.C. Council since 2012. She chairs the council’s housing committee, and touts as one of her top achievements in office legislation that limits the amount of property taxes paid by senior citizens. She has been in D.C. politics for decades, joining the Marion Barry administration as well as those of mayors Anthony Williams and Sharon Pratt. She said she wants to lower the allowable rent increase on rent-controlled units in the city. She has been endorsed by D.C. Women in Politics, the District of Columbia Association of Realtors and the Baltimore Washington Laborers’ District Council. Nate Fleming Fleming, 37, lives in Deanwood and is an attorney and former shadow representative. He said he plans to focus on increasing public safety, improving outcomes for young people, creating jobs and helping to expand entrepreneurship, and avoiding displacement and securing affordable housing. He wants every D.C. youth to have access to a high-quality after-school program, and is advocating for a guaranteed jobs program for 18- to 29-year-olds in need. He has been endorsed by the Grassroots Law Project and Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund. Lisa Gore Gore, 54, lives in Hawthorne and is a retired federal agent. She said her priority is to provide housing for those in need and create housing policies that build equity for people, such as community land trusts. She wants to fight against displacement of Black and Brown people and repair public housing, along with ensuring housing for other groups, such as LGBTQ+ youths, people with disabilities, seniors and victims of domestic violence. Gore has experience in investigating public housing authorities and other housing programs. Her endorsements include Greater Greater Washington. Dexter Williams Williams, 34, is a Hillcrest resident who is a researcher and former council staffer. He said his top priority is addressing the city’s housing crisis, and said the council needs to provide stronger oversight of housing agencies. He also wants to improve investments in workforce housing and work to keep families in D.C. who are leaving for less expensive housing elsewhere. He has been endorsed by the D.C. Latino Caucus and the Washington Teachers’ Union.

Who’s running for the Democratic nomination for council chairman?

Phil Mendelson Mendelson, 69, is a Capitol Hill resident who has been council chairman since 2012. He said the top issues for him are crime and affordable housing. He said he would address crime in part by working to increase the case closure rate and “aggressively” prosecute cases, and that he would continue to push for quality education, which he said was the long-term solution for social justice issues. He said he wants to increase the size of the police force. He also said another top priority is affordable housing. His endorsements include Democrats for Education Reform D.C., Sierra Club DC, the Small Multifamily Owners Association, Metro Washington Labor Council AFL-CIO, SEIU Local 32BJ, IBEW Local 26, Unite Here Local 25, D.C. Firefighters Association Local 36, the District of Columbia Association of Realtors and the Baltimore Washington Laborers’ District Council. Erin Palmer Palmer, 40, is an attorney who lives in Takoma. She said she wants to ensure the D.C. Council works better for the entire city, and has a plan that she said would empower the council to better make laws, conduct oversight, ensure ethical standards and prevent misconduct, among other goals. She said expanding the police force should be based on data and an audit, and should not come at the expense of other government services. She also wants to push for the release of an overdue congestion pricing study. Her endorsements include the D.C. Working Families Party, D.C. for Democracy, D.C. Women in Politics, Washington Teachers’ Union, Our Revolution D.C., the D.C. chapter of the National Organization for Women, Green New Deal for D.C. Action, Greater Greater Washington and Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund.

A guide to the 2022 D.C. Democratic primaries

By Michael Brice-Saddler

and

Julie Zauzmer Weil

Updated June 14, 2022 at 6:00 a.m. EDT|Published May 13, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. EDT

The Emery Heights Community Center in Ward 4 on June 10, the first day of in-person early voting in D.C. (Vanessa G. Sanchez/The Washington Post)

D.C. residents now have their ballots in hand, giving them a chance to vote on the city’s mayor, six seats in the city’s legislature and, for the first time in four years, a new attorney general to replace Karl A. Racine (D), who is not running for a third term.

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June’s Democratic primary generally determines the winners of the District’s elections, given how deeply blue the city is. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) is seeking a third term, with two members of the council and one former local neighborhood official challenging her. Two of the council seats are wide open, with no incumbent running, and Democrats are challenging incumbents in three more seats as well as the council chairmanship. And the race for attorney general has been the most tumultuous of them all, with council member Kenyan R. McDuffie (D-Ward 5) disqualified from that race after the D.C. Board of Elections determined he did not meet the eligibility requirements for the job.

If you’re just catching up in time to cast your ballot on Election Day, June 21 (or this month — you can vote early by mail, by drop box or in person June 10 through June 19), here are some questions you might want answered. We also sent a survey to candidates, and have included below some of the information that they shared about their biographies and priorities.