McDuffie concedes Washington, D.C. mayoral race; Janeese Lewis George leads by more than 10 points

Kenyan McDuffie conceded Thursday morning in the race for Washington, D.C.’s mayor, clearing the way for D.C. City Council member Janeese Lewis George to become the next mayor, according to a report from The Hill.

The Hill said the Associated Press Decision Desk had not yet called the contest as of Thursday afternoon, though Lewis George held a double-digit lead over McDuffie with about 53 percent of the vote.

Lewis George, a member of the D.C. Council, was positioned by the report as the candidate poised to succeed Mayor Muriel Bowser, after McDuffie’s concession and with counting still under way.

McDuffie’s concession means he has acknowledged that the final margin is unlikely to overcome Lewis George’s lead, the report said, but it did not indicate that all vote tallies had been completed.

The concession is expected to move the race from a counting phase into a transition planning phase, with the remaining uncertainty largely centered on when election officials and national race-calling operations issue final determinations.

A decision from the AP Decision Desk typically matters for timing and procedural steps that depend on a called result, including the practical start of formal transition activities and any deadlines tied to certification and inauguration planning.

As of the report, Lewis George’s vote total and her margin over McDuffie remained the key metrics shaping the status of the race while counting continues and election adjudication steps proceed through local processes.