Washington mayoral candidates outline how they would stand up to Trump

DC mayoral frontrunner candidates Janeese Lewis George, left, and Kenyan McDuffie. Composite: The Washington Post via Getty Images, Daniel DiDonato View image in fullscreen DC mayoral frontrunner candidates Janeese Lewis George, left, and Kenyan McDuffie. Composite: The Washington Post via Getty Images, Daniel DiDonato Washington mayoral candidates outline how they would stand up to Trump The new DC mayor will face a slew of challenges in the city, including how to handle the Trump administration There’s a transplant from Mar-a-Lago at the center of DCs mayoral primary race on Tuesday, but his name is nowhere on the ballot. For the first time in more than a decade, Washington DC will have a new mayor this year as the city faces concerns about how to address public safety, housing affordability, and increased federal immigration enforcement in the district. How the next mayor handles Donald Trump is also key question on residents’ minds, with many closely watching to see if any of the president’s supporters are pouring money into the race, as well as the primaries for the city’s congressional delegate. Two frontrunners, DC councilmember Janeese Lewis George and former councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, both Democrats , are vying to succeed Mayor Muriel Bowser, who led the city during both of Trump’s terms in office. In a Democratic stronghold, whoever wins the primary is likely to win the election in November. Lewis George, a democratic socialist and two-term city councilmember, has been campaigning on what she calls a “people-first platform”, promising to lower childcare costs and utility bills, stabilize rent for tenants, and prioritize downpayment assistance for homebuyers. McDuffie, a former at-large city councilmember and former prosecutor, has garnered support from much of Washington’s business community, including restaurants and realtors, while promising to expand affordable housing, improve public safety, and diversify the local economy. Trump weighed in a week before the election – threatening DC home rule, which allows district residents to elect their own mayor and council, if Lewis George wins the mayoral primary. “I wouldn’t like it. Maybe we take back Washington and run it on the federal basis. We won’t put up with it,” he said. Meanwhile, Bowser, who has had her own trying journey with the administration, expressed her support for McDuffie, but stopped short of a full endorsement. “I have always supported Kenyan McDuffie … [but] I’m not endorsing or making any endorsements for mayor because I’m stepping off the political stage,” said Bowser during an Axios event on 10 June. During interviews with the Guardian, both leading candidates outlined how they would stand up to the current administration. Lewis George said she plans to build relationships with members of Congress while also looking for areas of compromise with the Trump administration . “My approach to Donald Trump is one where I set a line that there is going to have to be [th