District of Columbia 2022 Primaries

This Tuesday, the nation's capital holds primaries for mayor and the at-large delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Polls close at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. Voting here? Find your polling place and hours.

Mayor

Washington, DC is the 23rd largest city in the United States,^{1 1}City rankings are based on July 1, 2021 Census Bureau population estimates. They are for the city itself, not the associated metropolitan area. with a population of 670,000.  The mayor is Democrat Muriel Bowser, who is seeking a third term.

The only recent poll of the race shows Bowser in a competitive race with Robert White, an at-large Councilman challenging Bowser from the left. Note that this poll was conducted for White's campaign. While it may prove accurate, caution is warranted. 

The Republican primary is uncontested; Stacia Hall will be the nominee. DC moved to a mayor-council form of government in the 1970s, it has never elected a Republican mayor. 

U.S. House Delegate

There are six non-voting members of the U.S. House. One is from the District of Columbia, while the other five are from the U.S. Territories of American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands. These delegates ('resident commissioner' is the title used in Puerto Rico) have many of the same rights as Members from the 50 states; the primary difference is they may not vote in House floor sessions or preside over them.

In 1970, DC was granted statutory authority to elect a delegate. Only two people have since served in that role. The first was Democrat Walter Fauntroy from 1971 through 1990. 

Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton was first elected in 1990. She is now seeking her 17th term, having never received less than 80% of the vote in any of her campaigns for reelection. She has drawn two challengers.

The Republican primary is uncontested; Nelson Rimensnyder will be the nominee.