D.C. Democratic primary for mayor results still undetermined in city's first ranked-choice election

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June 17, 2026 / 10:39 AM EDT

/ CBS News

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Washington — The results of the District of Columbia's Democratic primary for mayor is still undetermined, with Janeese Lewis George having a lead with 64% of the vote counted. CBS News has not issued a projection in the race. Neither Lewis George or the other frontrunner, Kenyan McDuffie, have declared victory. This is the first time D.C. has used a ranked-choice system for primary voting. Under the system, primary voters can pick one candidate or rank some or all of them. Candidates are eliminated until a candidate receives 50% of the vote.D.C. also has a system in which all registered voters are automatically mailed ballots, meaning many voters mail in or drop off their ballots.D.C. is a heavily Democratic city, so the primary contest, not the November election, is where the real competition lies. At Lewis George's post-election event on Tuesday night, she pledged to protect the city's autonomy. "If there was any doubt, right now we lay it to rest," she said, according to The Associated Press. "It is the people of D.C. who elect the mayor."