When Zohran Mamdani became the mayor of New York, democratic socialism entered the municipal power center of the largest city in the United States for the first time in a prominent manner. Today, another member of the progressive faction within the Democratic Party is also about to take control of Washington, D.C.

Janeese Lewis George, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and a city councilmember from Washington, D.C., is expected to become the next mayor of the U.S. capital. For over a decade, the city has been led by Mayor Muriel Bowser from the Democratic Party. Lewis George defeated the more moderate Democrat Kenyan McDuffie in the June Democratic primary elections and will now face an independent candidate and a Green Party candidate in November; in this city that overwhelmingly supports the Democratic Party, the outcome of these elections is almost a foregone conclusion.

As she prepared to take up her position, there were still doubts from the outside world: in a city that is the seat of the federal government and where the federal government holds significant power over governance, how many policies could she actually implement? Would her leadership be largely symbolic, operating under the shadow of a more powerful government?

However, her supporters hope that she will stand up against President Donald Trump as she promised during her campaign. Trump has previously federalized the police department of that city and has deployed thousands of National Guard soldiers to Washington over the past 14 months, with plans to continue doing so until the end of his term in 2029.

“Neither I nor nearly any resident of Washington, D.C. that I know will accept the federal government’s threats to our autonomy,” said Kurtis Hagans, the chairman of the branch of the Democratic Socialist Association Metro DC. “I would be very happy if she showed a willingness to fight for us.”

Lewis George is part of the rising influence of democratic socialists at both local and federal levels. In Seattle, Katie Wilson was elected mayor last year in a fierce race against the current Democrat, Bruce Harrell. In Los Angeles, Nithya Raman is currently in a closely contested runoff election against the current Democratic mayor, Karen Bass.

There are still several democratic socialists competing for congressional seats in this electoral cycle. In Michigan, the far-left Abdul El - Sayed are challenging the former Representative Mike Rogers. Although El-Sayed refuses to accept the DSA label, many of his positions align with the goals of that organization.

The campaign team of Lewis George rejected the interview request from CNBC.

Agenda after Lewis George assumes the position of Mayor of Washington

One of the goals of DSA is universal childcare, and Lewis George has also been advocating for this during the campaign. Hagans expresses the hope that she will fulfill her promises.

The website with Lewis George also states that she hopes to focus on providing affordable housing and reducing the costs of public utilities.

In addition, she supports a new business activity tax, referred to as BAT, but she told The Washington Sun that she does not support raising taxes on wage earners or middle-class families.

Her BAT proposal will target unregistered partnerships, such as law firms, lobbying companies, and other organizations headquartered in Washington but with owners residing outside the city; according to federal tax laws, these entities are able to avoid paying the business franchise tax in that region. The proposal will exempt the first $200,000 of economic activity taxes.

According to the data from DC Fiscal Policy Institute, 2% of the BAT policy can generate an additional income of about 500 million US dollars for the city each year. Lewis George stated during the Democratic mayoral primary debates that the revenue generated by BAT can be used to support her policy goals.

In July, the D.C. City Council requested a feasibility report on the implementation of BAT. This month, the council held a 9-hour hearing to discuss tax proposals, including BAT, in order to address the budget shortfall for the fiscal year 2028.

Supporters stated at the hearing that this tax measure would make the tax burden more equitable for the city's business community; Lewis George had also previously indicated that this approach was aimed at closing a tax “loophole.”

The executive director of Opportunity DC, an independent spending organization that supports moderate candidates, including McDuffie, Malcom Fox, stated that BAT will harm the city by increasing the tax burden on small businesses. The organization claims to support reducing the costs of living and doing business in Washington.

"This is a self-defeating approach that will penalize the small businesses that are needed for economic recovery," said Fox.

Congress and Trump prepare to limit mayoral powers

In light of the possibility of BAT and other tax proposals, Republicans in Congress are preparing to limit the powers of that city – as well as Lewis George.

This summer, Republican Representative from Kentucky, James Comer, introduced a bill that would essentially allow Congress to block the tax increases approved by that city. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, chaired by Comer, advanced the "Washington, D.C. Tax Powers Review Act" on July 22.

Comer said in a press release: 'Radical Democrats in Washington D.C. want to solve their spending problems by reaching deeper into taxpayers' pockets and continue down the path to socialism. Let's be clear: Higher taxes will not solve the fiscal mess they have created.'

Lewis George subsequently responded to this legislation on X, calling on Congress to veto the bill.

"Let the people of Washington, D.C. govern Washington, D.C.," she said.

The next step is to submit the proposal for a vote by the entire House of Representatives, but it is not yet clear whether this will happen. Ankit Jain, the shadow senator from the District of Columbia, told CNBC that he believes the chances of the bill passing both houses of Congress are very slim.

Lewis George still has to face Trump. In August 2025, Trump seized control of the Washington police department; critics of Bowser believe that she cooperated with this too easily.

Trump stated that his federal takeover of the city police force and the deployment of hundreds of National Guard soldiers were aimed at combating crime, despite the violent crime rate in the city having already decreased from its previous highs. Trump cited Section 740 of the 1973 Autonomous Act, which allows the President to take over Washington's police for 30 days in emergency situations, unless Congress approves an extension.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to federalize the city again, and in June called Lewis George a "communist."

At the local level, Chinyere Hubbard, the president and CEO of the Washington Chamber of Commerce, stated that the organization looks forward to cooperating with Lewis George.

“Janeese Lewis George has said that as mayor, what she truly wants to create is a prosperous economy that benefits everyone, in order to ensure decent salary jobs, and this is also the common goal of the chamber of commerce,” said Hubbard. “It’s not important what label is attached to a person; what matters is whether they can implement policies.”

The Limits of the Powers of the Mayor of Washington, D.C.

American university professor of political science, David Barker, stated that he believes the mayorship of Lewis George will be more symbolic than substantial, and pointed out that like mayors in general, the power of the mayor of Washington is limited.

“What can mayors do? In reality, they cannot pass any legislation that would significantly raise the minimum wage or significantly increase residents’ tax rates for redistribution purposes,” said Barker. “They might fix some potholes or install some streetlights.”

However, the co-chairs of the Young Democratic Socialists, for, and America chapters of the University of Maryland, Nick Cosgrove, stated that unlike Bowser, Lewis George is willing to say "no" to Trump, and this will have an impact on residents of Washington.

Cosgrove also pointed out that, due to her location in Washington, her executive powers will be smaller than those of other mayors.

“Even in the most ideal circumstances, I don’t think she would become the Washington version of Mamdani,” he said. Mamdani is widely known for rapidly advancing policy goals, including implementing a temporary residency tax and providing free childcare for low-income children.

"But I truly believe that she will make significant improvements compared to Mayor Bowser," Cosgrove added, mentioning that Lewis George has promised to say no to Trump.

Bowser The office declined to comment.

Professor of Government at Georgetown University, Nadia Brown, stated that Bowser has always had to learn when to cooperate with Trump and when to confront him.

"I think Janeese Lewis George also must grasp this measure well," said Brown.