Washington, D.C. longtime Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Tuesday she is quitting politics.
Bowser will not seek reelection in 2026, ending more than a decade of leadership in the nation’s capital – and years as a top rival to President Donald Trump and Republican leaders.
Bowser, 53, made the surprising announcement in a video posted to social media Tuesday afternoon.
“It has been the honor of my life to be your mayor,” Bowser said. “When you placed your trust in me ten years ago, you gave me an extraordinary opportunity to have a positive impact on my hometown. Every day since, I’ve cherished that opportunity, and have happily given all of my passion and energy to a job I love.”
The Democratic leader was first elected mayor in 2014 and has served three terms leading the city .
Bowser called the decision “the hardest thing I’ve had to do” and said she believes she has “accomplished the things I set out to do” as mayor.
“It’s time for me to pass the baton on to the next set of leaders who are going to take our city to the next level,” she said. “I’ve learned how to be really good at my job and to be a good mayor. I know that there are a lot of people with ideas that can move this city forward. And, for me and for my family, now’s the time for me to do something else while I have a lot of energy and vigor and great ideas.”
Bowser’s tenure has been marked by significant challenges and scandals. Crime rates soared in the city. Credit rating agency Moody downgraded the District’s previous “Aaa” credit rating to “Aa1” in April 2025. She is facing an ethics investigation over using alleged foreign cash to pay for luxury international trips —
CORRUPTION EXPOSED! DC Mayor Bowser hit with ethics complaint for spending $62K on lavish trips to Qatar, Miami, Vegas, and Dubai
New records show her office repeatedly LIED about who paid for the luxury trips.
What is she hiding??? pic.twitter.com/BNFuzLIs8W
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) June 4, 2025
Her final year in office has been dominated by navigating a delicate relationship with Trump and his administration’s increased federal law enforcement presence in the city. Bowser initially resisted the National Guard deployment until positive results on crime left her praising Trump’s move.
When asked about Bowser’s announcement Tuesday, Trump said: “Well, I got along with her very well. I liked her, we worked together. D.C. is now a safe community.”
Bowser’s public relationship with Trump was different during his first term, when she designated a two-block stretch outside the White House as Black Lives Matter Plaza, complete with an expensive ground mural that drew Republican criticism. This year, Bowser’s office removed it.
Bowser has since tried to walk a careful line, cooperating with the Trump administration while fighting off repeated Republican threats to repeal the city’s home rule.
“We started this year with a new president who was an avowed critic of the district, and we had to reset that relationship. We started with a president that clearly had a plan to move fast, and one of his targets was the district. And we also have a Congress that has pretty much given him carte blanche to do it,” she said.
Bowser has spent two decades in the Democrat-dominated city’s politics, starting as a member of her neighborhood’s local commission before joining the City Council and then winning her first term as mayor in 2014.
Her decision to retire opens the field for what is expected to be a highly competitive mayoral race in the deep-blue city