Janeese Lewis George, a far-Left councilwoman for Washington D.C.’s Ward 4, announced her bid for mayor on Monday after current Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser said she would not seek re-election. George has previously been endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and has called for divesting funds from the local police department.

George said in her announcement video that “it’s time we had leaders who fight for the people, who stand up to corruption and greed and stand with the people who make D.C. work.”

During her 2024 bid for city council, she was endorsed by the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA).

“She understands the realities that families, workers, and tenants face and governs every day with empathy to those realities,” a February 2024 press release from the group stated.

“She has advocated to expand rent control in the city, led on a Green New Deal for Social Housing, and has introduced legislation to hold slumlords accountable for terrible living conditions,” the release continued.

In 2020, she told ABC News that she backed defunding the Metropolitan Police Department.

“It’s no longer sounding like a radical idea. It’s sounding like a logical idea for many,” she told the outlet at the time.

George has also faced criticism for a social media post in October 2019 when she wrote, “I will absolutely divest from MPD and put that money into violence interruption programs. Full stop.” According to DCist in 2020, she touted her background as a prosecutor to defend against the pushback to her comments.

Bowser and the Trump administration have maintained a cordial yet critical relationship since the president ordered troops and federal officers to the city over the summer. The next mayor will have the unique role of navigating the city’s relationship with the administration, which will likely include U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro, who has been leading the federal government’s efforts to crack down on crime in the city.

“We know that when carjackings go down, when use of guns goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer,” Bowser said in August.