DC voters brace for change as mayoral race and ranked-choice voting take hold

With D.C.'s June Democratic primary looming, voters confront a crowded field (70-something candidates) and a newly implemented ranked-choice voting system as they pick between Kenyan McDuffie and Janeese Lewis George for mayor, while Bowser avoids endorsements. The city faces a $1.1 billion budget gap, pandemic fallout, and demographic shifts that could yield a fundamentally different government; about a quarter of voters remain undecided and many express pessimism or hope depending on the candidates' plans for affordability, safety, and services.