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Muriel Bowser

April 25, 2023

Muriel Elizabeth Bowser (born August 2, 1972) is an American politician serving since 2015 as the mayor of the District of Columbia. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously represented the 4th ward as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 2007 to 2015. She is the second female mayor of the District of Columbia after Sharon Pratt, and the first woman to be reelected to that position.

Muriel Bowser
Mayor of the District of Columbia
Assumed office
January 2, 2015
Preceded byVincent C. Gray
Member of the Council of the District of Columbia
from Ward 4
In office
January 2, 2007 – January 2, 2015
Preceded byAdrian Fenty
Succeeded byBrandon Todd
Member of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission
from the 4B09 district
In office
January 2, 2005 – January 2, 2007
Preceded bySandra Battle
Succeeded byDouglass Sloan
Personal details
Born
Muriel Elizabeth Bowser

(1972-08-02) August 2, 1972 (age 50)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Children1
EducationChatham University (BA)
American University (MPP)
Signature

Elected to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in 2004, Bowser was elected to the council in a special election in 2007, to succeed Adrian Fenty, who had been elected mayor. She was reelected in 2008 and 2012 and ran for mayor in the 2014 election. She defeated incumbent mayor Vincent C. Gray in the Democratic primary and won the general election against three independent and two minor party candidates with 55% of the vote. In 2018, she won a second term with 76.4% of the vote, then a third term in 2022 with 74.6% of the vote.

Early life and education

The youngest of six children of Joe and Joan Bowser,[1] Bowser was born in Washington, and grew up in North Michigan Park in northeast D.C.[2] In 1990, she graduated from Elizabeth Seton High School, a private all-girls Catholic high school located in Bladensburg, Maryland.[3][4] She received a college scholarship due to her above average grades.[5] Bowser graduated from Chatham College in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a bachelor's degree in history, and she graduated from the American University School of Public Affairs with a Masters in Public Policy.[6] Regarding on her early life, she never envisioned herself as a politician or mayor, but possibly as an agency administrator.[7]

Political career 2004–2014

Advisory Neighborhood Commission

Bowser began her political career in 2004, running unopposed for the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC). She represented district 4B09, which includes the neighborhood of Riggs Park.[8][9][10] She was unopposed again in 2006 when she ran for re-election.[11]

Council of the District of Columbia

 
Bowser's official Council photo

2007 election

Adrian Fenty, Member of the Council of the District of Columbia representing Ward 4, ran for Mayor of the District of Columbia. Bowser was his campaign coordinator for Ward 4.[12] When Fenty was elected mayor in 2006, a special election was called to fill his council seat. Bowser, among many others, announced her candidacy for it.[12]

During a political forum with 17 of the 19 council candidates in attendance, Bowser was the only candidate present who supported Fenty's proposed takeover of the District public school system, saying that the school system needed to change.[13]

When Fenty announced his support of Bowser,[14] some critics said that, if elected, she would always vote as Fenty wished, ignoring the needs of her constituents.[9][15]

Other critics took note of developers who had contributed to Bowser's campaign, claiming she would favor developers over her constituents.[16] While an ANC commissioner, Bowser had voted in favor of a zoning variance for a condominium development to be built by a developer who had contributed several hundred dollars to her campaign, which some critics derided as a conflict of interest.[17] Bowser maintained that she had supported the development project before running for Council.[16]

The editorial page of The Washington Post favored Bowser in the election.[18] The local councils of the AFL–CIO, Service Employees International Union, and the Fraternal Order of Police also endorsed Bowser in the election, but the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees endorsed her opponent, Michael A. Brown.[19][20][21]

Bowser won the special election with 40% of the vote.[22]

2008 election

In 2008, Bowser announced her reelection campaign for the council. Three individuals ran against her in the Democratic primary,[23] namely: Baruti Akil Jahi, former president of the Shepherd Park Citizens Association;[24] Malik Mendenhall-Johnson, then serving as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner of 4B04;[25] and Paul E. Montague, who had been Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner of 4B07 before being recalled in 2004.[26] Both Jahi and Mendenhall-Johnson criticized Bowser, saying she was a rubber stamp for Mayor Fenty and that she was unconcerned with her constituents' needs.[27]

No candidates' names were on the ballot for the Republican or D.C. Statehood Green primaries.[23]

The Washington Post's editorial department endorsed Bowser's candidacy.[28] The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club also voted to endorse Bowser's reelection.[29]

Bowser won the Democratic Party primary election, receiving 75 percent of votes.[30] Jahi received 19%, Montague received 3%, and Mendenhall-Johnson received 2%.[30] With no one else appearing on the subsequent general election ballot,[31] Bowser won the general election with 97 percent of the vote.[32]

In 2011, Bowser was appointed to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority board of governors, a position she held until 2015.[33][34][35]

2012 election

Bowser ran for reelection in 2012.[36] Bowser said she would not turn down donations from corporations.[36] Candidate Max Skolnik criticized Bowser for receiving campaign contributions from developers, corporate bundlers, and lobbyists, saying that Bowser would favor the interests of these corporate donors.[36] Bowser said she was not in favor of banning corporations from making political donations altogether, saying that doing so would make it more difficult to track where campaign donations come from.[36] She also said that corporations are banned from donating to federal elections, but that corporations still find ways to give to campaigns.[37]

Bowser's candidacy was endorsed by the editorial boards of The Washington Post[38] and the Washington City Paper.[39]

Bowser won the Democratic primary with 66% of the vote, to Renee L. Bowser's (no relation) 13%, Max Skolnik's 9%, Baruti Jahi's 5%, Judi Jones' 3%, and Calvin Gurley's 2%.[40] Unopposed in the general election,[41] she was elected with 97% of the vote.[42]

2014 election

On March 23, 2013, Bowser announced that she would run for Mayor of the District of Columbia in the 2014 election.[43] Her campaign's chair was former council member William Lightfoot.[44]

Bowser emphasized that she can connect with longtime residents concerned about the rapid changes occurring in the District, while still celebrating the changes that had occurred.[45] Bowser disdained business-as-usual and corruption in the District's government.[45] She favored free Metro fares for students.[46] She was against increasing the minimum wage only for employees of large retailers.[47] Bowser was criticized for being too inexperienced for the position,[45] with too few legislative accomplishments while on the council,[48] and for having a platform that was short on details.[49] She limited the number of debates by only agreeing to participate after the field of candidates had been set, which postponed the first debate until August.[50]

Bowser was endorsed by EMILY's List[51] and the editorial board of The Washington Post.[52] She won the Democratic mayoral primary election with 43 percent of the vote.[53] To raise funds for her campaign she accepted contributions in excess of legal limits, for which she was fined after winning the election.[54]

In the general election, Bowser was on the ballot with Independents David Catania, Nestor Djonkam and Carol Schwartz, D.C. Statehood Green Faith Dane and Libertarian Bruce Majors. No Republican filed.[55] Bowser won the election with 80,824 votes (54.53%) to Catania's 35% and Schwartz's 7%, and took office on January 2, 2015.[56]

Mayor of the District of Columbia

Animal control

In 2017, Bowser proposed several animal regulations, including a ban on backyard chickens, a requirement that all cats be licensed, and a provision that seemed to outlaw leaving dog feces in private yards for more than 24 hours.[57] Following public backlash, the City Administrator clarified that "this is not a war on pets" and the proposals were withdrawn.[57] Later the same year, the Department of Health began to enforce an existing law banning dogs from outdoor bar patios.[58] Following public objections, the D.C. Council changed the law to allow business owners to decide whether or not to allow dogs.[59]

Arts and culture

Asserting legal authority that was questioned by the D.C. Council, in 2019 Bowser illegally took control of the art collection owned by the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and sought to bring the organization under her control.[60] Bowser's power struggle saw staff of the Commission locked out of their jobs without warning.[61] Bowser used her third ever veto to block legislation that would have preserved the independence of the organization, which also provides grants to hundreds of artists.[62]

Autonomous vehicles

In February 2018, Bowser announced the formation of a work group, with members drawn from various agencies, to explore the benefits of, and prepare the District for, autonomous vehicle technology. The city and the Southwest Business Improvement District are also exploring possibilities for a pilot shuttle program along 10th Street, S.W., possibly to supplement an existing service that connects visitors to popular District destinations. A "Request for Information" was released to firms with expertise in autonomous vehicle development.[63]

Budgeting

Bowser released the first budget of her second term in March 2019. The budget increased spending by 8.2% though revenue growth was expected around three percent. D.C. Auditor Kathy Patterson said the budget was not sustainable and fiscally irresponsible. Bowser responded by hailing her plan to make the DC Circulator free of charge.[64][65]

On multiple occasions, D.C. government agencies under Bowser's authority and led by her appointees lost millions in federal money because deadlines were missed. Over the course of Bowser's first administration, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development offered the D.C. Department of Housing and Community Development millions for lead remediation of its aging housing supply. The DHCD target of remediating lead paint in 225 homes was not met, federal grant money was not spent, and eventually the program closed.[66]

In 2019, local organizations providing assistance to at risk populations missed out in $3.75 million when the responsible D.C. Government body failed to submit a timely application. Eleanor Holmes Norton and other D.C. officials pleaded with federal authorities to grant D.C. leniency so that local programs including Reading Partners D.C., The Literacy Lab, and City Year D.C. could receive funding.[67]

Campaign finance

In 2015, Bowser's allies formed FreshPAC, a political action committee intended to advance her agenda.[68] The initiative was the first PAC in District politics so closely aligned with a sitting mayor and created by a former campaign treasurer. Thanks to a legislative loophole regulating off-year fundraising, FreshPAC accepted unlimited contributions. Bowser supporters had quickly raised more than $300,000 and had a goal of collecting $1 million by year's end.[68][69] FreshPAC was chaired by Earle "Chico" Horton III, a lobbyist for a major corporation that sought Bowser's support.[70] Many of the highest donors participated in a trip to China with the mayor.[71] Following outcry from the Washington Post, members of the D.C. Council, and other stakeholders, FreshPAC was shut down in November 2015.[69] Bowser said she thought FreshPAC was a good thing but its message was distorted.[72]

In 2017, the D.C. Office of Campaign Finance fined Bowser's campaign committee $13,000 for accepting contributions beyond legal maximums during her 2014 mayoral campaign. The excess contributions totaled more than $11,000 from more than a dozen developers and contractors, as well as from landlord Sanford Capital, whom the Bowser administration had been slow to fine despite being responsible for more than 1,000 housing code violations. Some of the same contributors later contributed to FreshPAC. Bowser's campaign returned the illegal contributions.[54]

In 2018, the D.C. Council unanimously passed campaign finance legislation that sought to remove the influence of developers and other large donors from politics by publicly financing campaigns.[73][74] Bowser was staunchly opposed to the act and said that she would not provide financing for implementation of the law.[73][74]

Contracting

In 2016, the head of D.C.'s Department of General Services resigned and contracting officials were fired following the award of a large construction project.[75] One of the fired employees filed a $10 million whistleblower lawsuit alleging that he had been terminated for the failure to channel contracts to Fort Myer Construction, a major Bowser campaign donor; the other made similar allegations in an administrative proceeding. The episode prompted an investigation by Councilmember Mary Cheh. In 2017, Cheh's report found that in addition to the questionable firings, a city employee had illegally shared confidential information with Fort Myer about a competitor's bid on a separate project. The report found that the D.C. City Administrator - the top Bowser appointed official - had urged quick settlement of unresolved contract disputes with Fort Myer in an attempt to appease it. These actions led to a $4 million in payouts to the firm, an outcome that the District has previously opposed.[76] After fighting unsuccessfully to keep the findings from public view, Bowser refused to comment on any of the points in the report.[77]

COVID-19 pandemic response

Black residents in D.C. were killed by COVID-19 at 5.9 times the rate of white people, the worst disparity in any major city.[78] An investigation attributed the unequal toll to multiple strategic missteps by Bowser's administration. Among the shortcomings, a testing site was not established anywhere east of the Anacostia River and Bowser's health team was slow to solicit bids.[78] In a rush to reopen the District in June 2020, her administration removed data from the government's website to avoid displaying how it had failed to meet a key metric.[79]

In November 2020, Bowser traveled to Delaware with senior staff for a celebration of Joe Biden's victory despite the elevated risk of Coronavirus in the state and a travel advisory discouraging visits. Bowser claimed the trip to the festivities were "essential" while critics pointed out that she violated her own protocols.[80]

As the pandemic subsided and vaccines became more readily available, Bowser's instructions on masking created confusion among business owners and the public. In April 2021, Bowser issued a mayoral order that patrons could enter dining establishments unmasked if they provided proof of vaccination upon request. After confused businesses owners asked for clarification, the mayoral order was removed.[81]

In response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases caused by the Delta variant, in July 2021 Bowser announced a new indoor mask mandate. On the day that the reinstated mandate took effect, Bowser was found to have officiated an indoor wedding while unmasked.[82][83]

Crime

During her first year as mayor, the district saw a 40% increase in homicides.[84] Bowser sought to address the spike by proposing legislation allowing law enforcement officials to perform warrantless searches of violent ex-offenders. The bill was widely opposed by citizen's groups and the D.C. Council, and did not pass.[84]

In 2016, District homicides fell by 17%, to 135,[85] and dropped again in 2017 to 116, or about the same level prior to a 2015 spike.[86][87] There were 160 homicides in 2018, an increase of 40 percent from the previous year and the most since 2015.[88][89] Murders continued to rise in 2019, and by September 19, the homicide rate in the District reached 125, a 17 percent increase from the previous year.[90] 2021 marked the fourth straight year of increasing homicides, including a weekend in May in which 11 people were shot in the District.[91] By July 2021, DC had recorded 100 homicides, the earliest point in the year it had reached this milestone since 2003, and 217 killings were recorded by the end of the year, the highest in nearly two decades.[92][93]

In 2021, carjackings in DC skyrocketed, reaching more than four times the level of the previous year.[94] Following a tragic attack in which a Pakistani Uber driver named Mohammad Anwar was killed as the result of a brazen carjacking, Bowser released a tweet explaining that carjackings were a crime of opportunity, giving the impression that Anwar was responsible for his own death.[95] Bowser later deleted the tweet, claiming that it was scheduled to go out before the death, but did not apologize or immediately offer any condolences to Anwar's family or condemnation of his killers, who are black, sparking backlash and accusations of racial bias.[96][95]

In 2021, the District's forensic crime lab lost its accreditation following a probe that determined the lab concealed conflicting findings and pressured examiners to change results in a firearms case and other mistakes.[97][98] The investigation led to a criminal investigation of the lab's errors and the resignation of its head, Dr. Jenifer Smith. Days after the news about the lab was first reported, Bowser honored Smith as part of the “Washington Women of Excellence Awards.”[97]

Development

In February 2015, Bowser cancelled the creation of a public facility for art exhibitions, lectures and educational activities by the Institute for Contemporary Expression. Approved by Gray, the project involved a privately funded conversion of the historic but unused Franklin School and had its first event planned for September 2015.[99][100] Bowser cited financial concerns for the decision, but critics noted that several of the firms who earlier competed unsuccessfully for the property were among her donors.[99] As of October 2015, proposals were still being considered.[101]

In September 2015, Bowser announced a deal with Monumental Sports owner Ted Leonsis to build a practice facility for the Washington Wizards.[102] Under the deal, District taxpayers would pay 90 percent of the estimated $55 million cost.[102] The government's portion was split between direct government expenditure and Events DC, a D.C.-government-funded body which operates with an independent board.[103] In July 2016, before construction had started, it was announced that costs would exceed estimates by $10 million while the number of seats in the facility would likely decrease.[104] Under the agreement with the developer, the District will be responsible for cost overruns.[105] Once the St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena was completed, operations costs exceeded estimates and the Events DC board approved more than $1 million in additional costs to cover the shortfall.[106] A contract for a firm to find naming rights for the facility was funded at $180,000 per year.[106]

In May 2019, the D.C. auditor found that the Housing Production Trust Fund, which gives developers funding for affordable housing, had awarded funding to proposals that scored poorly and in one case received the lowest score. The successful but low rated projects were all proposed by developers who had made contributions to the mayor's campaign.[107]

Education

In 2015, D.C. Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson routinely bent or broke school placement rules to give preferential treatment to well-connected parents seeking prized enrollments at particular D.C. public schools. Two senior Bowser appointees were among seven parents who benefited from Henderson's misuse of authority by being permitted to bypass the competitive DCPS lottery system.[108] Deputy Mayor Courtney Snowden, who makes $196,000 a year, jumped a waitlist of more than 1000 names to enroll her child.[109] In 2018, it was revealed that Bowser's recently appointed Schools chancellor Antwan Wilson had similarly manipulated the system to transfer Wilson's teenage daughter to a preferred school. Wilson and other staff resigned while Bowser refused a request to testify about Wilson's statement that she was aware of the placement, calling an inquiry "political circus."[110] By 2018, management of D.C. Public Schools prompted investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Education and the D.C. Office of the Inspector General.[111]

Emergency services

In February 2016, Bowser's appointee as medical director of the fire department resigned from her post after one year on the job. Explaining her decision, Jullette Saussy said that she could not be complicit in a failed agency and that its performance was putting Washingtonian's lives at risk. In response, Bowser's spokesperson said that she was committed to achieving change.[112]

In February 2022, Bowser reappointed Karima Holmes to lead the Office of Unified Communications, a position she previously held for six years. During her earlier period as director, the city's 911 system fell short of national standards and resulted in fatal consequences when first responders were sent to the wrong address.[113]

Environment

In January 2018, Bowser announced a $4.7 million investment in two islands in the Anacostia River, 45 acre Kingman Island and 5 acre Heritage Island. She also designated portions of each island as a "state conservation area," which restricts their use to limited purposes including recreation and education. The funds will be used for improvements to the islands, including outdoor classrooms, walkways, a floating lab platform and bathrooms.[114]

Government transparency

In early 2018, the members of the D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability voted unanimously not to renew the contract of Traci Hughes, head of D.C.'s government transparency entity, the Office of Open Government. Activists said Hughes was being punished for her enforcement of District regulations on government transparency. In the preceding year, she had faulted at least two public boards controlled by Bowser appointees for failure to comply with the city's Open Meetings Act, and had issued a decision that the board of United Medical Center, the District's troubled public hospital, had broken that law by secretly discussing and voting to close the facility's nursery and delivery rooms.[115] Hughes said after her dismissal that she had had to resist pressure to ease off in her role of policing District agencies' compliance with the Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act; and that she had been subjected to "personal attacks in an effort to keep [her] from issuing an opinion" relating to Open Meetings Act compliance by the D.C. Commission on Selection and Tenure of Administrative Law Judges.[116]

Gun control

 
Bowser at a March for Our Lives rally in 2018

Bowser is a strong advocate of gun control, characterizing herself in her inaugural speech in January 2015 as "a mayor who hates guns."[117] Bowser has encouraged the D.C. Council to ban bump stocks, with the aim of forcing congressional Republicans to take a stand on the record on gun control and gun violence. “Americans are demanding common-sense action, and as leaders, we must listen and act. Bump stocks, which turn already dangerous weapons into lethal machines, have no place in our society,” said Mayor Bowser.[clarification needed] [118][119] Bowser was also "unusually supportive" of the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C. in March 2018, and in 2018 was said to be positioning herself as a national figure in the gun control movement.[120]

Health care

In 2016, United Medical Center was the sole government-owned hospital in D.C. In March of that year, on the advice of the Director of Health Care Finance, the D.C Council awarded the management of UMC to Veritas, a two-year-old politically connected firm.[121] The husband of the Veritas CEO was a major donor to the Bowser campaign in 2014, and a longtime health-care executive with experience overseeing troubled hospitals.[122] Veritas however failed to improve the quality of care and its tenure saw several cases of preventable patient deaths and negligence. By March 2017, the director of D.C.’s Department of Health was warning the UMC board about serious safety lapses in the hospital's obstetrics unit. By August, the Department of Health had shut down the ward due to its failure to meet minimum standards.[123][124] Earlier, in July 2017, the hospital allowed a week to pass between the death of a nursing home patient and notification to his family. In August, another patient died under questionable circumstances. In September, the nurses union voted "no confidence" in the hospital's leadership and said that unsafe nurse-patient ratios and a lack of proper equipment were unaddressed.[125] Bowser administration officials refused repeated requests to disclose the specific medical lapses and ultimately the council voted to remove Veritas.[126]

The opioid epidemic ravaged D.C., with a higher rate of fatal overdoses in 2017 among African Americans in D.C. than whites in West Virginia or New Hampshire. Though funding was available, the Department of Behavioral Health failed to establish adequate treatment programs.[127] In December 2018, the District announced an "ambitious" plan aiming to cut opioid deaths by half within about two years, using a combination of treatment, tracking and education. The plan was written by a "group of D.C. agencies, doctors, substance abuse treatment providers, council members and individuals in recovery." Several of the plan's recommendations were described as "vague," or merely expanding on existing programs.[128][129]

Upon taking office in 2015, Bowser set a goal to halve the number of HIV/AIDS cases in the District by 2020. In 2019, the District continued to have one of the highest rates in the country. The number of diagnoses in the previous year was 360, decreasing by 13 and 5 during each of the previous two years of Bowser's term.[130]

Homelessness

Bowser pledged to end chronic homelessness in the District.[131] In 2018, the results of an annual survey required by federal law reflected a 7.6% drop in the homeless population from 2017, following a 17.3% drop the year before. The estimated total homeless population of 6,904 was, however, still slightly higher than it had been in 2013.[132]

Bowser's approach to resolving the homelessness issue, focusing on homeless families, has been the subject of criticism. During the winter of 2015, the District saw an increase of more than 250 percent over any previous year, in homeless families housed in shelters and overflow motel rooms, although part of the increase was due to the administration's decision to move families into motel rooms before freezing temperatures would require it do so under the law.[131] In February 2016, Bowser unveiled a plan to provide housing for homeless families following the closure of District of Columbia General Hospital.[133] Without any community consultation or input, Bowser announced the location of one shelter in each of the District's eight wards and refused to say how the sites were selected.[133][134][135] In March 2016, it was revealed that many of the sites selected were connected to Bowser's contributors.[136] Under Bowser's plan, the monthly cost per unit was $4,500 on average each year for at least the next 20 years.[136] Frustrated by the D.C. Council's efforts to devise its own plan, Bowser lashed out with expletives at Chairman Phil Mendelson.[137][138]

Housing

In 2018, Bowser nominated Joshua Lopez, former chief campaign aide to both Bowser and ex-Mayor Adrian Fenty, to serve on the board of the D.C. Housing Authority, which reviews contracts and sets policy for public housing. Over the objections of certain council members who considered Lopez unqualified for the position, Bowser proceeded with the nomination, which the Council approved by a vote of 10–3.[139] In April 2018, Lopez held a loudspeaker at a rally while a representative of the Nation of Islam spoke, calling Councilmember Elissa Silverman "a fake jew." Bowser called upon Lopez to apologize but resisted public calls for his resignation.[140][141]

In October 2021, the Chair of the D.C. Housing Authority, Neil Albert, abruptly resigned after it was revealed that he had channeled multiple contracts to a romantic partner.[142][143] While Chair, Albert had awarded the Housing Authority's headquarters to a developer, who hired his partner as the architect of record.[142] Bowser had championed Albert's accomplishments in the months before his departure and responded to news that Albert's home had been raided by the FBI with a statement that she holds employees to high standards.[142] Bowser's replacement for Albert, Dionne Bussey-Reeder, owed thousands in unpaid income taxes leading the government to place liens on her property, in violation of DCHA bylaws.[144]

Immigration

Upon the election of Donald Trump to the presidency, and following statements by the President-elect threatening to pull federal funding from sanctuary cities, Bowser issued a statement reaffirming the District's status as a sanctuary city.[145] Soon thereafter Bowser was confronted by a throng of about 100 protesters who were angry that she had not responded more forcefully—as had mayors of some other sanctuary cities—in denouncing Trump's policies and in defending immigrants.[146][147][148] In January 2017, following Trump's inauguration and the issuance of a Presidential Executive Order threatening to withhold Federal funding from sanctuary cities, Bowser affirmed that the District would maintain its status as such.[149]

In November 2017, Bowser announced that the District was joining seven other cities in a partnership with the National Immigration Forum to assist some 2,000 green card holders who work for the D.C. Government, as well as family members, in applying for U.S. citizenship. The partnership would provide information, legal help, citizenship test coaching and assist in finding language classes. Participation in the program could save an applicant as much as $2,000 in legal fees.[150]

In 2022, the governors of Texas and Arizona instituted policies to offer migrants released by federal authorities in their states free bus rides to Washington, D.C. Since April 2022, over 9,000 migrants have been sent to D.C. from the two states.[151][152] Bowser stated that the city and the nation was facing a "migrant crisis" and criticized the governors of Texas and Arizona for what she characterized as "political gamesmanship."[153] Bowser has twice requested assistance from the National Guard in managing the migrants and was denied both times.[154] On September 8, 2022, Bowser declared a public emergency in D.C. and established an Office of Migrant Services to provide services to migrants arriving from Texas and Arizona.[152]

Policing

Bowser has shown strong police support and has not complied with numerous legal requirements regarding transparency in policing. Her administration repeatedly blocked the release of stop and frisk data as required by the NEAR Act.[155][156]

Although Bowser supported the outfitting of Metropolitan Police Department with body cameras,[157][158][159] out of 25 involved officer shootings from 2016-2018, only three instances of body cam footage were released as of April 2019.[160]

Protests

 
Bowser speaking at a protest in 2017

Mayor Bowser demonstrated support for the Black Lives Matter movement following the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests. She renamed the stretch of 16th Street NW in front of the White House, "Black Lives Matter Plaza" and had a mural painted spanning the entire street.[161] DC-based leaders of Black Lives Matter said the act was a distraction from real policy changes and called on the Mayor to defund the police.[161] In response, Black Lives Matter organizers painted "DEFUND THE POLICE" in the same bright letters, feet away from the mural Bowser ordered.[162]

On January 6, 2021, pro-Trump rioters and insurrectionists stormed the US Capitol, in protest of the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Democrat Joe Biden defeated incumbent Republican President Donald Trump. Bowser imposed a curfew in response, to 6:00 pm that night and end at 6:00 am the following day,[163] though it was ignored by numerous pro-Trump rioters and insurrectionists.[164]

During the 2021 Cuban protests in July, the words "CUBA LIBRE" (translated to "FREE CUBA") were painted in front of the Cuban embassy in support of the Cuban people and opposition to the country's communist regime. By July 20, the words were removed by the Bowser administration, who classified the words as "unauthorized". Bowser received criticism for her double standard of praising Raul Castro in 2016, her allowance of painting "Black Lives Matter" on the same street and her future plans to make the area a permanent dedication to Black Lives Matter.[165][166]

Public services

In January 2016, traffic throughout the D.C. region was paralyzed by an inch of snow on untreated roads.[167][168] More than 1,000 accidents were reported and some commuters abandoned their cars amidst impassable roads.[167][168] Bowser apologized for an inadequate response in the District, explaining that "we should have been there earlier."[168]

For a larger storm later in the same season, a report by the D.C. auditor found that the District had spent over $40 million on removal, much of it charged to the District's credit cards.[169] The District incurred tens of thousands of dollars in credit card fees. In an unprecedented move, JPMorgan Chase shut off the government's line of credit until some of the card balances could be paid. Some of the contractors who benefited most from the snow removal expenses were important Bowser donors, the D.C. auditor found.[169]

Public utilities

In October 2015, Bowser changed her position to support the $6.4-billion merger between two public utilities, Exelon and Pepco. Opponents of the merger decried the lack of transparency in the deal and Bowser's reversal.[170] Community activists raised ethics concerns, claiming that Bowser was swayed by a $25 million pledge to rename the future MLS Soccer Stadium as Pepco Park.[171] In December 2015, it was revealed that Exelon had paid the chairman of FreshPAC, a political action committee affiliated with Bowser's allies, as a lobbyist.[172]

Sexual harassment

In December 2017, Bowser ordered that 30,000 employees of the District receive sexual harassment training by February 2018. Under the order, 1,500 supervisors must also complete advanced, in-person training.[173] At the time, Bowser administration personnel could not say how much taxpayers had paid to resolve sexual harassment claims against the city, or how many such claims there had been. In March 2018, it was reported that taxpayers had recently spent at least $735,000 to settle such suits. Bowser's aides acknowledged they did not have a full grasp of the problem, and the city plans to set up a system to track complaints and settlements.[174]

Traffic safety

In 2015, Bowser announced Vision Zero, a traffic safety initiative that aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities by 2024. To launch the event, Bowser, supporters, and D.C. government employees stood at intersections and waved green signs imploring motorists to slow down.[175] The following year, the number of traffic fatalities increased from 26 to 28 and the number of crash injuries increased from 12,122 to 12,430. Pedestrian fatalities within the total dropped from 15 to 9, during a period when pedestrian deaths nationally had jumped upward by 11 percent.[176] In 2017, traffic fatalities continued to rise.[177] Following a pair of biking fatalities in the summer of 2018, cyclists protested that Bowser had failed at promoting traffic safety.[178] In 2019, a prominent bike advocate was struck and killed by a driver along a stretch of road that was known to be dangerous.[179]

In May 2020, Bowser announced that the default speed limits in D.C. would be reduced to 20 mph, claiming that "slower speeds can help improve safety".[180] While overall traffic declined during the pandemic, DC reported 37 traffic fatalities in 2020, the most in over a decade.[181] 2021 was deadlier, and by mid-November, the number of traffic deaths had already reached 2020's level.[182]

Transportation

As part of her first State of the District Address in March 2015, Bowser promised to get the DC Streetcar "up and running." In September, Bowser as well as the director of the D.C. Department of Transportation promised that the streetcar would be operational by the end of the year.[183][184] The H Street/Benning line began public service operations on February 27, 2016.[185][186]

Urban development

After Bowser took office in 2015, she created a new cabinet post to focus on development in the city's poorest areas. She named former Council candidate Courtney Snowden to the new position.[187] In 2017, the Inspector General found that Snowden had improperly used city employees to care for her child.[188] Bowser said that appropriate management action had been taken in response to staff babysitting, without specifying what was done.[189]

In October 2017, Bowser announced a $3 million infusion into housing and retail projects in D.C. Wards 7 and 8 in an effort to remedy the scarcity of grocery stores in the District's poorest wards.[190] District Wards 7 and 8 have only three grocery stores between them, or 50,000 people for every grocery store, compared to 10,000 per store in wealthy Ward 3.[191] Bowser awarded $2.1 million to the Jair Lynch group for redevelopment of a shopping center, and $880,000 to South Capitol Affordable Housing to assist in building out the Good Food Markets project, which also includes 195 units of affordable housing as well as commercial space. Previous attempts to attract grocery stores to these areas have failed.[190]

Youth services

In April 2016, the D.C. Trust, a government-funded entity that disbursed grants throughout the District to non-profits providing youth services, declared bankruptcy and announced plans to dissolve. The decision was attributed in part to overspending by and for staff at the agency.[192][193] The agency, also known as the City Youth Investment Trust Corp., had suffered a history of abuse and mismanagement.[194] Former councilmember Harry Thomas Jr. was found guilty on felony charges for embezzling $350,000 of the trust's funds between 2007 and 2009. In 2013, Congressional investigators concluded that the agency lacked controls to properly administer a $20 million-a-year, federally funded school-voucher program. Then in January 2016, the agency's board, four of whom had been appointed by Mayor Bowser, learned that a former executive director and a former senior financial officer had used funds to pay tens of thousands of dollars in credit-card charges, including some for personal use. Bowser had recently provided $700,000 in taxpayer funding to the agency. The board members did not know how much of the funding remained or how youth services could be continued.[192]

In 2019, a 9 year old and a 10 year old were handcuffed by the Metropolitan Police Department in separate incidents, sparking public outrage after videos of the incidents were circulated. While the Attorney General said that he would review department policies, Bowser said that "every case is different" and asked whether it was appropriate to circulate photos of juveniles.[195][196]

Involvement in national politics

In mid-May 2016, ahead of the 2016 District of Columbia Democratic primary, Bowser endorsed Hillary Clinton's presidential candidacy.[197]

Bowser delivered a speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, in which she advocated for D.C. statehood.[198]

In late January 2020, Bowser endorsed Michael Bloomberg's campaign in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries.[199] In March, after Bloomberg had withdrawn from the race, she endorsed Joe Biden's campaign.[200]

At the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Bowser delivered a speech remotely from Black Lives Matter Plaza.[201]

2018 election

Bowser filed to run for re-election in 2018.[202] James Butler, Ernest E. Johnson, and Jeremiah D. Stanback filed to run against her in the Democratic Party primary election.[202] Ann C. Wilcox filed to run as a D.C. Statehood Green Party candidate.[203] No one filed as a mayoral candidate in either the Republican Party primary election or the Libertarian Party primary election.[204][205] Noting the nominal opposition and some "stumbles" during her first term, The Washington Post endorsed Bowser's re-election, citing the District's economic prosperity and Bowser's having fulfilled her promise to restore integrity to government.[206] She then won the June 19 Democratic Primary with 83% of the vote, after her most formidable potential challenger, former mayor Vincent C. Gray, declined to enter the race.[207][208][209] She went on to win the November 8 general election with just under 80% of the vote against two Independent candidates and one Libertarian.[210]

During the election, Bowser sought to unseat incumbent Councilmember Elissa Silverman, who had frequently questioned the mayor. Bowser endorsed political newcomer Dionne Reeder and provided her with volunteer and fundraising support. Reeder lost by a significant margin and Bowser was not able to deliver a victory in her home base of Ward 4.[211]

Electoral history

2004

2004 Advisory Neighborhood Commission, 4B09, general election[8]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel E. Bowser 966 98
  write-in 22 2

2006

2006 Advisory Neighborhood Commission, 4B09, general election[11]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel E. Bowser 601 90
  write-in 70 10

2007

2007 Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 4, special election[22]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser 5,064 40
Democratic Michael A. Brown 3,433 27
Democratic Charles Gaither 683 5
Democratic Dwight E. Singleton 602 5
DC Statehood Green Renee Bowser 583 5
Democratic Graylan Scott Hagler 468 4
Democratic Tony Towns 390 3
Democratic Robert G. Childs 339 3
Democratic Artee Milligan 170 1
Independent Judi Jones 154 1
Democratic Carroll Green 117 1
Democratic Lisa P. Bass 110 1
Democratic Douglas Ned Sloan 98 1
Democratic Marlena D. Edwards 97 1
Democratic T. A. Uqdah 82 1
Democratic Lisa Comfort Bradford 72 1
Democratic Michael T. Green 49 0
Democratic James Clark 17 0
Democratic Roy Howell 10 0
  write-in 29 0

2008

2008 Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 4, Democratic Party primary election[30]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser 7,132 75
Democratic Baruti Jahi 1,800 19
Democratic Paul E. Montague 302 3
Democratic Malik F. Mendenhall-Johnson 236 2
  write-in 58 1
2008 Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 4, general election[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser 30,888 97
  write-in 936 3

2012

2012 Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 4, Democratic Party primary election[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser 7,541 66
Democratic Renee L. Bowser 1,523 13
Democratic Max Skolnik 1,042 9
Democratic Baruti Jahi 619 5
Democratic Judi Jones 371 3
Democratic Calvin Gurley 268 2
  write-in 32 0
2012 Council of the District of Columbia, Ward 4, general election[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser 33,045 97
  write-in 933 3

2014

2014 Mayor of the District of Columbia, Democratic Party primary election'[212]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel E. Bowser 42,045 43
Democratic Vincent C. Gray 31,613 33
Democratic Tommy Wells 12,393 13
Democratic Jack Evans 4,877 5
Democratic Andy Shallal 3,196 3
Democratic Vincent Orange 1,946 2
Democratic Reta Lewis 490 1
Democratic Carlos Allen 120 0
  write-in 235 0
2014 Mayor of the District of Columbia, general election[213]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel E. Bowser 88,439 54
Independent David A. Catania 57,375 35
Independent Carol Schwartz 11,625 7
DC Statehood Green Faith Dane 1,348 1
Libertarian Bruce Majors 1,164 1
Independent Nestor Djonkam 421 0
  write-in 1,493 1

2018

2018 Mayor of the District of Columbia, Democratic Party primary election[214]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser (incumbent) 58,431 80
Democratic James Quincy Butler 7,532 10
Democratic Ernest E. Johnson 4,444 6
Democratic Write-in 2,787 4
Total votes 100
2018 Mayor of the District of Columbia, general election[215]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser 162,199 80
DC Statehood Green Ann Wilcox 19,979 10
Independent Dustin Canter 14,783 7
Libertarian Martin Moulton 7,152 3
Total votes 204,113 100

2022

Democratic primary results[216]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Muriel Bowser (incumbent) 62,391 49.01
Democratic Robert White 51,557 40.50
Democratic Trayon White 11,193 8.79
Democratic James Butler 1,753 1.38
Write-in 406 0.32
Total votes 127,300 100
n/a Overvotes 219
n/a Undervotes 812
2022 Washington, D.C., mayoral election[217]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Muriel Bowser (incumbent) 137,206 74.66 -1.73
Independent Rodney Grant 27,355 14.88 N/A
Republican Stacia Hall 10,743 5.85 N/A
Libertarian Dennis Sobin 2,366 1.29 -2.08
Write-in 6,115 3.33 -0.70
Total votes 183785 100

Personal life

Bowser is a lifelong Catholic.[7]

In 2015, Bowser bought a home in Colonial Village,[218] moving from a Riggs Park duplex[219] where she had lived since 2000.[220]

In May 2018, Bowser announced that she had adopted a baby whom she named Miranda Elizabeth Bowser.[221][222] Bowser's eldest sister, Mercia, died of COVID-19 on February 24, 2021. Mayor Bowser wrote, "Mercia was loved immensely and will be missed greatly, as she joins the legion of angels who have gone home too soon due to the pandemic."[223]

See also

References

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External links

  •   Media related to Muriel Bowser at Wikimedia Commons
  • Campaign website
  • Official site
  • Appearances on C-SPAN
Council of the District of Columbia
Preceded by Member of the Council of the District of Columbia
from Ward 4
2007–2015 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Democratic nominee for Mayor of the District of Columbia
2014, 2018, 2022 		Most recent
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of the District of Columbia
2015–present 		Incumbent

April 25, 2023
muriel, bowser, this, article, contain, excessive, amount, intricate, detail, that, interest, only, particular, audience, please, help, spinning, relocating, relevant, information, removing, excessive, detail, that, against, wikipedia, inclusion, policy, july,. This article may contain an excessive amount of intricate detail that may interest only a particular audience Please help by spinning off or relocating any relevant information and removing excessive detail that may be against Wikipedia s inclusion policy July 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Muriel Elizabeth Bowser born August 2 1972 is an American politician serving since 2015 as the mayor of the District of Columbia A member of the Democratic Party she previously represented the 4th ward as a member of the Council of the District of Columbia from 2007 to 2015 She is the second female mayor of the District of Columbia after Sharon Pratt and the first woman to be reelected to that position Muriel BowserMayor of the District of ColumbiaIncumbentAssumed office January 2 2015Preceded byVincent C GrayMember of the Council of the District of Columbiafrom Ward 4In office January 2 2007 January 2 2015Preceded byAdrian FentySucceeded byBrandon ToddMember of the Advisory Neighborhood Commissionfrom the 4B09 districtIn office January 2 2005 January 2 2007Preceded bySandra BattleSucceeded byDouglass SloanPersonal detailsBornMuriel Elizabeth Bowser 1972 08 02 August 2 1972 age 50 Washington D C U S Political partyDemocraticChildren1EducationChatham University BA American University MPP SignatureElected to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in 2004 Bowser was elected to the council in a special election in 2007 to succeed Adrian Fenty who had been elected mayor She was reelected in 2008 and 2012 and ran for mayor in the 2014 election She defeated incumbent mayor Vincent C Gray in the Democratic primary and won the general election against three independent and two minor party candidates with 55 of the vote In 2018 she won a second term with 76 4 of the vote then a third term in 2022 with 74 6 of the vote Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Political career 2004 2014 2 1 Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2 2 Council of the District of Columbia 2 2 1 2007 election 2 2 2 2008 election 2 2 3 2012 election 2 2 4 2014 election 3 Mayor of the District of Columbia 3 1 Animal control 3 2 Arts and culture 3 3 Autonomous vehicles 3 4 Budgeting 3 5 Campaign finance 3 6 Contracting 3 7 COVID 19 pandemic response 3 8 Crime 3 9 Development 3 10 Education 3 11 Emergency services 3 12 Environment 3 13 Government transparency 3 14 Gun control 3 15 Health care 3 16 Homelessness 3 17 Housing 3 18 Immigration 3 19 Policing 3 20 Protests 3 21 Public services 3 22 Public utilities 3 23 Sexual harassment 3 24 Traffic safety 3 25 Transportation 3 26 Urban development 3 27 Youth services 3 28 Involvement in national politics 4 2018 election 5 Electoral history 5 1 2004 5 2 2006 5 3 2007 5 4 2008 5 5 2012 5 6 2014 5 7 2018 5 8 2022 6 Personal life 7 See also 8 References 9 External linksEarly life and education EditThe youngest of six children of Joe and Joan Bowser 1 Bowser was born in Washington and grew up in North Michigan Park in northeast D C 2 In 1990 she graduated from Elizabeth Seton High School a private all girls Catholic high school located in Bladensburg Maryland 3 4 She received a college scholarship due to her above average grades 5 Bowser graduated from Chatham College in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania with a bachelor s degree in history and she graduated from the American University School of Public Affairs with a Masters in Public Policy 6 Regarding on her early life she never envisioned herself as a politician or mayor but possibly as an agency administrator 7 Political career 2004 2014 EditAdvisory Neighborhood Commission Edit Bowser began her political career in 2004 running unopposed for the Advisory Neighborhood Commission ANC She represented district 4B09 which includes the neighborhood of Riggs Park 8 9 10 She was unopposed again in 2006 when she ran for re election 11 Council of the District of Columbia Edit Bowser s official Council photo 2007 election Edit Adrian Fenty Member of the Council of the District of Columbia representing Ward 4 ran for Mayor of the District of Columbia Bowser was his campaign coordinator for Ward 4 12 When Fenty was elected mayor in 2006 a special election was called to fill his council seat Bowser among many others announced her candidacy for it 12 During a political forum with 17 of the 19 council candidates in attendance Bowser was the only candidate present who supported Fenty s proposed takeover of the District public school system saying that the school system needed to change 13 When Fenty announced his support of Bowser 14 some critics said that if elected she would always vote as Fenty wished ignoring the needs of her constituents 9 15 Other critics took note of developers who had contributed to Bowser s campaign claiming she would favor developers over her constituents 16 While an ANC commissioner Bowser had voted in favor of a zoning variance for a condominium development to be built by a developer who had contributed several hundred dollars to her campaign which some critics derided as a conflict of interest 17 Bowser maintained that she had supported the development project before running for Council 16 The editorial page of The Washington Post favored Bowser in the election 18 The local councils of the AFL CIO Service Employees International Union and the Fraternal Order of Police also endorsed Bowser in the election but the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees endorsed her opponent Michael A Brown 19 20 21 Bowser won the special election with 40 of the vote 22 2008 election Edit In 2008 Bowser announced her reelection campaign for the council Three individuals ran against her in the Democratic primary 23 namely Baruti Akil Jahi former president of the Shepherd Park Citizens Association 24 Malik Mendenhall Johnson then serving as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner of 4B04 25 and Paul E Montague who had been Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner of 4B07 before being recalled in 2004 26 Both Jahi and Mendenhall Johnson criticized Bowser saying she was a rubber stamp for Mayor Fenty and that she was unconcerned with her constituents needs 27 No candidates names were on the ballot for the Republican or D C Statehood Green primaries 23 The Washington Post s editorial department endorsed Bowser s candidacy 28 The Gertrude Stein Democratic Club also voted to endorse Bowser s reelection 29 Bowser won the Democratic Party primary election receiving 75 percent of votes 30 Jahi received 19 Montague received 3 and Mendenhall Johnson received 2 30 With no one else appearing on the subsequent general election ballot 31 Bowser won the general election with 97 percent of the vote 32 In 2011 Bowser was appointed to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority board of governors a position she held until 2015 33 34 35 2012 election Edit Bowser ran for reelection in 2012 36 Bowser said she would not turn down donations from corporations 36 Candidate Max Skolnik criticized Bowser for receiving campaign contributions from developers corporate bundlers and lobbyists saying that Bowser would favor the interests of these corporate donors 36 Bowser said she was not in favor of banning corporations from making political donations altogether saying that doing so would make it more difficult to track where campaign donations come from 36 She also said that corporations are banned from donating to federal elections but that corporations still find ways to give to campaigns 37 Bowser s candidacy was endorsed by the editorial boards of The Washington Post 38 and the Washington City Paper 39 Bowser won the Democratic primary with 66 of the vote to Renee L Bowser s no relation 13 Max Skolnik s 9 Baruti Jahi s 5 Judi Jones 3 and Calvin Gurley s 2 40 Unopposed in the general election 41 she was elected with 97 of the vote 42 2014 election Edit On March 23 2013 Bowser announced that she would run for Mayor of the District of Columbia in the 2014 election 43 Her campaign s chair was former council member William Lightfoot 44 Bowser emphasized that she can connect with longtime residents concerned about the rapid changes occurring in the District while still celebrating the changes that had occurred 45 Bowser disdained business as usual and corruption in the District s government 45 She favored free Metro fares for students 46 She was against increasing the minimum wage only for employees of large retailers 47 Bowser was criticized for being too inexperienced for the position 45 with too few legislative accomplishments while on the council 48 and for having a platform that was short on details 49 She limited the number of debates by only agreeing to participate after the field of candidates had been set which postponed the first debate until August 50 Bowser was endorsed by EMILY s List 51 and the editorial board of The Washington Post 52 She won the Democratic mayoral primary election with 43 percent of the vote 53 To raise funds for her campaign she accepted contributions in excess of legal limits for which she was fined after winning the election 54 In the general election Bowser was on the ballot with Independents David Catania Nestor Djonkam and Carol Schwartz D C Statehood Green Faith Dane and Libertarian Bruce Majors No Republican filed 55 Bowser won the election with 80 824 votes 54 53 to Catania s 35 and Schwartz s 7 and took office on January 2 2015 56 Mayor of the District of Columbia EditAnimal control Edit In 2017 Bowser proposed several animal regulations including a ban on backyard chickens a requirement that all cats be licensed and a provision that seemed to outlaw leaving dog feces in private yards for more than 24 hours 57 Following public backlash the City Administrator clarified that this is not a war on pets and the proposals were withdrawn 57 Later the same year the Department of Health began to enforce an existing law banning dogs from outdoor bar patios 58 Following public objections the D C Council changed the law to allow business owners to decide whether or not to allow dogs 59 Arts and culture Edit Asserting legal authority that was questioned by the D C Council in 2019 Bowser illegally took control of the art collection owned by the D C Commission on the Arts and Humanities and sought to bring the organization under her control 60 Bowser s power struggle saw staff of the Commission locked out of their jobs without warning 61 Bowser used her third ever veto to block legislation that would have preserved the independence of the organization which also provides grants to hundreds of artists 62 Autonomous vehicles Edit In February 2018 Bowser announced the formation of a work group with members drawn from various agencies to explore the benefits of and prepare the District for autonomous vehicle technology The city and the Southwest Business Improvement District are also exploring possibilities for a pilot shuttle program along 10th Street S W possibly to supplement an existing service that connects visitors to popular District destinations A Request for Information was released to firms with expertise in autonomous vehicle development 63 Budgeting Edit Bowser released the first budget of her second term in March 2019 The budget increased spending by 8 2 though revenue growth was expected around three percent D C Auditor Kathy Patterson said the budget was not sustainable and fiscally irresponsible Bowser responded by hailing her plan to make the DC Circulator free of charge 64 65 On multiple occasions D C government agencies under Bowser s authority and led by her appointees lost millions in federal money because deadlines were missed Over the course of Bowser s first administration the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development offered the D C Department of Housing and Community Development millions for lead remediation of its aging housing supply The DHCD target of remediating lead paint in 225 homes was not met federal grant money was not spent and eventually the program closed 66 In 2019 local organizations providing assistance to at risk populations missed out in 3 75 million when the responsible D C Government body failed to submit a timely application Eleanor Holmes Norton and other D C officials pleaded with federal authorities to grant D C leniency so that local programs including Reading Partners D C The Literacy Lab and City Year D C could receive funding 67 Campaign finance Edit In 2015 Bowser s allies formed FreshPAC a political action committee intended to advance her agenda 68 The initiative was the first PAC in District politics so closely aligned with a sitting mayor and created by a former campaign treasurer Thanks to a legislative loophole regulating off year fundraising FreshPAC accepted unlimited contributions Bowser supporters had quickly raised more than 300 000 and had a goal of collecting 1 million by year s end 68 69 FreshPAC was chaired by Earle Chico Horton III a lobbyist for a major corporation that sought Bowser s support 70 Many of the highest donors participated in a trip to China with the mayor 71 Following outcry from the Washington Post members of the D C Council and other stakeholders FreshPAC was shut down in November 2015 69 Bowser said she thought FreshPAC was a good thing but its message was distorted 72 In 2017 the D C Office of Campaign Finance fined Bowser s campaign committee 13 000 for accepting contributions beyond legal maximums during her 2014 mayoral campaign The excess contributions totaled more than 11 000 from more than a dozen developers and contractors as well as from landlord Sanford Capital whom the Bowser administration had been slow to fine despite being responsible for more than 1 000 housing code violations Some of the same contributors later contributed to FreshPAC Bowser s campaign returned the illegal contributions 54 In 2018 the D C Council unanimously passed campaign finance legislation that sought to remove the influence of developers and other large donors from politics by publicly financing campaigns 73 74 Bowser was staunchly opposed to the act and said that she would not provide financing for implementation of the law 73 74 Contracting Edit In 2016 the head of D C s Department of General Services resigned and contracting officials were fired following the award of a large construction project 75 One of the fired employees filed a 10 million whistleblower lawsuit alleging that he had been terminated for the failure to channel contracts to Fort Myer Construction a major Bowser campaign donor the other made similar allegations in an administrative proceeding The episode prompted an investigation by Councilmember Mary Cheh In 2017 Cheh s report found that in addition to the questionable firings a city employee had illegally shared confidential information with Fort Myer about a competitor s bid on a separate project The report found that the D C City Administrator the top Bowser appointed official had urged quick settlement of unresolved contract disputes with Fort Myer in an attempt to appease it These actions led to a 4 million in payouts to the firm an outcome that the District has previously opposed 76 After fighting unsuccessfully to keep the findings from public view Bowser refused to comment on any of the points in the report 77 COVID 19 pandemic response Edit Black residents in D C were killed by COVID 19 at 5 9 times the rate of white people the worst disparity in any major city 78 An investigation attributed the unequal toll to multiple strategic missteps by Bowser s administration Among the shortcomings a testing site was not established anywhere east of the Anacostia River and Bowser s health team was slow to solicit bids 78 In a rush to reopen the District in June 2020 her administration removed data from the government s website to avoid displaying how it had failed to meet a key metric 79 In November 2020 Bowser traveled to Delaware with senior staff for a celebration of Joe Biden s victory despite the elevated risk of Coronavirus in the state and a travel advisory discouraging visits Bowser claimed the trip to the festivities were essential while critics pointed out that she violated her own protocols 80 As the pandemic subsided and vaccines became more readily available Bowser s instructions on masking created confusion among business owners and the public In April 2021 Bowser issued a mayoral order that patrons could enter dining establishments unmasked if they provided proof of vaccination upon request After confused businesses owners asked for clarification the mayoral order was removed 81 In response to the rising number of COVID 19 cases caused by the Delta variant in July 2021 Bowser announced a new indoor mask mandate On the day that the reinstated mandate took effect Bowser was found to have officiated an indoor wedding while unmasked 82 83 Crime Edit During her first year as mayor the district saw a 40 increase in homicides 84 Bowser sought to address the spike by proposing legislation allowing law enforcement officials to perform warrantless searches of violent ex offenders The bill was widely opposed by citizen s groups and the D C Council and did not pass 84 In 2016 District homicides fell by 17 to 135 85 and dropped again in 2017 to 116 or about the same level prior to a 2015 spike 86 87 There were 160 homicides in 2018 an increase of 40 percent from the previous year and the most since 2015 88 89 Murders continued to rise in 2019 and by September 19 the homicide rate in the District reached 125 a 17 percent increase from the previous year 90 2021 marked the fourth straight year of increasing homicides including a weekend in May in which 11 people were shot in the District 91 By July 2021 DC had recorded 100 homicides the earliest point in the year it had reached this milestone since 2003 and 217 killings were recorded by the end of the year the highest in nearly two decades 92 93 In 2021 carjackings in DC skyrocketed reaching more than four times the level of the previous year 94 Following a tragic attack in which a Pakistani Uber driver named Mohammad Anwar was killed as the result of a brazen carjacking Bowser released a tweet explaining that carjackings were a crime of opportunity giving the impression that Anwar was responsible for his own death 95 Bowser later deleted the tweet claiming that it was scheduled to go out before the death but did not apologize or immediately offer any condolences to Anwar s family or condemnation of his killers who are black sparking backlash and accusations of racial bias 96 95 In 2021 the District s forensic crime lab lost its accreditation following a probe that determined the lab concealed conflicting findings and pressured examiners to change results in a firearms case and other mistakes 97 98 The investigation led to a criminal investigation of the lab s errors and the resignation of its head Dr Jenifer Smith Days after the news about the lab was first reported Bowser honored Smith as part of the Washington Women of Excellence Awards 97 Development Edit In February 2015 Bowser cancelled the creation of a public facility for art exhibitions lectures and educational activities by the Institute for Contemporary Expression Approved by Gray the project involved a privately funded conversion of the historic but unused Franklin School and had its first event planned for September 2015 99 100 Bowser cited financial concerns for the decision but critics noted that several of the firms who earlier competed unsuccessfully for the property were among her donors 99 As of October 2015 proposals were still being considered 101 In September 2015 Bowser announced a deal with Monumental Sports owner Ted Leonsis to build a practice facility for the Washington Wizards 102 Under the deal District taxpayers would pay 90 percent of the estimated 55 million cost 102 The government s portion was split between direct government expenditure and Events DC a D C government funded body which operates with an independent board 103 In July 2016 before construction had started it was announced that costs would exceed estimates by 10 million while the number of seats in the facility would likely decrease 104 Under the agreement with the developer the District will be responsible for cost overruns 105 Once the St Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena was completed operations costs exceeded estimates and the Events DC board approved more than 1 million in additional costs to cover the shortfall 106 A contract for a firm to find naming rights for the facility was funded at 180 000 per year 106 In May 2019 the D C auditor found that the Housing Production Trust Fund which gives developers funding for affordable housing had awarded funding to proposals that scored poorly and in one case received the lowest score The successful but low rated projects were all proposed by developers who had made contributions to the mayor s campaign 107 Education Edit In 2015 D C Public Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson routinely bent or broke school placement rules to give preferential treatment to well connected parents seeking prized enrollments at particular D C public schools Two senior Bowser appointees were among seven parents who benefited from Henderson s misuse of authority by being permitted to bypass the competitive DCPS lottery system 108 Deputy Mayor Courtney Snowden who makes 196 000 a year jumped a waitlist of more than 1000 names to enroll her child 109 In 2018 it was revealed that Bowser s recently appointed Schools chancellor Antwan Wilson had similarly manipulated the system to transfer Wilson s teenage daughter to a preferred school Wilson and other staff resigned while Bowser refused a request to testify about Wilson s statement that she was aware of the placement calling an inquiry political circus 110 By 2018 management of D C Public Schools prompted investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation the U S Department of Education and the D C Office of the Inspector General 111 Emergency services Edit In February 2016 Bowser s appointee as medical director of the fire department resigned from her post after one year on the job Explaining her decision Jullette Saussy said that she could not be complicit in a failed agency and that its performance was putting Washingtonian s lives at risk In response Bowser s spokesperson said that she was committed to achieving change 112 In February 2022 Bowser reappointed Karima Holmes to lead the Office of Unified Communications a position she previously held for six years During her earlier period as director the city s 911 system fell short of national standards and resulted in fatal consequences when first responders were sent to the wrong address 113 Environment Edit In January 2018 Bowser announced a 4 7 million investment in two islands in the Anacostia River 45 acre Kingman Island and 5 acre Heritage Island She also designated portions of each island as a state conservation area which restricts their use to limited purposes including recreation and education The funds will be used for improvements to the islands including outdoor classrooms walkways a floating lab platform and bathrooms 114 Government transparency Edit In early 2018 the members of the D C Board of Ethics and Government Accountability voted unanimously not to renew the contract of Traci Hughes head of D C s government transparency entity the Office of Open Government Activists said Hughes was being punished for her enforcement of District regulations on government transparency In the preceding year she had faulted at least two public boards controlled by Bowser appointees for failure to comply with the city s Open Meetings Act and had issued a decision that the board of United Medical Center the District s troubled public hospital had broken that law by secretly discussing and voting to close the facility s nursery and delivery rooms 115 Hughes said after her dismissal that she had had to resist pressure to ease off in her role of policing District agencies compliance with the Open Meetings Act and Freedom of Information Act and that she had been subjected to personal attacks in an effort to keep her from issuing an opinion relating to Open Meetings Act compliance by the D C Commission on Selection and Tenure of Administrative Law Judges 116 Gun control Edit Bowser at a March for Our Lives rally in 2018 Bowser is a strong advocate of gun control characterizing herself in her inaugural speech in January 2015 as a mayor who hates guns 117 Bowser has encouraged the D C Council to ban bump stocks with the aim of forcing congressional Republicans to take a stand on the record on gun control and gun violence Americans are demanding common sense action and as leaders we must listen and act Bump stocks which turn already dangerous weapons into lethal machines have no place in our society said Mayor Bowser clarification needed 118 119 Bowser was also unusually supportive of the March for Our Lives rally in Washington D C in March 2018 and in 2018 was said to be positioning herself as a national figure in the gun control movement 120 Health care Edit In 2016 United Medical Center was the sole government owned hospital in D C In March of that year on the advice of the Director of Health Care Finance the D C Council awarded the management of UMC to Veritas a two year old politically connected firm 121 The husband of the Veritas CEO was a major donor to the Bowser campaign in 2014 and a longtime health care executive with experience overseeing troubled hospitals 122 Veritas however failed to improve the quality of care and its tenure saw several cases of preventable patient deaths and negligence By March 2017 the director of D C s Department of Health was warning the UMC board about serious safety lapses in the hospital s obstetrics unit By August the Department of Health had shut down the ward due to its failure to meet minimum standards 123 124 Earlier in July 2017 the hospital allowed a week to pass between the death of a nursing home patient and notification to his family In August another patient died under questionable circumstances In September the nurses union voted no confidence in the hospital s leadership and said that unsafe nurse patient ratios and a lack of proper equipment were unaddressed 125 Bowser administration officials refused repeated requests to disclose the specific medical lapses and ultimately the council voted to remove Veritas 126 The opioid epidemic ravaged D C with a higher rate of fatal overdoses in 2017 among African Americans in D C than whites in West Virginia or New Hampshire Though funding was available the Department of Behavioral Health failed to establish adequate treatment programs 127 In December 2018 the District announced an ambitious plan aiming to cut opioid deaths by half within about two years using a combination of treatment tracking and education The plan was written by a group of D C agencies doctors substance abuse treatment providers council members and individuals in recovery Several of the plan s recommendations were described as vague or merely expanding on existing programs 128 129 Upon taking office in 2015 Bowser set a goal to halve the number of HIV AIDS cases in the District by 2020 In 2019 the District continued to have one of the highest rates in the country The number of diagnoses in the previous year was 360 decreasing by 13 and 5 during each of the previous two years of Bowser s term 130 Homelessness Edit Bowser pledged to end chronic homelessness in the District 131 In 2018 the results of an annual survey required by federal law reflected a 7 6 drop in the homeless population from 2017 following a 17 3 drop the year before The estimated total homeless population of 6 904 was however still slightly higher than it had been in 2013 132 Bowser s approach to resolving the homelessness issue focusing on homeless families has been the subject of criticism During the winter of 2015 the District saw an increase of more than 250 percent over any previous year in homeless families housed in shelters and overflow motel rooms although part of the increase was due to the administration s decision to move families into motel rooms before freezing temperatures would require it do so under the law 131 In February 2016 Bowser unveiled a plan to provide housing for homeless families following the closure of District of Columbia General Hospital 133 Without any community consultation or input Bowser announced the location of one shelter in each of the District s eight wards and refused to say how the sites were selected 133 134 135 In March 2016 it was revealed that many of the sites selected were connected to Bowser s contributors 136 Under Bowser s plan the monthly cost per unit was 4 500 on average each year for at least the next 20 years 136 Frustrated by the D C Council s efforts to devise its own plan Bowser lashed out with expletives at Chairman Phil Mendelson 137 138 Housing Edit In 2018 Bowser nominated Joshua Lopez former chief campaign aide to both Bowser and ex Mayor Adrian Fenty to serve on the board of the D C Housing Authority which reviews contracts and sets policy for public housing Over the objections of certain council members who considered Lopez unqualified for the position Bowser proceeded with the nomination which the Council approved by a vote of 10 3 139 In April 2018 Lopez held a loudspeaker at a rally while a representative of the Nation of Islam spoke calling Councilmember Elissa Silverman a fake jew Bowser called upon Lopez to apologize but resisted public calls for his resignation 140 141 In October 2021 the Chair of the D C Housing Authority Neil Albert abruptly resigned after it was revealed that he had channeled multiple contracts to a romantic partner 142 143 While Chair Albert had awarded the Housing Authority s headquarters to a developer who hired his partner as the architect of record 142 Bowser had championed Albert s accomplishments in the months before his departure and responded to news that Albert s home had been raided by the FBI with a statement that she holds employees to high standards 142 Bowser s replacement for Albert Dionne Bussey Reeder owed thousands in unpaid income taxes leading the government to place liens on her property in violation of DCHA bylaws 144 Immigration Edit Upon the election of Donald Trump to the presidency and following statements by the President elect threatening to pull federal funding from sanctuary cities Bowser issued a statement reaffirming the District s status as a sanctuary city 145 Soon thereafter Bowser was confronted by a throng of about 100 protesters who were angry that she had not responded more forcefully as had mayors of some other sanctuary cities in denouncing Trump s policies and in defending immigrants 146 147 148 In January 2017 following Trump s inauguration and the issuance of a Presidential Executive Order threatening to withhold Federal funding from sanctuary cities Bowser affirmed that the District would maintain its status as such 149 In November 2017 Bowser announced that the District was joining seven other cities in a partnership with the National Immigration Forum to assist some 2 000 green card holders who work for the D C Government as well as family members in applying for U S citizenship The partnership would provide information legal help citizenship test coaching and assist in finding language classes Participation in the program could save an applicant as much as 2 000 in legal fees 150 In 2022 the governors of Texas and Arizona instituted policies to offer migrants released by federal authorities in their states free bus rides to Washington D C Since April 2022 over 9 000 migrants have been sent to D C from the two states 151 152 Bowser stated that the city and the nation was facing a migrant crisis and criticized the governors of Texas and Arizona for what she characterized as political gamesmanship 153 Bowser has twice requested assistance from the National Guard in managing the migrants and was denied both times 154 On September 8 2022 Bowser declared a public emergency in D C and established an Office of Migrant Services to provide services to migrants arriving from Texas and Arizona 152 Policing Edit Bowser has shown strong police support and has not complied with numerous legal requirements regarding transparency in policing Her administration repeatedly blocked the release of stop and frisk data as required by the NEAR Act 155 156 Although Bowser supported the outfitting of Metropolitan Police Department with body cameras 157 158 159 out of 25 involved officer shootings from 2016 2018 only three instances of body cam footage were released as of April 2019 160 Protests Edit Bowser speaking at a protest in 2017 Mayor Bowser demonstrated support for the Black Lives Matter movement following the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests She renamed the stretch of 16th Street NW in front of the White House Black Lives Matter Plaza and had a mural painted spanning the entire street 161 DC based leaders of Black Lives Matter said the act was a distraction from real policy changes and called on the Mayor to defund the police 161 In response Black Lives Matter organizers painted DEFUND THE POLICE in the same bright letters feet away from the mural Bowser ordered 162 On January 6 2021 pro Trump rioters and insurrectionists stormed the US Capitol in protest of the results of the 2020 presidential election in which Democrat Joe Biden defeated incumbent Republican President Donald Trump Bowser imposed a curfew in response to 6 00 pm that night and end at 6 00 am the following day 163 though it was ignored by numerous pro Trump rioters and insurrectionists 164 During the 2021 Cuban protests in July the words CUBA LIBRE translated to FREE CUBA were painted in front of the Cuban embassy in support of the Cuban people and opposition to the country s communist regime By July 20 the words were removed by the Bowser administration who classified the words as unauthorized Bowser received criticism for her double standard of praising Raul Castro in 2016 her allowance of painting Black Lives Matter on the same street and her future plans to make the area a permanent dedication to Black Lives Matter 165 166 Public services Edit In January 2016 traffic throughout the D C region was paralyzed by an inch of snow on untreated roads 167 168 More than 1 000 accidents were reported and some commuters abandoned their cars amidst impassable roads 167 168 Bowser apologized for an inadequate response in the District explaining that we should have been there earlier 168 For a larger storm later in the same season a report by the D C auditor found that the District had spent over 40 million on removal much of it charged to the District s credit cards 169 The District incurred tens of thousands of dollars in credit card fees In an unprecedented move JPMorgan Chase shut off the government s line of credit until some of the card balances could be paid Some of the contractors who benefited most from the snow removal expenses were important Bowser donors the D C auditor found 169 Public utilities Edit In October 2015 Bowser changed her position to support the 6 4 billion merger between two public utilities Exelon and Pepco Opponents of the merger decried the lack of transparency in the deal and Bowser s reversal 170 Community activists raised ethics concerns claiming that Bowser was swayed by a 25 million pledge to rename the future MLS Soccer Stadium as Pepco Park 171 In December 2015 it was revealed that Exelon had paid the chairman of FreshPAC a political action committee affiliated with Bowser s allies as a lobbyist 172 Sexual harassment Edit In December 2017 Bowser ordered that 30 000 employees of the District receive sexual harassment training by February 2018 Under the order 1 500 supervisors must also complete advanced in person training 173 At the time Bowser administration personnel could not say how much taxpayers had paid to resolve sexual harassment claims against the city or how many such claims there had been In March 2018 it was reported that taxpayers had recently spent at least 735 000 to settle such suits Bowser s aides acknowledged they did not have a full grasp of the problem and the city plans to set up a system to track complaints and settlements 174 Traffic safety Edit In 2015 Bowser announced Vision Zero a traffic safety initiative that aims to eliminate all traffic fatalities by 2024 To launch the event Bowser supporters and D C government employees stood at intersections and waved green signs imploring motorists to slow down 175 The following year the number of traffic fatalities increased from 26 to 28 and the number of crash injuries increased from 12 122 to 12 430 Pedestrian fatalities within the total dropped from 15 to 9 during a period when pedestrian deaths nationally had jumped upward by 11 percent 176 In 2017 traffic fatalities continued to rise 177 Following a pair of biking fatalities in the summer of 2018 cyclists protested that Bowser had failed at promoting traffic safety 178 In 2019 a prominent bike advocate was struck and killed by a driver along a stretch of road that was known to be dangerous 179 In May 2020 Bowser announced that the default speed limits in D C would be reduced to 20 mph claiming that slower speeds can help improve safety 180 While overall traffic declined during the pandemic DC reported 37 traffic fatalities in 2020 the most in over a decade 181 2021 was deadlier and by mid November the number of traffic deaths had already reached 2020 s level 182 Transportation Edit As part of her first State of the District Address in March 2015 Bowser promised to get the DC Streetcar up and running In September Bowser as well as the director of the D C Department of Transportation promised that the streetcar would be operational by the end of the year 183 184 The H Street Benning line began public service operations on February 27 2016 185 186 Urban development Edit After Bowser took office in 2015 she created a new cabinet post to focus on development in the city s poorest areas She named former Council candidate Courtney Snowden to the new position 187 In 2017 the Inspector General found that Snowden had improperly used city employees to care for her child 188 Bowser said that appropriate management action had been taken in response to staff babysitting without specifying what was done 189 In October 2017 Bowser announced a 3 million infusion into housing and retail projects in D C Wards 7 and 8 in an effort to remedy the scarcity of grocery stores in the District s poorest wards 190 District Wards 7 and 8 have only three grocery stores between them or 50 000 people for every grocery store compared to 10 000 per store in wealthy Ward 3 191 Bowser awarded 2 1 million to the Jair Lynch group for redevelopment of a shopping center and 880 000 to South Capitol Affordable Housing to assist in building out the Good Food Markets project which also includes 195 units of affordable housing as well as commercial space Previous attempts to attract grocery stores to these areas have failed 190 Youth services Edit In April 2016 the D C Trust a government funded entity that disbursed grants throughout the District to non profits providing youth services declared bankruptcy and announced plans to dissolve The decision was attributed in part to overspending by and for staff at the agency 192 193 The agency also known as the City Youth Investment Trust Corp had suffered a history of abuse and mismanagement 194 Former councilmember Harry Thomas Jr was found guilty on felony charges for embezzling 350 000 of the trust s funds between 2007 and 2009 In 2013 Congressional investigators concluded that the agency lacked controls to properly administer a 20 million a year federally funded school voucher program Then in January 2016 the agency s board four of whom had been appointed by Mayor Bowser learned that a former executive director and a former senior financial officer had used funds to pay tens of thousands of dollars in credit card charges including some for personal use Bowser had recently provided 700 000 in taxpayer funding to the agency The board members did not know how much of the funding remained or how youth services could be continued 192 In 2019 a 9 year old and a 10 year old were handcuffed by the Metropolitan Police Department in separate incidents sparking public outrage after videos of the incidents were circulated While the Attorney General said that he would review department policies Bowser said that every case is different and asked whether it was appropriate to circulate photos of juveniles 195 196 Involvement in national politics Edit In mid May 2016 ahead of the 2016 District of Columbia Democratic primary Bowser endorsed Hillary Clinton s presidential candidacy 197 Bowser delivered a speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in which she advocated for D C statehood 198 In late January 2020 Bowser endorsed Michael Bloomberg s campaign in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries 199 In March after Bloomberg had withdrawn from the race she endorsed Joe Biden s campaign 200 At the 2020 Democratic National Convention Bowser delivered a speech remotely from Black Lives Matter Plaza 201 2018 election EditBowser filed to run for re election in 2018 202 James Butler Ernest E Johnson and Jeremiah D Stanback filed to run against her in the Democratic Party primary election 202 Ann C Wilcox filed to run as a D C Statehood Green Party candidate 203 No one filed as a mayoral candidate in either the Republican Party primary election or the Libertarian Party primary election 204 205 Noting the nominal opposition and some stumbles during her first term The Washington Post endorsed Bowser s re election citing the District s economic prosperity and Bowser s having fulfilled her promise to restore integrity to government 206 She then won the June 19 Democratic Primary with 83 of the vote after her most formidable potential challenger former mayor Vincent C Gray declined to enter the race 207 208 209 She went on to win the November 8 general election with just under 80 of the vote against two Independent candidates and one Libertarian 210 During the election Bowser sought to unseat incumbent Councilmember Elissa Silverman who had frequently questioned the mayor Bowser endorsed political newcomer Dionne Reeder and provided her with volunteer and fundraising support Reeder lost by a significant margin and Bowser was not able to deliver a victory in her home base of Ward 4 211 Electoral history Edit2004 Edit 2004 Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B09 general election 8 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel E Bowser 966 98 write in 22 22006 Edit 2006 Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B09 general election 11 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel E Bowser 601 90 write in 70 102007 Edit 2007 Council of the District of Columbia Ward 4 special election 22 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel Bowser 5 064 40Democratic Michael A Brown 3 433 27Democratic Charles Gaither 683 5Democratic Dwight E Singleton 602 5DC Statehood Green Renee Bowser 583 5Democratic Graylan Scott Hagler 468 4Democratic Tony Towns 390 3Democratic Robert G Childs 339 3Democratic Artee Milligan 170 1Independent Judi Jones 154 1Democratic Carroll Green 117 1Democratic Lisa P Bass 110 1Democratic Douglas Ned Sloan 98 1Democratic Marlena D Edwards 97 1Democratic T A Uqdah 82 1Democratic Lisa Comfort Bradford 72 1Democratic Michael T Green 49 0Democratic James Clark 17 0Democratic Roy Howell 10 0 write in 29 02008 Edit 2008 Council of the District of Columbia Ward 4 Democratic Party primary election 30 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel Bowser 7 132 75Democratic Baruti Jahi 1 800 19Democratic Paul E Montague 302 3Democratic Malik F Mendenhall Johnson 236 2 write in 58 12008 Council of the District of Columbia Ward 4 general election 32 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel Bowser 30 888 97 write in 936 32012 Edit 2012 Council of the District of Columbia Ward 4 Democratic Party primary election 40 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel Bowser 7 541 66Democratic Renee L Bowser 1 523 13Democratic Max Skolnik 1 042 9Democratic Baruti Jahi 619 5Democratic Judi Jones 371 3Democratic Calvin Gurley 268 2 write in 32 02012 Council of the District of Columbia Ward 4 general election 42 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel Bowser 33 045 97 write in 933 32014 Edit 2014 Mayor of the District of Columbia Democratic Party primary election 212 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel E Bowser 42 045 43Democratic Vincent C Gray 31 613 33Democratic Tommy Wells 12 393 13Democratic Jack Evans 4 877 5Democratic Andy Shallal 3 196 3Democratic Vincent Orange 1 946 2Democratic Reta Lewis 490 1Democratic Carlos Allen 120 0 write in 235 02014 Mayor of the District of Columbia general election 213 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel E Bowser 88 439 54Independent David A Catania 57 375 35Independent Carol Schwartz 11 625 7DC Statehood Green Faith Dane 1 348 1Libertarian Bruce Majors 1 164 1Independent Nestor Djonkam 421 0 write in 1 493 12018 Edit 2018 Mayor of the District of Columbia Democratic Party primary election 214 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel Bowser incumbent 58 431 80Democratic James Quincy Butler 7 532 10Democratic Ernest E Johnson 4 444 6Democratic Write in 2 787 4Total votes 1002018 Mayor of the District of Columbia general election 215 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel Bowser 162 199 80DC Statehood Green Ann Wilcox 19 979 10Independent Dustin Canter 14 783 7Libertarian Martin Moulton 7 152 3Total votes 204 113 1002022 Edit Democratic primary results 216 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel Bowser incumbent 62 391 49 01Democratic Robert White 51 557 40 50Democratic Trayon White 11 193 8 79Democratic James Butler 1 753 1 38Write in 406 0 32Total votes 127 300 100n a Overvotes 219n a Undervotes 8122022 Washington D C mayoral election 217 Party Candidate Votes Democratic Muriel Bowser incumbent 137 206 74 66 1 73Independent Rodney Grant 27 355 14 88 N ARepublican Stacia Hall 10 743 5 85 N ALibertarian Dennis Sobin 2 366 1 29 2 08Write in 6 115 3 33 0 70Total votes 183785 100Personal life EditBowser is a lifelong Catholic 7 In 2015 Bowser bought a home in Colonial Village 218 moving from a Riggs Park duplex 219 where she had lived since 2000 220 In May 2018 Bowser announced that she had adopted a baby whom she named Miranda Elizabeth Bowser 221 222 Bowser s eldest sister Mercia died of COVID 19 on February 24 2021 Mayor Bowser wrote Mercia was loved immensely and will be missed greatly as she joins the legion of angels who have gone home too soon due to the pandemic 223 See also EditList of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States List of female governors in the United StatesReferences Edit DeBonis Mike March 4 2014 Five things you don t know about Muriel Bowser promising fresh start as D C mayor The Washington Post Stewart Nikita August 20 2008 In Primary Bowser Asserts Independence The Washington Post Archived from the original on October 17 2017 Retrieved March 31 2020 Annual Report 2006 2007 PDF Elizabeth Seton High School Archived from the original PDF on September 10 2008 Elizabeth Seton Class of 1990 The Washington Post June 14 1990 p MD11A Harriston Keith May 19 1990 Academics Pay Off for Teen Individualists The Washington Post p B1 ProQuest 140204721 Local elections 2008 Muriel Bowser Archived April 25 2008 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Post Retrieved June 27 2008 a b Jaffe Harry September 24 2014 Muriel Bowser Is No Adrian Fenty Washingtonian a b Certified Summary Results Archived July 25 2011 at the Wayback Machine pdf District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics November 18 2004 a b Woodlee Yolanda Silverman Elissa Hopefuls Begin Staking Out Fenty s and Gray s Seats The Washington Post September 20 2006 Ward 4 with ANC amp SMD Boundary District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics Retrieved June 30 2008 a b Certified Official Results Report District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics November 21 2006 Archived from the original pdf on November 30 2006 a b Silverman Elissa Fenty a Strong Presence in Crowded Ward 4 Race to Replace Him The Washington Post January 23 2007 Silverman Elissa Woodlee Yolanda Fenty s School Takeover Plan Gets Rough Reception The Washington Post March 2 2007 Chen Eve Fenty Supports ANC Commissioner as Successor Archived October 11 2007 at the Wayback Machine WTOP January 21 2007 Woodlee Yolanda Candidates Focus On Fundraising In Wards 4 7 The Washington Post March 6 2007 a b Woodlee Yolanda Top Fundraisers Feel The Heat in Ward 4 The Washington Post April 27 2007 Woodlee Yolanda Silverman Elissa Who Will Fenty Support in Ward 7 The Washington Post March 8 2007 The D C Special Election Muriel Bowser in Ward 4 and Victor Vandell in Ward 7 are the best bets for council The Washington Post April 15 2007 Muriel Bowser Receives the Metropolitan Council AFL CIO Endorsement Archived September 10 2008 at the Wayback Machine pdf Muriel Bowser for Ward 4 2008 Press release April 10 2007 Silverman Elissa Labb Theola Dueling Endorsements for Vacant Seats Archived March 4 2016 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Post March 22 2007 Muriel Bowser Endorsed By The Fraternal Order of Police Metropolitan Police Department Labor Committee Archived September 10 2008 at the Wayback Machine pdf Fraternal Order of Police Metropolitan Police Department Labor Committee Press release March 15 2007 a b Certified Official Results Report pdf District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics May 11 2007 a b List of Candidates for the September 9 2008 Congressional and Council Primary Election Archived July 30 2008 at the Wayback Machine pdf District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics July 3 2008 Stewart Nikita Local Election Season Quietly Kicks Off The Washington Post May 11 2008 Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4B Government of the District of Columbia Retrieved July 15 2008 Stewart Nikita R And They re Off The Washington Post May 11 2008 Stewart Nikita In Primary Bowser Asserts Independence Archived October 17 2017 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Post August 20 2008 Retrieved September 10 2008 The D C Council Primary Our choices in next Tuesday s election Archived November 6 2012 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Post September 3 2008 Retrieved September 10 2008 DeBonis Mike Incumbents Rake In Stein Club Endorsements Washington City Paper June 19 2008 a b c Certified Results District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics September 26 2008 List of Candidates in Ballot Order for the November 4 2008 General Election PDF District of Columbia Board of Board of Elections and Ethics a b Certified Results District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics November 24 2008 Bowser Bulger join Metro Board New members represent the District of Columbia July 21 2011 WMATA com Archived March 19 2016 at the Wayback Machine Two D C Council members concerned by Metro hiring practices By Chuck Neubauer Washington Times Sunday April 15 2012 Muriel Bowser talks Metro bikes development education and more by David Alpert GreaterGreaterWashington org October 13 2014 a b c d Suderman Alan January 20 2012 Bowser Defends Corporate Giving And Lots of It Washington City Paper Stewart Nikita March 8 2012 Bowser looks to be bouncing back The Washington Post p B1 Our choices for D C Council editorial The Washington Post March 18 2012 p A20 Schaffer Michael March 21 2012 Vote This Way on April 3 Washington City Paper a b Council Primary Official Results PDF District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics April 19 2012 Archived from the original PDF on July 10 2012 Retrieved April 23 2012 Suderman Alan July 30 2012 How Many People Does It Take to Host a Party Washington City Paper a b Certified Results District of Columbia Board of Elections and Ethics November 6 2012 DeBonis Mike Stewart Nikita March 23 2013 Muriel Bowser launches bid for D C mayor The Washington Post Archived from the original on April 1 2013 Retrieved September 5 2017 Noble Andrea April 16 2014 Minority parties see power grab for D C vote The Washington Times Archived from the original on April 20 2014 a b c DeBonis Mike March 4 2014 Muriel Bowser tries to escape Fenty s shadow other Gray challengers in D C mayor race The Washington Post DeBonis Mike June 26 2013 Sales tax cut likely to get D C Council s okay The Washington Post DeBonis Mike June 27 2013 Higher minimum pay nearer in District The Washington Post p B1 McCartney Robert February 10 2014 Muriel Bowser seems to be the candidate to beat among rivals to D C Mayor Vincent Gray The Washington Post Archived from the original on September 24 2018 Retrieved December 24 2016 Barras Jonetta Rose September 10 2014 Muriel Bowser runs for mayor ready or not editorial The Washington Post King Colbert September 10 2014 Muriel Bowser runs for mayor ready or not The Washington Post Freed Benjamin February 25 2013 Political Groups Line Up to Endorse DC s Mayoral Candidates Real and Hypothetical Washingtonian Magazine Muriel Bowser for District Mayor editorial The Washington Post February 20 2014 DeBonis Mike April 2 2014 Muriel Bowser wins The Washington Post Archived from the original on March 11 2016 Retrieved September 5 2017 a b Davis Aaron June 8 2017 D C Mayor Bowser fined 13 000 for illegal campaign contributions The Washington Post Washington DC Archived from the original on January 7 2018 Retrieved December 8 2017 Sample Ballot General Election November 4 2014 PDF District of Columbia Board of Elections 2014 Retrieved October 15 2014 DeBonis Mikie Davis Aaron C November 5 2014 Bowser is elected D C mayor defeating independents Catania and Schwartz The Washington Post Archived from the original on October 14 2017 Retrieved September 5 2017 a b Jamison Peter May 11 2017 This is not a war on pets D C mayor backs off proposed chicken ban The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved May 11 2017 Jamison Peter October 1 2017 D C tries to ban dogs from bar patios and lawmakers bite back The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved October 1 2017 Chason Rachel October 3 2017 Dc Politics After howls of protest pups can return to restaurant patios in D C The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved October 3 2017 With Veto Override and Damning Legal Memo Bowser Loses Twice in Latest Arts Commission Scuffle Washington City Paper October 23 2019 McGlone Peggy September 12 2019 Battle between D C Mayor Bowser and the city s arts commission escalates The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved September 12 2019 Lefrak Mikaela October 8 2019 Mayor Bowser Issues Third Ever Veto Amid Power Struggle Over Arts Commission Wamu Washington DC Retrieved October 8 2019 D C Mayor Muriel E Bowser lays out the welcome mat for self driving cars Archived February 13 2021 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Post February 13 2018 Henry John March 26 2019 DC Auditor Mayor Bowser s budget proposal not sustainable WTOP Washington DC Retrieved March 26 2019 Jamison Peter March 25 2019 D C auditor says mayor s budget is not fiscally responsible The Washington Post Washington DC Archived from the original on March 10 2021 Retrieved March 25 2019 Baskin Morgan February 21 2019 D C Chronically Failed to Spend Federal Funds to Remediate Lead Paint Hazards HUD Says Washington City Paper Washington DC Retrieved April 25 2019 Abamu Jenny April 4 2019 D C Officials Miss AmeriCorps Application Deadline Putting Funding At Risk WAMU Washington DC Retrieved April 25 2019 a b Davis Aaron C October 20 2015 Divided D C Council takes aim at Mayor Bowser s super PAC The Washington Post a b Davis Aaron C November 11 2015 D C mayor s allies reluctantly shut down controversial PAC The Washington Post FreshPAC s chairman lobbying for Exelon was legal but unseemly The Washington Post December 18 2015 Davis Aaron C November 7 2015 D C mayor s delegation to China includes some top PAC contributors The Washington Post Holman Craig April 15 2016 There s nothing to fear in fair elections The Washington Post a b Chason Rachel January 9 2018 D C Council unanimously votes to create public campaign finance program The Washington Post a b Chason Rachel January 5 2018 Mayor Bowser and D C Council at odds over public campaign financing The Washington Post Archived from the original on January 9 2018 Retrieved January 11 2018 Nirappil Fenit December 8 2016 Whistleblower suit D C employee fired after refusing to steer contracts to Bowser donor The Washington Post Archived from the original on December 10 2016 Retrieved March 7 2018 Davis Aaron June 14 2017 D C Council report Bowser administration favored top donor in contracting The Washington Post Archived from the original on February 4 2018 Retrieved March 7 2018 Jamison Peter June 15 2017 Bowser says she will not investigate evidence of illegal leak in contracting process The Washington Post Archived from the original on January 25 2018 Retrieved March 7 2018 a b Christopher Peak July 15 2020 Investigation Uncovers Missteps In Washington D C s Coronavirus Response NPR Washington D C Retrieved July 15 2020 Cheslow Daniella September 14 2020 Emails Suggest D C Removed COVID 19 Data From Website As Officials Pushed To Reopen NPR Washington D C Retrieved September 14 2020 Zauzmer Julie November 10 2020 Bowser defends trip to Delaware to celebrate Biden win despite travel advisories Washington Post Washington D C Archived from the original on February 9 2021 Retrieved November 10 2020 Stein Perry May 1 2021 To mask or not to mask Mayor s order stokes confusion in D C Washington Post Washington D C Retrieved May 1 2021 Stein Perry August 1 2021 VIDEO DC Mayor Bowser officiates large wedding after new indoor mask mandate Fox 5 DC Washington D C Retrieved August 1 2021 Analysis Mayor Bowser s poor spin about not following her own mask mandate Washington Post Archived from the original on August 4 2021 Retrieved August 4 2021 a b Davis Aaron October 21 2015 D C mayor s plan for warrantless searches appears dead on arrival The Washington Post Retrieved October 22 2015 Homicides remain steady in the Washington region The Washington Post December 31 2016 Homicides were down in the region but 2017 was marked by sobering teen deaths Archived January 8 2021 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Post December 31 2017 Michelle Basch Michelle May 15 2018 DC s top cop predicts good summer despite rise in homicides Retrieved May 15 2018 D C s homicide rate is spiking The city must take action The Washington Post October 11 2018 Archived from the original on March 10 2021 Retrieved October 11 2018 Homicides spike in District as shootings become more lethal police say The Washington Post Washington DC December 31 2018 Retrieved October 11 2018 Haynes Madisson September 19 2019 Police search for 2 suspects with AK style weapons in Columbia Heights shooting that left 1 dead 5 injured Retrieved September 19 2019 Hermann Peter May 3 2021 At least 11 people shot during a violent weekend in the District Retrieved May 3 2021 Leshan Bruce July 12 2021 Mayor Bowser asks White House for help after 100 homicides in DC Retrieved July 12 2021 Lynch Tom December 31 2021 DC Suburbs End 2021 With Higher Homicide Counts Retrieved July 12 2021 Satterfield Kolbie March 18 2021 Police More than 100 carjackings reported in DMV so far this year a drastic jump from last year Retrieved March 29 2021 a b Pusatory Matt September 19 2019 DC mayor faces criticism over carjacking tweet Retrieved March 29 2021 DC Mayor Muriel Bowser slammed for blaming victim in tweet after Uber Eats driver dies during carjacking meaww com Retrieved April 7 2021 a b Moore Jack May 19 2021 Director of embattled DC crime lab stepping down WTOP Retrieved May 19 2021 Moore Jack April 30 2021 Probe of DC crime lab could blow up criminal justice system WTOP Retrieved April 30 2021 a b Kennicott Philip November 11 2015 A setback for D C arts and culture years in the making The Washington Post Capps Kriston February 13 2015 Six Reasons Bowser Should Reconsider Pulling ICE from the Franklin School The Washington City Paper Clabaugh Jeff October 23 2015 D C receives new proposals for historic Franklin School Washington Business Journal a b Sommer Will September 15 2015 Taxes Will Fund 90 Percent of Wizards Practice Site washingtoncitypaper com Pyke Alan March 22 2016 Taxpayer Backed Arena Deal Gets New Scrutiny Amid Radical Housing Shortage Thinkprogress org O Connell Jonathan July 28 2016 Cost of Wizards practice facility rises 10 million before construction can even begin The Washington Post D C to pay cost overruns for Wizards facility The Washington Post December 16 2015 a b Cooper Rebecca May 15 2019 D C reconciles true costs of running new arena at St Elizabeths Washington Business Journal Washington DC Retrieved May 15 2019 Nirappil Fenit May 30 2019 Audit Bowser administration awarded millions to developers with low ranking proposals The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved May 30 2019 Jamison Peter May 10 2017 Second mayoral appointee identified in school lottery scandal The Washington Post Washington DC Archived from the original on October 4 2017 Retrieved September 17 2017 Jamison Peter May 17 2017 Secret report shows special treatment for public officials in D C school lottery The Washington Post Washington DC Archived from the original on September 8 2017 Retrieved September 17 2017 Jamison Peter March 8 2018 A short guide to the D C Public Schools scandals The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved March 8 2018 Devork Petula May 17 2017 D C s school scandals are barely registering with the public That shows how little we value education The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved September 17 2017 Hermann Peter February 9 2016 D C Council unanimously votes to create public campaign finance program letter The Washington Post Lyons Ivy February 25 2022 It just doesn t make sense Safety advocate on former head of DC 911 system s return to post WTOP Bowser commits 4 7 million to long neglected islands in Anacostia River Archived July 24 2018 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Post January 12 2018 D C will not reappoint open government watchdog who ruled against city The Washington Post February 2 2018 Jamison Peter February 5 2018 D C s open government watchdog took her job seriously Then she lost it The Washington Post Muriel Bowser You have a mayor who hates guns The Washington Post January 9 2015 Mayor Bowser to Introduce Legislation Banning Bump Stocks in Washington DC Executive Office of the Mayor Retrieved April 15 2023 Bowser to introduce legislation banning bump stocks in District Archived July 5 2018 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Post February 26 2018 Bowser the mayor who hates guns champions March for Our Lives and steps into national spotlight The Washington Post March 23 2018 D C s public hospital needs 17 million taxpayer subsidy officials say The Washington Post December 12 2017 D C Council approves subpoenas for public hospital s former consultants The Washington Post March 14 2018 Simmons Duffin Selena October 30 2017 Timeline A Quick Guide To Veritas United Medical Center Contract WAMU Washington DC Retrieved October 30 2017 Jamison Peter August 14 2017 Dangerous mistakes led to shutdown of United Medical Center obstetrics ward The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved August 14 2017 Reed Tina October 3 2017 Nurses union votes no confidence in United Medical Center leadership Washington Business Journal Washington DC Retrieved August 14 2017 Jamison Peter October 30 2017 Simply unacceptable D C Council members press hospital operator on patient s death The Washington Post Washington DC Archived from the original on June 20 2019 Retrieved October 30 2017 Jamison Peter December 19 2018 Pure incompetence Washington Business Journal Washington DC Retrieved December 19 2018 In long awaited plan D C aims to reduce opioid deaths by half by late 2020 Archived January 8 2021 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Post December 24 2018 DC plans to cut opioid deaths in half by 2020 WUSA 9 December 26 2018 Fenit Nirappil August 29 2019 D C will not meet goal of cutting in half new HIV diagnoses by 2020 The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved August 29 2019 a b Davis Aaron October 31 2015 More D C families are living in homeless shelters at the start of winter than ever before and it s by design The Washington Post Retrieved March 19 2016 D C homeless population drops for second straight year report finds The Washington Post May 8 2018 a b McDermott Ryan October 21 2015 D C mayor s homeless shelter plan lacks transparency critics say Washington Times Retrieved March 19 2016 Davis Aaron February 9 2017 District mayor reveals sites proposed for homeless shelters across city The Washington Post Retrieved March 19 2016 Davis Aaron October 31 2015 D C mayor refuses to say how she picked sites for new homeless shelters The Washington Post Retrieved February 15 2016 a b Davis Aaron March 16 2016 Homeless shelter plan could be profitable for Bowser s backers The Washington Post Retrieved March 15 2016 Nirappali Firat May 17 2016 D C Council head blasts Bowser for obfuscation over shelters she fires back with expletive The Washington Post Archived from the original on September 4 2017 Retrieved March 15 2017 Martin Austermuhle Words Fly After D C Council Alters Plan To Close D C General Homeless Shelter WAMU Washington DC Retrieved May 17 2016 Giaborone Andrew February 22 2018 Bowser Buddy Joshua Lopez Finally Gets a Seat on a High Stakes D C Board Washington City Paper Washington DC Retrieved February 22 2018 Nirappil Fenit Jamison Peter April 27 2018 At a rally to end divisive politics in D C speaker calls lawmaker a fake Jew The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved April 27 2018 Lefrak Mikaela April 27 2018 Bowser Appointee Apologizes For Rally Speaker s Anti Semitic Statements WAMU Washington DC Retrieved April 27 2018 a b c Schwartzman Paul November 6 2021 At a rally to end divisive politics in D C speaker calls lawmaker a fake Jew The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved November 6 2021 Schwartzman Paul November 6 2021 D C Housing Authority Board Chair Neil Albert Will Resign The Washington City Paper Washington DC Retrieved November 6 2021 Schwartzman Paul November 19 2021 Bowser s new chair of D C public housing board did not pay 15 000 in taxes records show The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved November 19 2021 Press release November 14 2016 Ackland Matt November 17 2016 Protesters confront Mayor Bowser over DC immigrant raids resolution hearing held Fox 5 Retrieved November 17 2017 Jamison Peter November 19 2016 In the District jitters over impending Trump era The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved May 20 2018 Video Bowser Gets In Heated Confrontation With Protesters Archived July 20 2018 at the Wayback Machine DCist November 16 2016 D C Is Still A Sanctuary City Mayor Bowser Says Regardless Of Trump s Threats Archived May 23 2018 at the Wayback Machine DCist January 25 2017 Bowser announces partnership to help D C employees families become citizens Archived December 3 2018 at the Wayback Machine The Washington Post November 14 2017 Goodman J David April 6 2022 Texas Governor Targets Migrants in Anticipation of Influx at Border New York Times Retrieved September 8 2022 a b Mayor Bowser Establishes Office of Migrant Services mayor dc gov September 8 2022 Retrieved September 8 2022 Jordan Miriam August 4 2022 G O P Governors Cause Havoc by Busing Migrants to East Coast New York Times Retrieved September 8 2022 Olivo Antonio August 22 2022 Pentagon again denies Bowser request for National Guard help for migrants The Washington Post Retrieved September 8 2022 CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS SEEK COURT ORDER AGAINST D C MAYOR MURIEL BOWSER FOR LONG DELAYED STOP AND FRISK DATA ACLU May 18 2018 Retrieved May 11 2022 DC s ACLU criticizes Bowser s defense of Bloomberg on Stop and Frisk Fox5DC February 21 2020 Retrieved May 11 2022 Washington City Paper Bowser Wants Body Cam Footage Exempt from Open Records Law by Will Sommer April 13 2015 D C Mayor Doesn t Want You To See Police Body Camera Footage by Jason Cherkis The Huffington Post April 14 2015 D C Council raises alarms over Mayor Bowser s budget By Aaron C Davis The Washington Post April 13 2015 D Quan Young was killed by an off duty DC cop 10 months ago His mother still has no answers Think Progress April 1 2019 Retrieved May 11 2022 a b Fenit Nirappil Julie Zauzmer and Rachel Chason June 5 2020 Black Lives Matter In giant yellow letters D C mayor sends message to Trump The Washington Post Washington DC Archived from the original on June 17 2020 Retrieved June 5 2020 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint uses authors parameter link Rebecca Tan Michael E Miller Rachel Chason Samantha Schmidt and Teddy Amenabar June 7 2020 Protesters paint Defund the police right next to D C s Black Lives Matter mural The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved June 7 2020 a href Template Cite news html title Template Cite news cite news a CS1 maint uses authors parameter link Durkee Alison January 6 2021 D C Mayor Orders Curfew As Trump Supporters Storm Capitol Building Forbes Retrieved January 6 2021 Romo Vanessa January 6 2021 After Chaos Insurrection And Death Pro Trump Rioters Defy D C Curfew NPR NPR Archived from the original on January 7 2021 Retrieved January 7 2021 Drenan Courtney July 20 2021 DC officials remove Cuba Libre tribute but plan to shut down streets to make BLM mural permanent BPR Retrieved July 20 2021 Miller Andrew Mark July 20 2021 Washington DC removes Cuba Libre street painting from in front of Cuban embassy Fox News Retrieved July 20 2021 a b Barbash Fred January 21 2016 An inch of snow icy roads unleash 9 hours of traffic chaos across D C region The Washington Post Retrieved January 22 2016 a b c Devorak Petula January 21 2016 Forget ISIS The most powerful city on earth can t handle a dusting of snow The Washington Post Retrieved January 22 2016 a b Davis Aaron January 11 2017 For 1 storm D C spent 40 million on snow removal some of the funds improperly audit finds The Washington Post Retrieved January 22 2017 Davis Aaron C October 6 2015 D C Mayor reverses course and backs Pepco Exelon merger The Washington Post Davis Aaron C November 11 2015 Opponents of Pepco Exelon merger call for ethics investigation of Bowser The Washington Post Madden Patrick December 16 2015 Exelon Paid FreshPAC Chairman To Lobby D C Government About Merger WAMU Bowser mandates training for 30 000 District employees to combat sexual harassment The Washington Post December 19 2017 Nirappil Fenit March 15 2018 D C taxpayers have recently paid at least 735 000 to settle sexual harassment lawsuits The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved March 15 2018 GIAMBRONE Andrew April 24 2015 Bowser Kicks Off First Day of School With Slow Down Campaign The Washington City Paper DiCaro Martin March 31 2017 How Is D C Doing One Year Into Vision Zero Plan To Eliminate Roadway Fatalities The Washington City Paper Lazo Luo March 14 2018 Traffic deaths continue to soar despite cities pledges to get them to Zero The Washington Post Lazo Luo July 18 2018 Bike And Pedestrian Advocates Plan To Protest D C s Failure To Prevent Road Deaths DCist Archived from the original on July 23 2018 Retrieved July 22 2018 Giambrone Andrew April 19 2019 Driver fatally strikes beloved bike advocate in Northeast marking first 2019 D C cyclist death Curbed Lazo Luz May 29 2020 D C cuts speed limit to 20 mph to curb pedestrian deaths The Washington Post Retrieved May 29 2020 Bentsen Jackie September 22 2021 Residents of DC Neighborhood Say Drivers Run Stop Signs Endanger Pedestrians NBC Washington Retrieved September 22 2021 Solomon Libby November 16 2021 2021 reaches 2020 traffic death numbers in DC and it s not even December Greater Greater Washington Retrieved November 16 2021 Sommer Will September 18 2015 Bowser Streetcar Will Run By End of 2015 Washington City Paper Washington DC Retrieved September 18 2017 Laris Michael April 1 2015 Big challenges in D C Mayor Bowser s vow to activate expand streetcar line The Washington Post Freed Benjamin December 4 2015 The DC Streetcar Won t Run in 2015 Washingtonian Michael Laris February 27 2016 D C streetcar makes its first voyages on H Street Is it really happening The Washington Post Retrieved February 21 2019 Michael Neibauer April 1 2015 Bowser names cabinet member to focus on development in overlooked communities Washington Business Journal Washington DC Retrieved April 1 2017 fox5dc com staff November 28 2017 DC s deputy mayor used city employees to care for child during work says Inspector General s report Fox 5 DC Washington DC Retrieved November 28 2017 Peter Jamison November 27 2017 D C deputy mayor used employees for babysitting inspector general finds The Washington Post Washington DC Retrieved November 27 2017 a b Mayor Bowser s office awards 3 million to begin closing the grocery gap The Washington Post October 19 2017 As D C prospers supermarkets proliferate except in poor areas The Washington Post June 27 2017 a b Davis Aaron C April 26 2016 Mismanagement has bankrupted a D C nonprofit endangering programs for at risk youths board members say The Washington Post D C Youth Group That Got Taxpayer Millions Goes Bankrupt The Chronicle of Philanthropy April 27 2016 This Was a Disaster Youth Nonprofits Speak Out After DC Trust s Collapse Washington City Paper April 29 2016 Hermann Peter April 5 2019 10 year old boy handcuffed in robbery case is totally innocent authorities say The Washington Post Archived from the original on March 10 2021 Retrieved April 26 2019 Lambert Evan April 5 2019 DC Police investigating after video shows officer handcuffing 9 year old boy The Washington Post Archived from the original on July 13 2019 Retrieved April 26 2019 Stein Perry D C mayor most council members endorse Hillary Clinton ahead of D C primary Washington Post Retrieved January 12 2021 Davis Aaron C July 27 2016 D C mayor pushes statehood issue at Democratic National Convention Washington Post Retrieved January 12 2021 Schwartzman Paul Nirappil Fenit D C Mayor Muriel Bowser endorses Mike Bloomberg for president Washington Post Williams Elliot C March 11 2020 Morning Roundup Mayor Bowser Endorses Joe Biden DCist Archived from the original on December 6 2020 Retrieved January 12 2021 Wainman Laura Valerio Mike August 17 2020 Story of our nation s capital is a story of reckoning Mayor Bowser speaks on racial justice at DNC wusa9 com Retrieved January 12 2021 a b List of Democratic Candidates in the June 19 2018 Primary Election Archived March 28 2018 at the Wayback Machine District of Columbia Board of Elections March 22 2018 List of DC Statehood Green Candidates in the June 19 2018 Primary Election Archived March 29 2018 at the Wayback Machine District of Columbia Board of Elections March 22 2018 List of Republican Candidates in the June 19 2018 Primary Election Archived March 27 2018 at the Wayback Machine District of Columbia Board of Elections March 22 2018 List of Libertarian Candidates in the June 19 2018 Primary Election Archived March 27 2018 at the Wayback Machine District of Columbia Board of Elections March 22 2018 Muriel Bowser for D C mayor and our endorsements for the D C Council The Washington Post June 1 2018 Schwartzman Paul March 11 2018 A student a homeless man and an ex lawyer Who says D C mayor has no election challengers The Washington Post Archived from the original on November 29 2020 Retrieved December 2 2019 District of Columbia Primary Election Results The Washington Post June 18 2019 Archived from the original on November 24 2020 Retrieved December 2 2019 Jamison Peter March 22 2018 It s official D C Mayor Muriel Bowser has no serious primary challengers The Washington Post Archived from the original on November 27 2020 Retrieved December 2 2019 District of Columbia Election Results The Washington Post April 6 2019 Archived from the original on November 4 2020 Retrieved December 2 2019 King Colby November 7 2018 Muriel Bowser won her reelection battle but she lost clout citywide The Washington Post Washington DC Archived from the original on March 10 2021 Retrieved November 7 2018 Mayoral Primary Official Results District of Columbia Board of Elections April 1 2014 Archived from the original on April 12 2014 Retrieved November 16 2014 General Election Official Results District of Columbia Board of Elections November 4 2014 Archived from the original on December 20 2015 Retrieved November 5 2014 2018 Primary Election Results District of Columbia Board of Elections District of Columbia Election Results The Washington Post Retrieved November 16 2018 Primary Election 2022 Certified Results District of Columbia Board of Elections July 15 2022 Retrieved July 17 2022 DCBOE Election Results electionresults dcboe org Retrieved November 11 2022 Neibauer Michael January 4 2016 Here s what Mayor Muriel Bowser paid for her new home Washington Business Journal Retrieved January 4 2016 Suderman Alan April 26 2013 Muriel s Vetting Washington City Paper Drake Ingrid Possible Contenders in the Ward 4 Race permanent dead link pdf DC North January 2007 Weil Martin May 21 2018 D C Mayor Muriel Bowser says she has adopted a baby The Washington Post ISSN 0190 8286 Archived from the original on March 10 2021 Retrieved May 22 2018 Nirappil Fenit September 6 2018 D C Mayor Bowser shows off baby for first time in Today show interview The Washington Post Archived from the original on November 29 2020 Retrieved November 12 2020 Zauzmer Julie February 24 2021 Mercia Bowser sister of D C mayor dies of coronavirus at age 64 Washington Post Retrieved February 25 2021 External links Edit Media related to Muriel Bowser at Wikimedia Commons Campaign website Official site Appearances on C SPANCouncil of the District of ColumbiaPreceded byAdrian Fenty Member of the Council of the District of Columbiafrom Ward 42007 2015 Succeeded byBrandon ToddParty political officesPreceded byVincent Gray Democratic nominee for Mayor of the District of Columbia2014 2018 2022 Most recentPolitical officesPreceded byVincent Gray Mayor of the District of Columbia2015 present Incumbent Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Muriel Bowser amp oldid 1150220245, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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