Muriel Bowser to Step Down After Three Terms as D.C. Mayor

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Tuesday she will not seek a fourth term, ending a decade of leadership in the nation’s capital.

In an interview with NBC Washington, Bowser called the decision “the hardest thing I’ve had to do,” saying she has fulfilled her core objectives and is ready to “pass the baton” to a new generation of leaders. “I’ve learned how to be a good mayor,” she said.

“Now’s the time for me – and my family – to do something else while I still have energy, vigor, and ideas.”

Bowser, a lifelong Northeast D.C. resident, rose through local politics from an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner to the D.C. Council before winning her first mayoral term in 2014. Over three terms, she navigated the city through the pandemic’s economic fallout, championed downtown revitalization, and steered high-stakes negotiations to bring the Washington Commanders’ stadium back into the district.

Despite criticism from both the left and right, Bowser maintained her electoral record unblemished – never having lost a race. On social media, she described her time as mayor as “the honor of my life” and expressed pride in her “legacy of success,” though she has not yet revealed her next steps.

Her exit sets the stage for a potentially crowded Democratic primary in the deep-blue city. A new factor: last year, voters approved ranked-choice voting over objections from local party leaders – a change that could reshape the race.

In her final year, Bowser says she will focus on economic growth, responding to the evolving federal landscape with a “growth agenda” aimed at reinvigorating the city’s core. “We have to grow,” she said. “That’s the path forward.”

The announcement comes as national attention turns toward the 2026 midterms – and as D.C. residents weigh the kind of leadership the capital needs next.