A new face in the political landscape of Washington, D.C., has demonstrated surprising fundraising prowess since launching her mayoral campaign just hours ago. Democratic socialist councilwoman Janeese Lewis George announced this morning that she has shattered previous records for early campaign donations by reaching the public financing threshold within approximately four hours.
George stated on social media platform X, “DC, I’m so grateful! Thanks to your support, we qualified for public financing in just 4 hours and set a record in qualifying for Fair Elections with more than 1,000 DC donors.” She added, “This is a people-powered movement, and we are just getting started. Let’s keep up the momentum!”
With over 1,000 contributions surpassing $40,000 needed for public matching funds, Lewis George has already surpassed her predecessor significantly. Current Mayor Muriel Bowser previously required fourteen days to reach this mark in 2022.
The rapid success of Janeese Lewis George draws inevitable comparison to another political newcomer gaining significant traction: New York City’s Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. The thirty-three-year-old Muslim mayor-to-be, born in Uganda, successfully appealed predominantly to the city’s left-wing base through a platform emphasizing free public transportation, government-run grocery stores, and free childcare.
Campaign officials expressed astonishment at the early response from constituents eager to support George’s progressive vision for D.C.
