Janeese Lewis George
American activist and politician (born 1988)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Janeese Lewis George (born April 30, 1988)[1] is an American lawyer, politician, and activist in Washington, D.C. She is the member of the Council of the District of Columbia from Ward 4.[2] She is a member of the Democratic Party.[3]
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April 30, 1988
Janeese Lewis George | |
|---|---|
Lewis George in 2023 | |
| Member of the Council of the District of Columbia from Ward 4 | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Brandon Todd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Janeese Lewis April 30, 1988 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Kyle George (m. 2019) |
| Education | St. John's University (BA) Howard University (JD) |
| Website | Official website |
Elected in November 2020, she became the first self-described democratic socialist to serve as a member of the Council since Hilda Mason was defeated for re-election in 1998.[4][2] Lewis George is running for mayor of the District of Columbia in the 2026 election.
Early life and career
Lewis George is a third-generation Washingtonian and was raised in Ward 4 of Washington, D.C.[5][6] Her mother worked as a union postal worker and her paternal grandmother served as a lunch lady at Alice Deal Middle School.[5] She attended the School Without Walls in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood.[7] While in high school, she was a voting student representative of DC School Board.[5] She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics and government from St. John's University.[6] After graduating from St. John's University, she worked in Los Angeles for AmeriCorps for one year.[6] She earned a Juris Doctor from the Howard University School of Law, working at Nordstrom Rack and as a waitress to pay her tuition.[5][8] While in university, her family was displaced from her childhood home due to a rent hike, spurring her interest in tenant rights.[5]
After graduation from law school, Lewis George worked as a prosecutor in Philadelphia.[9] In 2014, she returned to D.C. to care for her ailing father and served in the office of Attorney General for the District of Columbia, Karl Racine.[10] Lewis George was a member of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1403 while working at the Attorney General's office.[11] As a juvenile prosecutor in DC, she used experiences from losing peers to violence during her upbringing to help her colleagues.[9] Before launching her campaign for the council, she worked for the District of Columbia State Board of Education.[8] She joined the Democratic Socialists of America in 2018.[5]
Political career
D.C. council
In 2019, Lewis George launched her campaign for the Council of the District of Columbia. Lewis George was the subject of attack ads by Democrats for Education Reform, an advocacy group that supports charter schools, over claims that she would defund the police.[12] She was endorsed by a significant number of progressive groups, including Black Lives Matter, the Working Families Party and the Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America.[13]
Lewis George was the first candidate to reach the limit in matching funds through the District's public financing program since it was initiated. The program provides matching funds but limits donations to $50 per supporter, of which she had almost 1,200 by March 2020.[14] On June 2, she defeated incumbent Brandon Todd by an 11.7-point margin. She was elected to the Council of the District of Columbia in November 2020.[2]
2026 D.C. mayoral election
On December 1, 2025, Lewis George announced her candidacy for mayor of the District of Columbia in the 2026 election.[15]
Political views
Lewis George describes herself as a democratic socialist.[16][17]
Childcare
During her 2026 mayoral campaign, she released a plan to create a subsidy for universal childcare.[18][19]
Housing
In 2021, she proposed a social housing model of publicly owned and subsidized mixed-income housing.[20][17] In April 2022, Lewis George introduced two bills inspired by the Green New Deal. The bills would create an agency to construct and maintain mixed-income social housing, and accelerate the removal of lead pipes.[21] Lewis George introduced the Extreme Heat Eviction Prevention Act of 2025, which would prevent tenant evictions on days when the temperature is predicted to be above 95 degrees.[22] During her 2026 mayoral campaign, she called for zoning reform to increase housing supply in Washington, D.C.[23]
Immigration
She has introduced legislation to end cooperation between DC Police and ICE.[23]
Statehood
She is a supporter of the District of Columbia statehood movement.[23]
Personal life
Lewis George is married to Kyle George, whom she met at a high school graduation party and married in 2019.[9] She gave birth to their son Pierce James George in October 2024.[24] As of 2026, the two live in the Manor Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C.[6]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Janeese Lewis George | 10,965 | 54.76 | |
| Democratic | Brandon Todd (incumbent) | 8,624 | 43.07 | |
| Democratic | Marlena Edwards | 411 | 2.05 | |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Janeese Lewis George | 38,990 | 91.76 | |
| Green | Perry Redd | 2,434 | 5.73 | |
| Write-in | 1065 | 2.51 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Janeese Lewis George | 10,683 | 66.23 | |
| Democratic | Lisa Gore | 4,543 | 28.16 | |
| Democratic | Paul Johnson | 848 | 5.26 | |
| Write-in | 57 | 0.35 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Janeese Lewis George | 36.319 | 96.64 | |
| Write-in | 1,262 | 3.36 | ||