At-Large Council Member Kenyan McDuffie says he is resigning from the D.C. Council.
Tuesday will be McDuffie’s final meeting as a member of the council, according to an announcement from his office. His last day will be Jan. 5.
“Serving on the D.C. Council has been the honor of my lifetime,” McDuffie said in a Tuesday news release. “Together, we’ve passed laws that expanded economic security and opportunity, protected residents’ rights, and positioned our city for long-term success. I am deeply grateful to my colleagues, staff, advocates and residents across all eight wards who made this work possible day in and day out.”
McDuffie said in a statement that he will announce “his next chapter” in the future, and that it will be made in “furtherance to serving the District of Columbia and all of its people.”
Since D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced last month that she would not be seeking reelection next year, McDuffie’s name has been mentioned by observers as a potential candidate. Democratic Ward 4 Council member Janeese Lewis George has already launched her bid for mayor.
McDuffie’s resignation fuels speculation he’s planning to join the race. Due to a stipulation in the Home Rule Act, only two of the D.C. Council’s four at-large seats can be held by the same political party. A registered Democrat for much of his political career, McDuffie switched to an independent to run for an at-large seat in 2022, after his failed bid for attorney general.
If he were to run for mayor, he would need to run as a Democrat to be a competitive candidate in deep-blue D.C. He cannot retain his at-large seat as a Democrat.
McDuffie was first elected to the council in 2012 as a Democrat serving Ward 5.
This story is developing. Check back with WTOP for updates.
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