Challenger concedes to democratic socialist Janeese Lewis George in Washington, D.C., mayoral primary

The leading challenger to Washington, D.C., City Councilmember Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist, conceded the Democratic primary for mayor Thursday, putting her in line to lead the capital city and manage its relationship with President Donald Trump.

NBC News has not yet projected a winner in the primary. With roughly three-fourths of the expected vote tallied, Lewis George has 53% to 37% for Kenyan McDuffie, a former city councilmember, in the ranked choice contest.

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"Earlier this morning, I called Councilmember Janeese Lewis George to congratulate her on her victory and wish her success as she prepares for the general election," McDuffie said in a statement.

Lewis George, who has held a council seat stretching from the northern corner of the city since she was first elected in 2020, also faced five other Democratic hopefuls who received single-digit support.

Lewis George is on course to be a heavy general election favorite in the deep-blue city, and the primary marks another major advance for democratic socialists in municipal politics around the country.

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is in his first year in office after a swift and surprising rise in his city, while Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman advanced to a runoff earlier this month in the race for mayor there, where an early Los Angeles Times poll indicates a close race against current Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who is also a Democrat.

In Washington, current Mayor Muriel Bowser is retiring after three terms defined in part by Trump and his time in the White House. Bowser has had a more conciliatory relationship with the president during his second term. When Trump deployed National Guard troops to Washington last year in a bid to lower crime rates, Bowser opposed but accepted the move, which also happened in other cities around the country.

Trump commented on the race earlier this month, telling reporters at the White House that "we won't put up with it" if Lewis George won and that he would consider a federal takeover of Washington.

"Threatening Home Rule because you do not like how residents vote is an attack on democracy itself. The people of D.C. elect the mayor of D.C. And they want someone who will stand up to Donald Trump," Lewis George said in a statement responding to Trump's comments.

While Trump loomed over the race, local issues took center stage, as the candidates discussed plans to lower crime and promote affordability, especially with regard to housing.

This was Washington's first mayoral race since voters passed a ballot measure instituting ranked-choice voting, though it didn't figure into the Democratic mayoral results. The system applies when no candidate gets a majority of first-place votes.

Now, instead of victory going to a candidate with a plurality, support from lower-performing candidates is reallocated to those voters' next choices until one candidate receives a majority of the vote.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com