Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced that she will not seek reelection. Her decision will bring to an end a decade of her leadership in the nation’s capital during some of the most challenging events the city has seen.

Bowser recounts accomplishments while announcing retirement from mayoral role

In a video posted on social media Tuesday, Bowser announced her decision not to run for a fourth term in 2026. The video primarily focused on her accomplishments over the past 10 years as mayor, including “keeping D.C. teams in D.C, raising enrollment and graduation rates in our schools, and investing more money in housing than any other city or state, creating 36,000 homes.” Bowser highlighted achievements across the city and particularly the investment of “nearly $1 billion in Ward 8, including the brand-new full-service Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center. We drove unemployment to its lowest levels, achieved a triple A bond rating and strong reserves, quadrupled CBE spending and completed the largest infrastructure project in our city’s history with the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge.”

In the video, Bowser thanked the members of her administration, city workers and D.C. residents. She pledged to use the remainder of her term continuing to promote economic development and projects like the city’s new football stadium, while also continuing the push for statehood for Washington, D.C.

Popular mayor during a challenging decade in the nation’s capital

Bowser has been mayor since 2015, and she has generally been one of the most popular leaders the city has had in recent history, known for her “pragmatic” approach to politics. Bowser has been seen as a very business-friendly mayor, and her announcement comes only days after a group of city businesses launched a campaign to try to convince her to run for reelection. Throughout her tenure, Bowser has led the city through difficult times, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the January 6, 2021, Capitol Hill insurrection. Her approval ratings declined in recent years due to rising crime rates, though Bowser managed to bring violent crime down recently. Bowser has also had a rocky relationship with the Trump administration and Republican-controlled Congress. Under pressure, she recently ordered the city to paint over Black Lives Matter Plaza, a mural she had authorized in 2020 as a show of solidarity with protests against police brutality and injustice. Trump threatened to cancel a deal to build a new stadium in the city for the Washington Commanders unless the team reverted to its previous, racist “Redskins” name; the president has now taken credit for the stadium deal, and the White House has suggested the complex be named after Trump.

Federal takeover marks end of Bowser’s term

Bowser’s announcement comes as Washington remains under a controversial federal takeover of the city’s policing, one of several Black-led and predominantly Democratic cities Trump has targeted for federal troop intervention. As it is a federal territory, the Trump administration has unique authority over its governance, putting Bowser in a complicated position of standing up for the city and its residents while also having to work with the federal government. Her cooperation with the administration, in contrast to other cities’ defiance of Trump, has drawn criticism from some residents, while others have viewed Bowser as managing a difficult situation as best she can. In her farewell video, Bowser didn’t reference the federal policing takeover in detail but struck a somewhat defiant tone, saying that she and the people of Washington, D.C. had “summoned our collective strength to stand tall against bullies who threaten our very autonomy while preserving home rule.”

Bowser has emphasized that she still has another year left serving Washingtonians. With federal troops still operating actively in the city and major projects like the new football stadium ongoing, Bowser has her work cut out for her to maintain and protect the accomplishments of her administration amid a challenging political environment.