Socialist candidate leads D.C. mayoral primary as votes counted

Socialist Washington, D.C., mayoral candidate Janeese Lewis George holds a lead in her bid to replace outgoing mayor Muriel Bowser as midnight passes on the East Coast and ballots continue to be counted.

The Associated Press reports that as of 12 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning, George leads with 52.6% of the vote after 66% of ballots had been counted. The next closest candidate, Kenyan R. McDuffie, has 36.8%.

The nation’s capital has been at the center of the Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown on crime during his second term. Trump sent the National Guard into the district last year, and proponents say the move correlates with falling violent crime numbers.

Trump has suggested he would order another federal takeover of Washington, D.C., if the "crazy socialist" candidate wins.

"I wouldn’t like it — and maybe we take back Washington, run it on the federal basis," Trump said when asked by reporters how he would respond if a self-described Democratic socialist D.C. council member won.

"We won’t put up with it. We’re not going to lose our businesses," Trump said during a White House press briefing on Thursday.

George called Trump’s recent threat an "attack on democracy itself."

George, now the Democratic frontrunner, leads a race that will likely decide the winner of the general election in a city where roughly 75% of voters are registered Democrats.

Washington, D.C., is using ranked-choice voting for the first time, which could delay certification of an official winner.

Voters in Washington, D.C., also cast ballots in the Democratic primary to choose the next non-voting U.S. delegate after the retirement of Democrat Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Shortly after midnight, the Associated Press called the race for At-Large Council member Robert White.