District of Columbia
Chairman of the Council
- Vote for
- 1
- Term
- 4 years
- Candidates
- 2
- Election
- Nov 3, 2026
What this office does: The Chairman presides over the 13-member Council of the District of Columbia, which writes the District's laws and approves its budget, and is elected by all District voters.
Declared write-in candidate: John Cheeks (Independent).
Taxes & budget
Abi-Ananiah PrudentRepublican
No documented position found.
Phil MendelsonDemocratic
- Supports delivering services without raising residents' tax burdens.
- Supports maintaining existing programs before adding new spending.In office
Public safety
Abi-Ananiah PrudentRepublican
- Supports targeting repeat violent offenders with proven strategies.
- Proposes expanding youth prevention and intervention programs.
Phil MendelsonDemocratic
- Authored the District's gun control laws after the Heller ruling.In office
Education
Abi-Ananiah PrudentRepublican
- Supports retaining strong school leaders and improving literacy and math.
Phil MendelsonDemocratic
No documented position found.
Economy & jobs
Abi-Ananiah PrudentRepublican
- Supports including local small businesses in city events.
Phil MendelsonDemocratic
- Led Council revisions to the Commanders' RFK stadium deal.In office
Roads & infrastructure
Abi-Ananiah PrudentRepublican
- Supports funding reliable transit and maintaining roads and bridges.
Phil MendelsonDemocratic
No documented position found.
Health & human services
Abi-Ananiah PrudentRepublican
- Pledges to strengthen the District's safety-net services.
Phil MendelsonDemocratic
- Authored the District's Universal Paid Leave law.In office
Government & transparency
Abi-Ananiah PrudentRepublican
- Supports transparent budgeting and performance standards for agencies.
Phil MendelsonDemocratic
- Pledges to fight to preserve DC home rule.
- Opposed Congress's 2025 cap on DC's locally funded spending.In office
Challengers are listed first and incumbents last; otherwise candidates appear in ballot order. The Gist does not rank, rate or endorse candidates. Only positions backed by a cited source are shown; 7 issues covered in this race.