Washington– Washington (AFP) – Muriel BowserThe mayor of Washington, D.C., announced on Tuesday that she will not seek re-election next year, a decision that came at a time when she had to face… Federal law enforcement intervention To its city launched by President Donald Trump.
Bowser announced her decision in a video she posted on social media, in which she did not mention Trump or directly address his steps against the city. She praised the collaboration with residents to make the city a better place to live, and called on them to “summon our collective strength to stand tall against the bullies who threaten our autonomy while maintaining self-government. This is our North Star.”
Bowser has served three terms since she was first elected in 2014, none of them more turbulent than last year, when she found herself Walking a fine line In between remaining in Trump’s good graces And to respond to the concerns of voters who said she should have retreated further from the actions taken by the president.
She was at the helm of a city that had long relied on the federal government. The region was granted self-government through the Limited Self-Government Agreement passed in 1973, but federal political leaders retain significant control over local affairs, including budget approval and laws passed by the Metropolitan Council.
Federal government interference in local affairs reached another level in August, after Trump issued an emergency order targeting the city. This federal police force based itself in D.C. and sent hundreds of National Guard troops there in what the administration called an anti-crime mission. Although the emergency period has passed, the presence of federal law enforcement forces remains in the city. Along with members of the National Guard in the region And many states, despite legal action against military deployment.
Bowser has collaborated in many ways With the administration’s efforts, including city workers clearing homeless encampments and working closely with federal immigration agents. She acknowledged that the intervention had helped reduce crime in the city, which was already on the decline, but also criticized the deployment of the National Guard to the capital, saying those resources would be better spent on other things. She also said the city would not cooperate with the city’s immigration enforcement operations.
She faced criticism from voters and some members of her council for not standing up stronger to Trump, who praised the capital mission as a resounding success.
Asked about Bowser’s decision not to run for re-election on Tuesday evening, Trump said: “I handled it very well.” Trump said so Federal intervention It made the city “better.”
area, Led by its Attorney GeneralHe currently has a lawsuit against the administration, charging that the deployment of the National Guard is illegal. A federal judge sided with the city November 20 and ordered to terminate publication. The administration filed a notice of appeal Tuesday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Another group of plaintiffs is challenging the federal surge and detentions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The mayor, a former City Council member, also spent much of the year trying to convince the House to go public with the matter $1 billion in city funding Which was frozen during battles over the federal budget. In addition, the city has also borne the brunt of significant federal workforce cuts by the state Department of Efficiency.
“For ten years, you and I have worked together on an ambitious agenda to restore trust in our government and ensure every D.C. resident has the fair opportunity they deserve,” she said in her announcement. Among her accomplishments is her role in bringing an NFL franchise back to the city, along with her plans New stadiumin addition to its role in maintaining NBA and NHL teams in the region.
The bandwagon came under fire early this year when it announced it “Black Lives Matter Movement” The painted plaza on the street one block from the White House will be removed In response Under pressure from Republicans in Congress.
Bowser’s decision opens the door to a number of potential candidates, although at least two of them, D.C. Councilmembers Robert White Jr. and Brooke Pinto, have already announced their candidacy for the District Delegate seat in the U.S. House. Fellow Councilwoman Janez Lewis George remains a potential candidate.
Matthew Dallek, a historian and professor of political management at George Washington University, said last year was one of the most intrusive and “heavy” years in terms of the federal government’s involvement “in the day-to-day life of city politics and city life. None of this is an alibi for Bowser,” but the city’s lack of control over its own affairs was clearly evident. Dallek described that moment as “a very risky period for the city.”
Kenyan city council member R. McDuffie Bowser in a statement praised her efforts in the areas of housing, education, public safety and economic development.
“As we look to the region’s next year, I have no doubt that Mayor Bowser will continue to be a tireless partner in improving the quality of life for all residents across the city,” McDuffie said.
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Associated Press writing was contributed by Ashraf Khalil and Fatima Hussein in Washington.
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This story has been corrected to say Mayor Muriel Bowser was elected in 2014, not 2015. This story also corrects the spelling of the D.C. Council member’s first name. It’s Janice Lewis George, not Janice Lewis George.