Washington Politics & Civic News

Washington, D.C. is governed under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973, enacted by Congress and ratified by District voters. District voters elect a Mayor and the 13-member Council of the District of Columbia: one member from each of the eight wards, four members elected at-large, and a Chairman elected at-large. Every resident is represented by two councilmembers, a ward member and an at-large member.

Under Home Rule, Congress reviews all legislation passed by the Council before it can become law and retains authority over the District’s budget. The President appoints the District’s judges, and D.C. sends a nonvoting delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives — currently Eleanor Holmes Norton — with no voting representation in Congress.

Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners, each representing about 2,000 residents, advise the Council on neighborhood concerns. The D.C. Board of Elections runs District elections; the next general election is November 3, 2026, and D.C. offers same-day registration during early voting and on Election Day.

HEREWashingtonDC covers the Mayor and the executive branch, D.C. Council legislative meetings and hearings at the John A. Wilson Building, ANC meetings, Board of Elections deadlines, and Congress’s actions on District legislation and budget. If it shapes how Washington, D.C. is governed, it’s HERE.