WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — As thousands of District residents begin to cast their ballots for the next mayor, several mayoral candidates addressed top issues in interviews over the previous several weeks on Sunrise on The Hill.
In the lead-up to the election to replace outgoing D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, the candidates shared their policy priorities and discussed top issues on the show.
Previously, we have shared the candidates’ answers to questions about youth curfews, so-called “teen takeovers,” and crime. Now, we’re focusing on their answers to questions about affordability.
Here’s how several candidates discussed what they would do if elected (some answers are edited for clarity and length).
Janeese Lewis George has declined repeated requests from Sunrise on The Hill for an in-studio interview.
Kenyan McDuffie (D) – May 5, 2026
“I’ve established a track record of actually putting in place transformational legislation, including the first guaranteed basic income program of the city’s history that directed cash assistance to pregnant and expecting moms in Wards 5, 7, and 8 to make sure that they have the resources to take care of themselves and their families.
Baby Bonds, a transformational policy that needs to get funded, is one of the first things that I’m going to prioritize as mayor, to establish trust funds for children born into cycles of generational poverty in Washington DC, recognizing that we still today have one of the widest racial wealth gaps of any city in the United States.
If you look at my record, what you see is a record of getting things done, not rhetoric, not empty promises of 72,000 units of housing that are never going to get built. I’ve been a pragmatic, bold, innovative legislator, and I plan to bring that experience to bear as the next Mayor of the District of Columbia.”
Vincent Orange (D) – April 9, 2026
“First and foremost, we need to understand that we are a $22 billion government for 700,000 residents. And the first thing I’m going to do is establish a revenue alignment commission to see where our dollars are.
So, for example, this past government created this whole notion of ‘defund the police,’ but they kept the money. We have 3,100 officers, yet the budget is for 4,500 officers, and it’s been that way for the last four or five years. So what happened to the dollars for those 1,400 [full-time employees]? Then what happens to the excess dollars that are being generated from the paid family leave fund? What’s happening to the excess dollars that are coming from the traffic cameras?
We need to get all that under control and really look and see how our dollars are being spent. And then, jumpstart our economy again with a new vision. I believe our destiny now lies in family entertainment, family destination. We don’t manufacture cars … but we do have tourism. And we rely on 25-35 million visitors to come to the city. But they’re not going to come if they don’t feel safe.”
Gary Goodweather (D) – March 16, 2026
Q: What can be done to lower the price of utilities?
A: Decarbonization is important, and cleaning up our environments incredibly important. We also need to be addressing the supply side one way or another. Electricity needs are going to continue to grow exponentially because of AI and so forth.
To be able to bring down costs, we need to be able to address the supply side. We have technologies that we’re using in the city now that just need to be invested in. Urban thermal hydrolysis — incredible advancements in thermal hydrolysis — working with DC Water on a wastewater recovery system.
Ultimately, the more we address the supply with clean energy, the more we can reduce the cost as well.
Rini Sampath (D) – May 25, 2026
“I’ve said to folks time and time again, I am the ‘no new programs’ candidate. I think it’s what’s fiscally responsible right now. I think anything else that’s being suggested by front runners or other candidates is, honestly, dishonest. The reality is, we don’t have the money to pay for these things.
What the next mayor needs to do is look at cost savings, clawing back money that’s owed to us, like the $70 million that DC Events overcharged the DC government. And that’s the focus that needs to exist, as opposed to exploring initiatives that, quite frankly, the DC government cannot deliver on at this time.”
Hope Solomon (D) – May 27, 2026
“When we talk about the cost of living, it is not just build, build, build. We hear candidates say, ‘I will build affordable housing, 20,000 units in the first X amount of days.’ It’s just not about that. As someone who was DOGE’d by the federal government, rent, groceries, parking tickets, and fines, it hits us. We go out to eat. Our small businesses are closing. So we have to have a mayor that looks at all of those elements.”
Rhonda Hamilton (Independent) – April 10, 2026
“We have the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and the reality of the layoff of our federal workers and the rapid gentrification — we’ve got to get our people working, and we’ve got to do something about the economic development. We’ve got to ensure our two strongest income or revenue streams — our tourism and our restaurant industry — and both of them have taken a hit, obviously, with Mr. Trump and the Republicans’ agenda.
We’ve got to do something about the high rents. We’ve got to make sure that our citizens are not being pushed out of the city. And so that is what my focus would be, getting folks stabilized so that we can get them healthy, so that we can get them working, and we can get a hold on our public safety issues, especially with our young people.”
Robert Gross (Independent) – April 28, 2026
Gross’s appearance on Sunrise on The Hill did not include a discussion on affordability. His campaign website indicates a plan to expand resources and improve the permitting process for small businesses, with greater incentives to bring more tech businesses — including startups — to DC.
