Muriel Bowser

Muriel Bowser is a public servant with more than two decades of experience shaping public policy and government in Washington, D.C. Bowser has served her hometown in elected office since 2004, beginning as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner, then as a member of the DC Council, and as mayor. She became the second person elected three times as mayor of Washington, D.C., and is the first African American woman to be elected to three four-year terms as mayor of an American city.

Bowser earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Chatham University and a master's degree in public policy from American University, and received honorary doctorates from Chatham University and Trinity University.

Prior to her tenure as mayor, Bowser served as the Ward 4 councilmember of the DC Council, where she chaired the Committee on Economic Development. In this role, she contributed to the creation of more than 5,000 units of affordable housing, passed legislation to build a new soccer stadium, and secured a significant portion of the Walter Reed campus for the District. As mayor, Bowser has focused on urban policy, economic development, and affordable housing, advancing initiatives to diversify the local economy and increase affordable housing production. She oversaw consistent enrollment growth across the District's public schools and invested in programs and policies supporting families throughout the city.

Bowser has prioritized affordable housing, leading national efforts on housing and homelessness. She led the U.S. in per capita affordable housing investment, committed $1 billion of city resources to address affordable housing, and led the National League of Cities task force to develop a federal response to the affordable housing crisis. Her administration has contributed to a significant reduction in family homelessness in the District.

Bowser established the Office of Racial Equity, the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, expanded the Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program to include young people up to age 24, and funded the Black Homeownership Fund. With 25 years of management and financial experience, Bowser guided Washington, D.C., through the COVID-19 pandemic, racial justice protests, increases in crime and unemployment, and the events of January 6. She commissioned the Black Lives Matter public street mural, which became a model for public art and civic engagement in cities worldwide.

Bowser directed over $2 billion in unemployment, rent, and business relief, secured federal reimbursement, and developed recovery and growth strategies that returned the District to pre-pandemic revenue levels in less than one fiscal year.

Bowser has served as a board member of the Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, chaired the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Transportation Planning Board, and serves on the advisory boards of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the African American Mayors Association. She is a graduate of the Bloomberg Harvard City Leadership Initiative and Leadership Greater Washington. Bowser accepted the Duke Zeibert Capital Achievement Award, which recognizes individuals who have elevated the profile of the greater Washington community. Upon announcing she would not seek a fourth term, Bowser reflected on a decade of leadership, leaving a blueprint for resilient and inclusive cities.