Recording-Breaking Number Of DC Donors Give to DC Mayoral Candidate Janeese Lewis George
More than 6,500 DC residents have contributed to Lewis George’s mayoral campaign – the highest number of individual DC donors to ever give to a DC mayoral primary candidate.
Washington, DC — Earlier this campaign, Councilmember Janeese Lewis George’s campaign set the record for the largest number of individual DC donors to give to any mayoral primary candidate in DC history.1 The campaign has now received financial contributions from 6,542 District residents as of the June 10th report, nearly 3,000 more than the previous record set by former Mayor Adrian Fenty (3,656).
Since launching in December, Lewis George’s campaign has raised $594,668 from 6,542 individual DC donors. The most common donation from supporters was $25. Thanks to the DC Fair Elections program, which matches DC donations 5 to 1, the campaign has raised almost $3.83 million in direct contributions and anticipated matching funds. The campaign had 1,021 new DC donors since the last filing deadline in May.
The fundraising report comes as Lewis George, her campaign team, and volunteers host daily events and canvases. More than 1,000 volunteers have knocked on the doors of more than 150,000 voters across all eight wards. Approximately 4,000 DC families display a Janeese Lewis George yard sign.
Lewis George has received 70 endorsements, including 29 labor unions (like the transit, nurses’, firefighters’, teachers’, and carpenters’ unions), Free DC (defending DC and Home Rule), Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund, Greater Greater Washington, DC YIMBYs, Metro DC Democratic Socialists of America, and the Sierra Club (an environmental organization that advocates for sustainability, health, climate, and lower utility prices). At-Large Councilmember Robert White, Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker, Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, and former Ward 7 Councilmember Yvette Alexander have also endorsed Lewis George, as has former Attorney General Karl Racine.
Recent polling from the Washington Post aligns closely with our internal polling and shows that Lewis George has a significant lead, driven by a multi-racial, multi-class coalition united by the desire for affordability, standing up to Trump, and a focus on what government can achieve.
JLG Total Fundraising During This Period and Overall
| This Period (5/11-6/10) | Total Campaign | |
| DC Unique Donors (#) | 1021 | 6542 |
| DC Contributions ($) | $61,506.33 | $594,667.82 |
| Total Unique Donors (#) | 1,828 | 8,370 |
| Total Contributions ($) | $70,914.88 | $699,688.57 |
| Anticipated Match ($) | $307,531.65 | $2,973,339.10 |
| Base Grant | $160,000.00 | |
| Total Raised | $378,446.53 | $3,833,027.67 |
Comparison Between Campaigns This Period and Overall
| JLG | KRM | |
| DC Dollars 6/10 period | $61,506.33 | $62,055.00 |
| DC Dollars total to date | $594,667.82 | $539,334.60 |
| Non-DC 6/10 period | $9,408.55 | $24,041.00 |
| Non-DC total to date | $105,020.75 | $178,811.33 |
| Anticipated DC match | $3,133,339.10 | $2,856,673.00 |
| Total | $3,833,027.67 | $3,574,818.93 |
| DC Unique Donors 6/10 Period | 1,021 | 513 |
| DC Unique Donors Campaign | 6,542 | 3,617 |
| Non-DC Unique Donors 6/10 Period | 204 | 176 |
| Non-DC Unique Donors Campaign | 1,828 | 1,263 |
As you can see, Lewis George leads in total dollars raised ($3.83M vs $3.57M), quite a feat for a candidate running against someone with close ties to well-connected insiders who tend to make maximum contributions. She was able to raise more because of her much larger number of DC donors.
1 OCF publishes public data going back to 2003. During this period, the greatest number of individual contributors during a primary election was 3,656, achieved by Adrian Fenty in 2006. The primary that year was on September 12. Janeese for DC gained more DC donors in approximately four months than Fenty did in ten months–and Fenty was reported to have set the record for most grassroots donors in 2006.