Incumbent
Who will win the 2026 DC Democratic Mayoral Primary?
$80.9K
JUN 17, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleOther
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyModerate Democrat
Age73 years old (Nov 8, 1952)
GenderMale
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LocationDistrict of Columbia
BackgroundPolitician
EducationAmerican University — B.A., Political Science
Notable personal detailsPhilip Heath Mendelson is an American politician who has served on the Council of the District of Columbia since 1998, first as an at-large member and later as Chair of the Council. He became chair in 2012 and has since been elected and re-elected to the position in multiple cycles. His work has included legislation and oversight related to the District budget, public safety, and governance, and he has held regional leadership roles with the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
SourcesShowHide
Positions
Economy & Taxes
Phil Mendelson has proposed and supported targeted tax increases on high-value property and higher employer contributions to fund programs such as paid family leave, and has used those revenues to restore or expand education, housing, and social-service funding in DC budgets.
Healthcare
Phil Mendelson has sponsored and supported legislation addressing medical-debt protections and has played a central role in Council actions involving Medicaid and the DC Healthcare Alliance, but publicly available records do not present a clear, consistent position advocating for major federal reforms (e.g., Medicare for All) or for a market-based overhaul. His legislative activity includes consumer-protection measures related to medical debt and involvement in Council budget and contract decisions affecting Medicaid and Alliance enrollees. Overall, available evidence indicates active policym‑
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Immigration & Border
Supports measures that expand access to education and services for immigrants and asylum-seekers in the District, while also urging respectful treatment by law enforcement; has sponsored legislation to allow undocumented students to receive in‑state tuition and local financial aid. Positions emphasize humanitarian access and integration within the District rather than stricter enforcement expansions.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
Supports broad abortion and reproductive-health access in the District, including protections for people who travel to DC for abortion care and for individuals who self-manage abortions or assist others. Has co-sponsored and supported legislation to prevent prosecution or professional discipline related to providing or assisting with abortion care and to expand insurance coverage for abortion services.
Climate & Energy
The candidate has supported major local clean-energy legislation, including participating in the Clean Energy DC omnibus act that set a 100% clean electricity target for the District by 2032, while also taking pragmatic budget actions that reduced specific solar program funding in prior years. His public statements and Council actions show support for accelerating renewable energy and building-efficiency measures alongside fiscal tradeoffs.
Public Safety & Guns
Phil Mendelson supports strengthening and enforcing gun-safety laws in Washington, D.C., including measures to reduce gun violence through bans on untraceable “ghost guns,” restrictions on high-capacity magazines and bump stocks, and implementation of extreme-risk (“red flag”) orders and evidence-based gun-violence intervention programs. As Council Chairman he has sponsored legislation to create a focused gun-violence intervention initiative and has defended the District’s firearm regulations against efforts to weaken them.
News
Phil Mendelson is in the news because a Supreme Court case could force Washington, DC to change its mail-in ballot deadline rules. The ruling could affect how ballots postmarked by Election Day but arriving later are handled. Separately, campaign travel logistics are drawing attention ahead of the 2026 election cycle, but the summaries do not show a specific new action by Mendelson himself.
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
- Endorsements
- Fundraising