Good morning. Sunny with a high around 76 today. Rain is possible overnight, with a low near 62. The Wizards host Atlanta this evening.
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I can’t stop listening to
Ashley Monroe, “I Hate Nashville.” Monroe and fellow Music City square peg Charlie Worsham play the Birchmere tonight.
Take Washingtonian Today with you! I keep ridiculously long playlists on Apple Music and on Spotify of this year’s music recommendations. Here are 2025’s songs (Apple, Spotify), too.
Here’s some administration news you might not have blocked out
Rout of office
Democrats resoundingly won control of the US House of Representatives and Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Senate seats flipped blue in Texas, Maine, North Carolina, Ohio, Michigan, Kansas, and even South Carolina. Alaska and Mississippi’s races have not yet been called. In the House, Democrats’ “majority is likely to clear 250,” and they won gubernatorial races in Ohio, Texas, Georgia, Iowa, and Nevada among many other states, putting most American statehouses under Democratic control.
The audacity of cope
President Trump claimed that the races would have been a landslide in the opposite direction had he been on the ballot, blamed Fox News for the election results, and reminded his fans of his new self-branding initiative as “Mr. Veto,” but he also appeared, to some extent at least, to accept the reality of the situation. (Axios) He did a round of interviews with news outlets where he said he would work with Democrats and even acknowledged that his unpopular war with Iran “was a piece” of the election results, though he maintained that he would do it all over again if he had the chance. (WSJ) Trump’s unusual closing message, where he touted DC construction projects such as his botched renovation of the Reflecting Pool, did not appear to resonate with voters battered by high prices that resulted from his tariff regime and nine-month-old war. (NBC News)
Local results
Janeese Lewis George will be the District’s next mayor. (The 51st) Robert White will be DC’s next non-voting delegate to Congress. (Washington Sun) Wes Moore easily won reelection as Maryland’s governor. (Maryland Matters) Voters in Maryland okayed a redistricting amendment. (NBC News) US Rep Andy Harris, the only Republican member of Maryland’s congressional delegation, won reelection. (Maryland Matters) Will Jawando will be Montgomery County’s next chief executive. (WUSA9) Aisha Braveboy won reelection as Prince George’s County’s chief executive. (WUSA9) Jamie Raskin won reelection and is likely to head the House’s Judiciary Committee. (BethesdaToday) In Virginia, Mark Warner cruised to reelection, and Elaine Luria won in the commonwealth’s Second District. Races in some Virginia congressional districts have not yet been called. (Virginia Mercury) All three Virginia constitutional amendments passed. (VPM)
Administration perambulation
As if to make some sort of point, the Reflecting Pool is showing more signs of trouble. (Washington Post) Trump said he would end US aid to Israel as it stands and institute a new system. (NYT) Cleveland Meredith, one of the January 6 rioters Trump pardoned, “was arrested Monday over an April Facebook post that read, ‘ALL J6 Federal JUDGES will be EXECUTED.'” (Politico)
Recently on Washingtonian dot com
• DC voters overwhelmingly approved a ban on foie gras yesterday. But legal and budgetary hurdles could potentially delay enforcement of the measure.
• Take a look at the local winners of the American Institute of Architects’ 2026 Residential Design Awards.
• It’s easier than ever to find Chicago pizza—both deep-dish and tavern-style—around town.
Local news links
• DC Council member Christina Henderson said she would switch her party affiliation from independent to Democrat. That’s going to complicate Democrats’ plans to install a replacement for White. (Washington Sun) The party reportedly plans to name Jamal Holtz to fill White’s seat for now. (WUSA9)
• Abraham Teklu Lemma, a former contractor for the US State Department, pleaded guilty to spying for Ethiopia. (DC News Now)
• The feds say Aman Weldemariam, who owns Club Heaven and Hell in Adams Morgan, trafficked “nearly eight pounds of meth in July and August.” (ABC7)
• Electric-vehicle-charging firm Blink Energy has vacated its Bowie headquarters amid heavy losses and the administration’s suspension of programs that promote electric-car infrastructure. (WBJ)
• Filming on Swann Street? Sometimes it seems these hopes and dreams all came from somewhere else. (PoPville)
Andrew Beaujon joined Washingtonian in late 2014. He was previously with the Poynter Institute, TBD.com, and Washington City Paper. He lives in Del Ray.
