Muriel Bowser facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Muriel Bowser
Official portrait, 2019
Mayor of the District of Columbia
Incumbent
Assumed office January 2, 2015
Preceded by	Vincent C. Gray
Member of the Council of the District of Columbia from Ward 4
In office January 2, 2007 – January 2, 2015
Preceded by	Adrian Fenty
Succeeded by	Brandon Todd
Member of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission from the 4B09 district
In office January 2, 2005 – January 2, 2007
Preceded by	Sandra Battle
Succeeded by	Douglass Sloan
Personal details
Born	Muriel Elizabeth Bowser (1972-08-02) August 2, 1972 (age 52) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Children	1
Education	Chatham University (BA) American University (MPP)
Signature

Muriel Elizabeth Bowser (born August 2, 1972) is an American politician. She has been the mayor of the District of Columbia since 2015. She is a member of the Democratic Party.

Before becoming mayor, she represented the 4th ward on the Council of the District of Columbia. She served on the council from 2007 to 2015. Muriel Bowser is the second woman to be mayor of Washington, D.C. She is also the first woman to be reelected to that job.

She was first elected to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission in 2004. Then, she won a special election for the city council in 2007. She was reelected to the council in 2008 and 2012. In 2014, she ran for mayor and won. She was reelected as mayor in 2018 and again in 2022.

Early Life and Education

Muriel Bowser was born in Washington, D.C., on August 2, 1972. She is the youngest of six children. She grew up in the North Michigan Park area of D.C.

In 1990, she finished high school at Elizabeth Seton High School. This was a private Catholic school for girls in Maryland. She earned a college scholarship because she had good grades.

Bowser went to Chatham College in Pennsylvania. She earned a bachelor's degree in history there. Later, she got a master's degree in public policy from the American University School of Public Affairs. When she was younger, she did not think she would become a politician or mayor. She thought she might work as a government administrator.

Political Career (2004–2014)

Advisory Neighborhood Commission

Muriel Bowser started her political career in 2004. She ran for the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) and won without anyone running against her. She represented district 4B09, which includes the Riggs Park neighborhood. She was reelected to this role in 2006.

Council of the District of Columbia

Bowser's official Council photo

Becoming a Council Member (2007)

In 2006, Adrian Fenty, who was the Ward 4 Council member, ran for mayor and won. A special election was held to fill his council seat. Muriel Bowser decided to run for it.

She supported Mayor Fenty's idea to change the public school system. She believed the schools needed improvement. Some people worried that if she won, she would always agree with Mayor Fenty. Others were concerned about developers who donated to her campaign. They thought she might favor these developers. Bowser said she supported development projects even before running for the Council.

The Washington Post newspaper supported Bowser in the election. Many worker unions also supported her. She won the special election with 40% of the votes.

Reelection Campaigns

In 2008, Bowser ran for reelection to the council. Three people ran against her in the Democratic primary election. Some opponents said she always agreed with Mayor Fenty. They also said she did not care enough about the people she represented. The Washington Post supported her reelection. Bowser won the primary election with 75% of the votes. She then won the general election with 97% of the votes.

In 2011, Bowser joined the board of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority. She held this position until 2015.

She ran for reelection again in 2012. Some people criticized her for taking donations from companies and lobbyists. Bowser said she was not against companies donating to campaigns. She believed it helped track where the money came from. Both The Washington Post and the Washington City Paper supported her. She won the Democratic primary with 66% of the vote. She was unopposed in the general election and won with 97% of the vote.

Running for Mayor (2014)

On March 23, 2013, Muriel Bowser announced she would run for Mayor of the District of Columbia. She wanted to connect with people who had lived in D.C. for a long time. She also wanted to celebrate the city's growth.

Bowser supported free Metro fares for students. She was criticized for not having enough experience. Some also said her plans were not detailed enough. The Washington Post supported her. She won the Democratic primary election with 43% of the vote. Her campaign was fined for accepting donations that were more than allowed by law. Her campaign returned the extra money.

In the general election, Bowser ran against several independent and minor party candidates. She won the election with 54.53% of the votes. She became mayor on January 2, 2015.

Mayor of the District of Columbia

Animal Control

In 2017, Mayor Bowser suggested new rules for pets. These included banning backyard chickens and requiring licenses for all cats. There was a lot of public concern about these ideas. The city then said these proposals would not go forward. Later that year, a rule banning dogs from outdoor restaurant patios was enforced. After people complained, the D.C. Council changed the law. This allowed business owners to decide if they wanted to let dogs on their patios.

Autonomous Vehicles

In February 2018, Mayor Bowser created a group to study self-driving cars. This group would help D.C. prepare for this new technology. The city is also looking into a pilot program for self-driving shuttles. These shuttles might help visitors get to popular places in D.C.

Budgeting

In March 2019, Mayor Bowser shared her budget plan. It increased spending for the city. The D.C. Auditor, Kathy Patterson, said the budget might not be sustainable. Bowser highlighted her plan to make the DC Circulator bus free.

Campaign Finance

In 2015, some people who supported Mayor Bowser created a group called FreshPAC. This group aimed to help her plans. It was the first time a group like this was so closely linked to a sitting mayor. FreshPAC could accept unlimited donations. Many people who gave large donations to FreshPAC also went on a trip to China with the mayor. After public concern, FreshPAC was closed in November 2015. Bowser said she thought FreshPAC was a good idea, but its message was misunderstood.

In 2017, Mayor Bowser's campaign was fined for accepting donations that were more than allowed by law during her 2014 mayoral campaign. The campaign returned the extra money. In 2018, the D.C. Council passed a law to publicly fund campaigns. This aimed to reduce the influence of large donors. Bowser was against this law.

Development

In February 2015, Mayor Bowser stopped a plan to create a public art center. This project would have turned the historic Franklin School into an art space. Bowser said she was concerned about the cost. Critics noted that some companies who had lost the bid for the project were her donors.

In September 2015, Bowser announced a deal to build a practice facility for the Washington Wizards basketball team. The city would pay most of the cost. The St. Elizabeths East Entertainment and Sports Arena was built. Its operating costs ended up being higher than expected.

In May 2019, an audit found that a fund for affordable housing had given money to projects that scored poorly. These projects were proposed by developers who had donated to the mayor's campaign.

Education

In 2015, the head of D.C. Public Schools, Kaya Henderson, changed school placement rules. This gave special treatment to parents who wanted their children in certain schools. Two of Mayor Bowser's senior staff members benefited from this. In 2018, it was found that Bowser's new Schools Chancellor, Antwan Wilson, had also changed the system for his daughter. Wilson and other staff resigned.

Emergency Services

In February 2016, the medical director of the fire department resigned. She said the department's performance was putting lives at risk. Bowser's team said she was working to make changes.

In February 2022, Bowser reappointed Karima Holmes to lead the Office of Unified Communications. This office handles 911 calls. During her earlier time as director, the 911 system did not meet national standards. This sometimes led to first responders going to the wrong addresses.

Environment

In January 2018, Mayor Bowser announced a $4.7 million investment in two islands in the Anacostia River. These are Kingman Island and Heritage Island. She made parts of these islands "state conservation areas." This means they can only be used for things like recreation and education. The money will be used for improvements like outdoor classrooms and walkways.

Government Transparency

In early 2018, the D.C. Board of Ethics decided not to renew the contract of Traci Hughes. She was the head of the Office of Open Government, which works for government transparency. Some people said Hughes was being punished for enforcing rules about government openness. She had found that some public boards, controlled by Bowser's appointees, did not follow the city's Open Meetings Act.

Gun Control

Bowser at a March for Our Lives rally in 2018

Mayor Bowser strongly supports gun control. In 2015, she said she was "a mayor who hates guns." She has asked the D.C. Council to ban "bump stocks." These devices make guns fire faster. Bowser believes they have no place in society. She also strongly supported the March for Our Lives rally in Washington, D.C., in March 2018.

Health Care

In 2016, United Medical Center was the only government-owned hospital in D.C. The D.C. Council gave the hospital's management to a new company. However, the hospital's quality of care did not improve. There were several cases of patient deaths and neglect. By August 2017, the hospital's maternity ward was shut down for not meeting standards. The nurses' union said they had "no confidence" in the hospital's leaders. The council later voted to remove the management company.

When she became mayor in 2015, Bowser aimed to cut the number of HIV/AIDS cases in D.C. by half by 2020. In 2019, D.C. still had one of the highest rates in the country.

Homelessness

Mayor Bowser promised to end long-term homelessness in D.C. In 2018, a survey showed a 7.6% drop in the homeless population from 2017. This followed a 17.3% drop the year before. However, the total number of homeless people was still a bit higher than in 2013.

Bowser's plan to help homeless families has been criticized. In the winter of 2015, many more homeless families were housed in shelters and motels. In February 2016, Bowser announced a plan to build new shelters for homeless families. She chose locations in each of the city's eight wards. Some of the chosen sites were linked to people who donated to Bowser's campaigns.

Housing

In 2018, Bowser nominated Joshua Lopez to the D.C. Housing Authority board. Some council members thought he was not qualified. The Council approved his nomination. In April 2018, Lopez was at a rally where a speaker made offensive comments about a council member. Bowser asked Lopez to apologize.

In October 2021, the Chair of the D.C. Housing Authority resigned. It was found that he had given contracts to a romantic partner. Bowser's replacement for him owed thousands in unpaid taxes.

Immigration

After Donald Trump became president, he threatened to cut federal money from "sanctuary cities." Mayor Bowser said D.C. would remain a sanctuary city. She later confirmed this in January 2017.

In November 2017, Bowser announced that D.C. would help green card holders apply for U.S. citizenship. This program would help about 2,000 D.C. government workers and their families. It would provide information, legal help, and language classes.

In 2022, the governors of Texas and Arizona started sending migrants by bus to Washington, D.C. Since April 2022, over 9,000 migrants have arrived. Bowser called this a "migrant crisis." She criticized the governors for playing "political games." Bowser asked for help from the District of Columbia National Guard twice, but was denied. On September 8, 2022, she declared a public emergency in D.C. She also set up an Office of Migrant Services to help the arriving migrants.

Policing

Mayor Bowser strongly supports the police. Her administration has not released some police data as required by law. Although she supported police officers wearing body cameras, footage from many officer-involved shootings was not released.

Protests

Bowser speaking at a protest in 2017

Mayor Bowser supported the Black Lives Matter movement after the murder of George Floyd. She renamed a street in front of the White House "Black Lives Matter Plaza." She also had a large mural painted on the street. However, some local Black Lives Matter leaders said this was a distraction. They wanted real policy changes, like reducing police funding. In response, they painted "DEFUND THE POLICE" near the mural.

On January 6, 2021, protesters stormed the US Capitol. Mayor Bowser set a curfew for that night. However, many protesters ignored it.

During the 2021 Cuban protests in July, the words "CUBA LIBRE" (meaning "FREE CUBA") were painted near the Cuban embassy. This showed support for the Cuban people. By July 20, the Bowser administration removed the words. They said it was "unauthorized." Some people criticized Bowser for this. They pointed out that she allowed the "Black Lives Matter" mural on a street.

Public Services

In January 2016, a small amount of snow caused major traffic problems in D.C. Many accidents were reported. Some people left their cars on the roads. Bowser apologized for the city's slow response.

For a larger snowstorm later that year, the D.C. auditor found that the city spent over $40 million on snow removal. Much of this was charged to the city's credit cards. The city had to pay large credit card fees. Some contractors who benefited most from the snow removal were important donors to Bowser's campaigns.

Public Utilities

In October 2015, Mayor Bowser changed her mind to support a large merger between two public utility companies, Exelon and Pepco. People who were against the merger were concerned about the lack of transparency. Community activists raised ethics concerns. They claimed Bowser was influenced by a promise to rename a future soccer stadium "Pepco Park." In December 2015, it was found that Exelon had paid the chairman of FreshPAC, a group linked to Bowser, as a lobbyist.

Traffic Safety

In 2015, Bowser started "Vision Zero." This plan aimed to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2024. The next year, the number of traffic deaths increased. The number of crash injuries also went up. In 2017, traffic deaths continued to rise. After two biking deaths in 2018, cyclists protested. They felt Bowser had not done enough to improve traffic safety.

In May 2020, Bowser announced that the speed limit in D.C. would be lowered to 20 mph. She said slower speeds help improve safety. Even though traffic decreased during the pandemic, D.C. had 37 traffic deaths in 2020. This was the most in over ten years. 2021 was even deadlier.

Transportation

In March 2015, Mayor Bowser promised to get the DC Streetcar "up and running." In September, she and the transportation director promised it would be working by the end of the year. The streetcar began public service on February 27, 2016.

Urban Development

After Bowser became mayor in 2015, she created a new job to focus on developing the city's poorer areas. She appointed Courtney Snowden to this role. In 2017, an investigation found that Snowden had improperly used city employees to care for her child. Bowser said that action had been taken in response.

In October 2017, Bowser announced a $3 million investment for housing and retail projects. These projects were in Wards 7 and 8, which have fewer grocery stores. Wards 7 and 8 have only three grocery stores for about 100,000 people. This is much less than wealthier areas. Bowser gave money to groups to redevelop a shopping center and build affordable housing with a food market.

Youth Services

In April 2016, the D.C. Trust, which gave money to non-profits for youth services, went bankrupt. This was partly due to overspending by its staff. The agency had a history of problems. In 2013, investigators found it lacked proper controls for a school-voucher program. In January 2016, the agency's board learned that former leaders had used funds for personal credit card charges. Mayor Bowser had recently given the agency $700,000 in taxpayer money.

In 2019, two young children were handcuffed by police in separate incidents. Videos of these events caused public concern. While the Attorney General said he would review police policies, Bowser said "every case is different."

Involvement in National Politics

In May 2016, Mayor Bowser supported Hillary Clinton for president. She also gave a speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. In her speech, she argued for D.C. to become a state.

In January 2020, Bowser supported Michael Bloomberg for president. In March, after he left the race, she supported Joe Biden. At the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Bowser gave a speech from Black Lives Matter Plaza.

2018 Election

Muriel Bowser ran for reelection as mayor in 2018. Several people ran against her in the Democratic primary. The Washington Post supported her reelection. They mentioned the city's good economy and her promise to improve government. She won the Democratic Primary on June 19 with 83% of the vote. A former mayor, Vincent C. Gray, decided not to run against her. She then won the general election on November 8 with almost 80% of the vote.

During the election, Bowser tried to unseat Councilmember Elissa Silverman. Silverman had often questioned the mayor. Bowser supported a new candidate, Dionne Reeder. However, Reeder lost the election.

Electoral History

2004

2006

2007

2008

2012

2014

2018

2022

Personal Life

Muriel Bowser is a lifelong Catholic. In 2015, she bought a new home in Colonial Village. She had lived in Riggs Park since 2000.

In May 2018, Bowser announced that she had adopted a baby girl. She named her Miranda Elizabeth Bowser. Bowser's oldest sister, Mercia, passed away from COVID-19 on February 24, 2021. Bowser's father, Joe Bowser, passed away on August 2, 2024, at age 88.

See also

In Spanish: Muriel Bowser para niños

• List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
• List of female governors in the United States

Images for kids

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  Muriel Bowser's signature