Good morning. This is The Washington Sun Metro Newsletter for Oct. 29, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!
In today’s newsletter: Mayoral pay, the delegate dilemma and AJ Dybantsa’s debut.
Capital Weather’s Daily Digit — 9/10: A few morning clouds are no bother. Brilliant sunshine takes over, with mild temperatures making for another fall stunner. Read the full forecast.
THE LATEST
Trending
The politics of pay are at play in D.C.
Likely mayor-to-be Janeese Lewis George tells The Washington Sun’s Martin Austermuhle that she opposes a bill working its way through the D.C. Council that would increase the mayoral salary from $250,000 to $290,000.
“Families in this city are stretched on child care, housing and their utility bills, and I am not going to ask them to pay more for the job of the mayor,” she said.
D.C. law doesn’t allow any adjustments to the mayor’s pay during their term, so lawmakers often make any changes in the two months between an election and inauguration. The last pay bump was approved in late 2022.
But the political context now is very different. D.C. is facing leaner budgets, Lewis George campaigned on improving affordability and unions representing some 10,000 government workers are agitating for more money after outgoing Mayor Muriel Bowser’s negotiators offered them no cost-of-living adjustments for the next few years.
“Public service deserves fair compensation at every level of government, but fairness cannot be reserved for those at the top,” said Joey Davis, president of AFGE Local 1975, which represents 1,200 workers in agencies from the Department of Public Works to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
Earlier this year, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani turned down an 18% pay raise that lawmakers had approved.
DEEP DIVE
At-Large D.C. Council member Robert White has set a Monday deadline to either secure a legal fix or resign his seat to preserve his run for congressional delegate, The Sun’s Michael Brice-Saddler reports.
Facing a 1970 D.C. law that bars the delegate from holding another paid public office on the “date of his election,” White announced Wednesday that he will step down by Monday if an emergency legislative or legal solution falls through.
White is publicly pushing back against the D.C. attorney general’s interpretation that he must resign before Tuesday. In a statement, White argued the law’s language refers to the date election results are certified in December, not the date voters go to the polls. Having to resign early, White said, would be “fundamentally undemocratic” and would interrupt his legislative work while forcing taxpayers to foot the bill for two separate special elections.
The maneuvering has already sparked some political friction. The D.C. Democratic Party issued a preemptive warning Wednesday, asserting its authority under the Home Rule Charter to appoint an interim council member. The party signaled it is already working to fill the anticipated vacancy and issued a sharp rebuke against any legislative workarounds, calling any attempt to circumvent its appointment process “an attack on Home Rule itself.”
A legislative fix seems highly unlikely, regardless. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, White said that Council Chair Phil Mendelson indicated he would not be advancing an emergency bill to resolve the issue. With that path obstructed, White says he will spend the next few days weighing an emergency court filing or stepping down.
FROM THE DISTRICT
Concepts of a closed course: The Trump administration confirmed to a federal judge that the government is “working to develop a plan” to close East Potomac Golf Links for redevelopment by Nov. 15, The Sun’s Justice Covert reports.
The Trump administration is doubling down on plans to use the president’s proposed triumphal arch as a military complex, The Sun’s Kendall Staton reports. In court filings Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth argued that the 250-foot monument could help protect the nation from coordinated drone attacks.
Controversy on 17th Street: A drag queen dressed as Tina Turner stole the show and (nearly) the win at Tuesday’s 39th annual 17th Street High Heel Race, WTOP reports, rushing from the crowd to cut in front of the competitors at the end of the race to initially claim first prize.
FROM MARYLAND
A Prince George’s County elementary school is closing for the rest of the week after at least 48 students and 16 staff members reported “influenza-like and gastroenteritis-like symptoms,” WTOP reports. Princeton Elementary will be deep cleaned and sanitized, with a particular focus on the cafeteria, classrooms, bathrooms and high-touch surfaces.
TALK TO TOM
Tom Sietsema is back answering your questions about the D.C. dining scene. Submit your questions here.
You’re celebrating your 10th anniversary. Where do you go?
I’d spring for a restaurant with some nice age on it. The well-regarded Centrolina and The Dabney represent the class of 2015 and offer Italian and Mid-Atlantic flavors, respectively. But they’re babies compared to some of the area’s longer-lived establishments: Obelisk in Dupont Circle, Perry’s in Adams Morgan, the Bombay Club near the White House, Il Pizzico in Rockville, La Ferme in Chevy Chase, L’Auberge Chez Francois in Great Falls and the fabled, nearly-50 Inn at Little Washington in Washington, Virginia.
The most senior of the bunch, though, is Old Ebbitt Grill, whose revolving door never seems to stop and whose hospitality remains something to emulate even at … 170 years.
In the full Q&A: How to get a reservation at Albi, international food consultants and Dublin recs.
SPORTS
On the first day of Nationals spring training, Matthew LeCroy introduces himself to players with a joke: “AAA manager. I’m the guy none of you want to meet.” They laugh for two reasons: because it’s funny and because it’s true. LeCroy, to be clear, is a pleasant guy. But AAA, according to him, is maybe the hardest level in affiliated baseball, The Washington Sun’s Jesse Dougherty writes. And for the past six years, LeCroy has managed there in the Nationals’ organization.
One of the best parts of his role is delivering the news that players are headed to the majors. But that also means the job comes with a blunt reality: When LeCroy is doing it well, he’s sending player after player to the place he also wants to go, as he keeps dreaming of managing in the big leagues.
AJ Dybantsa has arrived. After sitting out the first four games of the season with an ankle injury, the No. 1 overall pick made his official Wizards debut on Wednesday night against the Cavaliers. The rookie forward started hot, scoring 9 points in his first seven minutes. He finished with 19 on the night, giving Wizards fans something to savor in a 121-111 defeat.
What to Watch Today
NHL: Capitals at Predators, 8 p.m. (Monumental)
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The newsletter was produced by Andrew Burton, Michael Errigo and Nikie Johnson.
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