WASHINGTON (AP) — In a significant political decision, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Tuesday that she will not be seeking re-election. In a heartfelt video shared on social media, Bowser described her time in office as an 'immense privilege,' having worked closely alongside the residents of the district she serves.

Bowser's administration has been marked by three distinct terms, with the last being particularly tumultuous. Throughout her tenure, she faced extraordinary challenges, most notably in the past year when President Donald Trump invoked an emergency order that led to the federalization of the city’s police force, deploying hundreds of National Guard troops under the guise of a crime-fighting mission.

This unprecedented federal intervention tested Bowser’s leadership as she navigated the delicate balance between appeasing the Trump administration and responding to the outcry from her constituents, many of whom felt she should have taken a firmer stand against the federal overreach.

D.C. operates under a limited home rule agreement established in 1973, granting the district a measure of autonomy, yet significant federal control remains, especially over budgetary and legislative approvals by the D.C. council. This reality placed Bowser in a particularly challenging position during Trump’s initiatives, highlighting the ongoing tension between local governance and federal intervention in the nation's capital.}