Kenyan McDuffie on Running for DC Mayor, Growing Up in Stronghold & Saving the City He Loves

Civil rights attorney, longtime DC Council member, fourth-generation Washingtonian, and candidate for Mayor of Washington, DC — Kenyan McDuffie joins Martin Amini for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about the city that raised him and the city he wants to lead. In this episode: Growing up in Stronghold (Northeast DC) and the village that shaped him From carrying mail at the Post Office to Howard, law school, and the Obama Justice Department The tragedy that pushed him into public service DC in the '90s vs. today — crime, gentrification, and who got left behind The NEAR Act, Baby Bonds, and the first guaranteed basic income program in DC history Bringing the Commanders back and what the RFK deal means for Wards 5, 7, and 8 Teen takeovers, the Chipotle incident, and the curfew debate DC's unique relationship with Congress and pushing back on Trump Wizards talk: who he wants with the #1 pick (hint: AJ Dybantsa) Favorite Dusty Locane skits, Dave Chappelle at Capital One, and DC sports memories Why showing up matters more than tweeting about it Plus: his $100M Business Grants Bridge Program during COVID, the recent Restaurant Association endorsement, and a shoutout to his wife Princess and daughters Kacey and Jozi. 🗳️ The DC primary is June 16th. Mail-in ballots are out now. This is DC's first election using ranked choice voting — you can rank up to 5 candidates. Kenyan is #1 on the ballot for mayor. Do your research. Make a plan. Vote. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to The Martini Show 00:36 Favorite comedians & Dave Chappelle in DC 03:06 Wizards #1 pick debate 09:22 Growing up in Stronghold, Northeast DC 13:31 From average student to the Post Office 17:39 The tragedy that changed everything 21:34 DC in the '90s — crack era to gentrification 28:50 Why DC isn't New York: Congress, Trump & home rule 35:05 Teen takeovers, curfews & accountability 41:40 How policy actually gets made: NEAR Act, Baby Bonds 49:18 Restaurant Association endorsement & supporting small business 54:18 Showing up — in good times and bad 58:09 Shoutout to Princess, Kacey & Jozi 1:00:20 Ranked choice voting explained — June 16th #interview #washingtondc #elections