# 2022 District of Columbia Attorney General election

Elections in the District of Columbia :
Federal government
Presidential elections
1964
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984
1988
1992
1996
2000
2004
2008
2012
2016
2020
2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic
2004
2008
2020
2024
Republican
2008
2020
2024
U.S. House elections
1871
1872
1971
1972
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Shadow Senator elections
1990
1994
1996
2000
2002
2006
2008
2012
2014
2018
2020
2024
2026
Shadow Representative elections
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026 :
District government
General elections
1974
1976
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Mayoral elections
1974
1978
1982
1986
1990
1994
1998
2002
2006
2010
2014
2018
2022
2026
Council elections
1974
1976
1977
1978
1980
1982
1984
1986
1988
1990
1992
1993
1994
1996
1997
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
2012
2013
2014
2016
2018
2020
2022
2024
2026
Attorney General elections
2014
2018
2022
2026 :
Ballot measures1998:
Initiative 592014:
Initiative 712016:
Advisory Referendum B2018:
Initiative 772022:
Initiative 822024:
Initiative 83 :
vte :
The 2022 District of Columbia Attorney General election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the next attorney general for the District of Columbia. This was the third attorney general election in D.C. history.
Incumbent attorney general Karl Racine had declined to run for reelection.

## Democratic primary

A Democratic primary was held on June 21, 2022. Incumbent attorney general Karl Racine was considered likely to run for mayor or reelection as attorney general, and even filed paperwork in 2020, but announced he would not run for any office in October 2021.
According to District election law, an candidate for attorney general must have been actively engaged as an attorney in the District for at least five of the previous ten years. In late March 2022, candidate Bruce Spiva filed a challenge with the Board of Elections in which he claimed frontrunner Kenyan McDuffie was ineligible to run for the position. The challenge said that McDuffie did not spend at least five of the previous ten years actively engaged as an attorney. McDuffie responded, saying he is an attorney and that his work as a Councilmember since 2012 should count toward the requirement. On April 18, the Board of Elections upheld Spiva's challenge, and ruled that McDuffie was ineligible to run for the office. McDuffie requested a rehearing, but the D.C. Court of Appeals denied his request.

### Candidates
#### Declared

* Ryan Jones, attorney from Brightwood
* Brian Schwalb, attorney from Chevy Chase
* Bruce Spiva, attorney from Crestwood

#### Disqualified

* Kenyan McDuffie, Councilmember for Ward 5 (2012–present)

#### Declined

* Karl Racine, incumbent Attorney General for the District of Columbia (since 2015)

### Endorsements

* Vincent Orange, former at-large Councilperson (2011–2016) and Councilperson for Ward 5 (1999–2007)
* AFSCME District 20
* LiUNA Baltimore-Washington Laborers’ District Council
* SEIU 32BJ (switched endorsement to Spiva after McDuffie was disqualified.)
* UNITE HERE Local 25
Individuals
* Charles Allen, councilperson from Ward 6 (2015–present)
* Irvin B. Nathan, last unelected Attorney General for the District of Columbia (2011–2014)
* Karl Racine, incumbent Attorney General for the District of Columbia (since 2015)
Organizations
* Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters
* Ironworkers Local 5
* United Association
Newspapers
* Washington Post
Individuals
* John Capozzi, former Shadow Member of the U.S. House of Representatives (1995–1997) and member of the District of Columbia Democratic State Committee
* Ed Lazere, candidate for Council of the District of Columbia in 2018
* Lorie Masters, attorney and candidate for Attorney General in 2014
* Donald B. Verrilli Jr., former Solicitor General of the United States (2011–2016)
Organizations
* SEIU 32BJ
* Sierra Club

### Debates and forums

2022 District of Columbia Democratic attorney general primary debates and forums :
| No. | Date | Host | Moderator | Link | Participants | Participants | Participants | Participants |
| P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | | | | |
| P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | P Participant A Absent N Non-invitee I Invitee W Withdrawn | Jones | McDuffie | Schwalb | Spiva |
| 1 | Mar 5, 2022 | Ward 7 Democrats | Dionna Lewis | Facebook | P | P | P | P |
| 2 | Apr 26, 2022 | League of Women Voters/GWU | Dayna Bowen Matthew | Facebook | P | N | P | P |
| 3 | May 11, 2022 | District of Columbia Bar | Keith Alexander Sam Ford | YouTube | P | N | P | P |

### Results

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Brian Schwalb | 54,399 | 45.35 |
| | Democratic | Bruce V. Spiva | 44,198 | 36.85 |
| | Democratic | Ryan L. Jones | 20,518 | 17.11 |
| | Democratic | Write-in | 827 | 0.69 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 119,942 | 100 |
| | n/a | Overvotes | 123 | |
| | n/a | Undervotes | 8,266 | |

## General election

2022 District of Columbia Attorney General election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Brian Schwalb | 177,126 | 97.51% |
| | Independent | Write-in | 4,516 | 2.49% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 181,642 | 100% |
| | n/a | Overvotes | 123 | |
| | n/a | Undervotes | 23,647 | |