Why I’m running for Mayor of DC

Here are a few appalling facts about our city that prompted me to run for Mayor:

The 17-Year Zip Code Penalty: In Ward 3, residents live to 88; in Wards 7 and 8, that number drops to 71, a disparity driven by historic underinvestments in Wards 7 and 8. I believe your birth certificate shouldn’t come with an expiration date dictated by your neighborhood.

The 81x Gap: White households in Northwest D.C. (Wards 2 and 3) have a net worth estimated to be 81 times greater than Black households east of the Anacostia River. A net worth gap of 81:1 between neighborhoods is a monumental structural failure that I will make my top priority to address.

The No-Grocery Zone: It shouldn't take three bus transfers or a $25 Uber ride just to find a fresh head of lettuce. While Northwest DC is overflowing with Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Safeways and Giants, 160,000 residents in Wards 7 and 8 have been left behind in a desolate "food desert”—they contain 80% of DC’s food deserts with just THREE full-service grocery stores serving 7 & 8 COMBINED. Ward 3 alone has 16! I’m running to ensure that "eating well" isn't a privilege reserved for the wealthy.

Ending the "Medical Apartheid": Six hospitals for the Northwest and one for the Southeast isn't just bad math—it's bad medicine. We’re going to ensure that "quality care" is a right for every Ward, not a luxury for the few.

I know what you’re thinking: “How will you fix DC if you have no government experience?”

Fair question. If 'government experience' was the key to ending poverty, DC wouldn't have a 17-year life expectancy gap or a $150,000 household income gap between Wards just 8 miles apart. Career politicians backed by big donors made Washington DC the city with the highest racial wealth gap in the US.

I don’t have a history of managing the status quo; I have a plan to replace it. And I will be joined by brilliant people who will help execute that plan to lift countless people out of poverty in DC and transform it into a Dream City. DC needs a Mayor who is astute at diagnosing problems and who is more interested in results than a title. I’m not coming to join the establishment; I’m coming to give it a long-overdue upgrade.

I am running for Mayor of Washington DC, because I believe your life expectancy should NOT depend on which side of the river you call home.

I’m not just running to balance the budget; I’m running to balance the scales.

I’m running because I got tired of complaining.

I’m running because I believe it is time for a DC where EVERY Ward is a winner.

I’m running because I believe that the incredible talent and resilience of its people can transform DC into the ultimate Dream City—the gold standard by which all great cities are judged.

How to talk about Khan and his radical platform👇🏽 — please share with your friends!

Nadeem Adam Khan is running as an Independent for D.C. Mayor in 2026 with a platform that is significantly more progressive—bordering on radical—compared to traditional candidates.

His campaign, Khan for DC, is centered on being "unbossed and unbought," highlighted by his unique refusal to accept any donations and a pledge to spend no more than $500 total on the race.

Khan's platform includes several aggressive economic and social proposals because he believes that DC’s extreme problems require radical solutions, instead of incremental, “baby missteps” of the past:

• Extreme Affordability: Plans to add 100,000 permanently affordable housing units with rents capped at $900 for one-bedroom apartments.

• Wage & Labor: Proposes raising the minimum wage to $50/hour for skilled trades and setting a $100,000 base salary for teachers.

• Family & Social Support: Advocates for 36 weeks of paid parental leave, universal no-cost childcare, and making all public transit (buses and 24/7 Metro) free.

• Youth Investment: Proposes a $10 billion investment in youth and a "$5 Billion Creative New Deal" to bolster the city's arts and tech sectors.

Online Buzz & Strategy

Khan's "buzz" comes from his unconventional background and outsider status:

• Driver’s Perspective: Instead of hiring expensive consultants and staff, Khan moonlighted for 20 months as a rideshare driver in D.C. to build his platform directly from resident feedback.

• National Security Frame: He argues for his high-cost proposals by framing D.C.'s stability as a national security priority, suggesting the federal government, the financial steward of DC, should fund these initiatives, similar to military spending.

• Grassroots Focus: Because he accepts no money, and has pledged to spend less than $500 on the entire race, he relies heavily on social media and volunteer engagement to get the word out, positioning himself as the only truly independent voice against wealthy developers and corporate PACs bankrolling his rivals who have accumulated millions of dollars in their war chests.