DC Mayor Becomes 'Governor,' Council Becomes 'Legislative Assembly' Under New Title Equality Act

This legislation, dubbed the District of Columbia Government Title Equality Act, is straightforward: it changes the official titles of D.C.’s top elected officials and legislative body. Essentially, the bill swaps out the current titles for terms that align more closely with state-level governance. The Mayor of the District of Columbia will now be known as the Governor of the District of Columbia (Sec. 2). The Council of the District of Columbia is being renamed the Legislative Assembly of the District of Columbia (Sec. 3), and its members will be called Representatives. Finally, the Chair of the Council will become the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly (Sec. 4). This is a purely administrative change—it doesn't alter any powers, responsibilities, or the size of the government bodies. It’s all about the nameplate.

What’s in a Name? The Administrative Shift

For the average D.C. resident, this bill won't change your tax bill or how often your trash gets picked up, but it will change the language of every single D.C. law and regulation. The legislation mandates that any existing mention of the “Mayor” or “Council” in any U.S. or D.C. law must now be read as referring to the “Governor” or “Legislative Assembly,” respectively (Sec. 2 & 3). Think of the headache this creates for government lawyers and document managers: every single piece of paper, every sign, and every digital file referencing the old titles needs an administrative update. While it’s mostly semantic, the sheer volume of references means a significant amount of bureaucratic cleanup.

Smooth Transition for Current Officeholders

One thing the bill ensures is zero confusion about who is in charge when the change happens. The legislation explicitly states that the person currently serving as Mayor is automatically considered the newly titled Governor. The same goes for Council Members, who automatically become Representatives of the Legislative Assembly, and the Council Chair, who becomes the Speaker (Sec. 2, 3, & 4). In short, no special election is needed; the people you voted for yesterday are still in the same jobs today, just with different titles. This provision prevents any gaps in governance and ensures continuity, which is smart policy for an otherwise symbolic change. This kind of provision is crucial in administrative title changes to avoid legal challenges about who is officially holding the authority granted by the new title. The powers remain the same, only the terminology is updated, reflecting a desire for titles that project a more state-like authority.