Petition Seeks $25 DC Minimum Wage Vote
One Fair Wage delivered more than 43,000 signatures to the DC Board of Elections to place Initiative 87 on the ballot.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Employment
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Should DC raise its minimum wage to $25 and eliminate the tipped wage?
One Fair Wage delivered a petition with more than 43,000 signatures to the DC Board of Elections. Initiative 87 would raise the District's minimum wage from $18.40 to $25 and phase out the $10.30 tipped wage if approved on the April special election ballot.
Why it matters
The measure would reshape wages for workers across Washington, D.C., and supporters argue it would bring more stability and reduce wage theft. Opponents, including the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, say higher labor costs have already led to staff cuts, service fees, and restaurant closures.
The petition carries more than 43,000 signatures, and Initiative 87 would lift the District's minimum wage from $18.40 to $25 by July 2029 while eliminating the $10.30 tipped wage by July 2031. The Board of Elections has not yet certified the signatures, and the measure's April ballot outcome is unknown.
The players
One Fair Wage
One Fair Wage is an advocacy organization pushing to eliminate the tipped minimum wage and raise pay floors for service workers.
DC Board of Elections
The DC Board of Elections is the independent agency that administers elections and certifies ballot initiatives in the District of Columbia.
Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington
The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington is a trade group representing restaurant owners in the DC region that has warned the initiative could harm the local dining scene.
The details
One Fair Wage previously tried to place the measure on the November ballot, and a lawsuit filed this spring by DC bar owner John Guggenmos against the Board of Elections was ruled against by a DC Superior Court judge. The initiative follows Initiative 77, which passed in 2018 but was overturned by the DC Council, and the Council's reform of Initiative 82 last summer, which slowed and capped tipped wage increases.
Timeline
Spring 2026: Guggenmos files lawsuit against the DC Board of Elections
Last summer (2025): DC Council votes to reform Initiative 82
November 2026: Earlier attempt to place the initiative on the ballot is delayed
November 12, 2026: Petition with more than 43,000 signatures is delivered to the Board of Elections
April 2027: Initiative 87 is scheduled for a vote on the special election ballot
Macro View
Initiative 87 continues the District's long-running fight over the tipped wage that began with Initiative 77 in 2018, which the DC Council overturned. The Council's later reform of Initiative 82 signals that lawmakers have repeatedly sought to slow tipped wage increases rather than eliminate them outright.
If approved, the $25 minimum wage would raise pay for workers in Washington, D.C., and the elimination of the $10.30 tipped wage would change how restaurant servers are paid. The change would reach paychecks gradually, with the full minimum wage increase arriving by July 2029 and the tipped wage phased out by July 2031.
The takeaway
Initiative 87 would tie the District's wage floor directly to a 2027 ballot result, so workers and employers alike should watch the Board of Elections process and the April special election. The outcome will determine whether tipped workers keep their current pay structure or move to a single minimum wage.
What happens next
The Board of Elections will review the petition signatures, and Initiative 87 is slated for a vote on the April 2027 special election ballot.
Further reading
For more on the policies shaping paychecks, see Employment coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Washingtonian.
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Should DC raise its minimum wage to $25 and eliminate the tipped wage?
