Muriel E. Bowser defeated independent candidates David A. Catania and Carol Schwartz in a hard-fought contest for D.C. mayor that, in the end, confirmed the dominance of the Democratic Party in the nation’s capital.

On a night when Democratic candidates across the nation suffered a drubbing, final tallies Tuesday showed Bowser, a seven-year D.C. Council member, outpolling her rivals by nearly 20 percentage points.

Bowser, addressing hundreds of supporters near Howard University, called her victory a “resounding affirmation” of the city’s “Democratic values.”

“Hard-fought elections force us to dig deep, to question, to reach for big and bold visions, and define our core values,” she said. “They test our mettle, our wherewithal and our stamina, they make us be accountable to you, and I am grateful for the 19 months that I fought.”

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