President Brandon Scott of the Baltimore City Council won the Democratic primary for Baltimore Mayor with 29.46 percent of the vote on June 9. The official race call comes a week after the Maryland primary elections.
After the in-person votes were tallied, former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon held a slight lead over Scott. However, Scott finished with a 2,358-vote lead over Dixon once the mail-in ballots were factored into the results. Dixon was followed in votes by Mary Miller, Thiru Vignarajah, Incumbent Mayor Bernard “Jack” Young and T.J. Smith.
A former representative for Baltimore’s second district, Scott received endorsements from several local officials, state officials and organizations, including the Baltimore Sun and Sunrise Movement Baltimore. His platform centers around a holistic crime reduction strategy and government transparency and accountability.
Scott is expected to defeat Republican nominee Shannon Wright in the mayoral election in November. He shared his hopes as mayor on his campaign Facebook page.
“Our city stands at a crossroads. Baltimore will only move forward as a city united, not divided,” he wrote. “As a son of Baltimore, I could not be more honored to lead this great city in this critical moment and carry the work forward with you.”
Laís Santoro, a coordinator for Sunrise Movement Baltimore and Sunrise Hopkins, reflected on Scott’s victory in an email to The News-Letter.
“We are so glad that Brandon Scott was elected... We hope to collaborate with him on future initiatives for a more equitable and just Baltimore,” Santoro wrote. “We are also proud that he is pushing to defund the police, the Green New Deal, and understands the systemic changes the City needs, and we look forward to elevating those efforts.”
Rising junior Mitchell Schroeder, an intern for Vignarajah’s campaign, was less pleased with the outcome of the primary.
“Our campaign is obviously disappointed in the results of the election. However, we are incredibly proud of the effort we put forth,” Schroeder wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “Thiru and the rest of the team will look to positively impact the city in various ways; at such a crucial time in Baltimore’s history, we need all hands on deck.”
Rising junior Ryann Schutt described interning for Vignarajah’s campaign in an email to The News-Letter.
“Thiru’s vision for Baltimore captivated me right from the start. After taking his B’More Injustice and Justice class during January 2019 Intersession, I was intrigued, hopeful, and energized,” Schutt wrote.
Sylvana Schaffer and Ryan Ebrahimy, co-presidents of College Democrats at Hopkins (HopDems), were campaign interns for Baltimore First District City Councilman Zeke Cohen, who endorsed Scott.
In an email to The News-Letter, Schaffer explained why HopDems did not endorse any candidate in the race.
“HopDems decided not to endorse any of the candidates because there were so many in the running,” Schaffer wrote. “We are looking forward to seeing all the work that Brandon Scott’s administration will do for the city once he assumes office.”
Ebrahimy stated that he was optimistic about Scott’s future in an email to The News-Letter.
“Brandon has been my pick since the beginning because he brings with him both experience and a bold, progressive vision for Baltimore,” Ebrahimy wrote. “Many people hoping to see a change in the status quo for city government are excited to see a fresh face like Brandon win the primary.”
Chris H. Park, a former campaign intern for Baltimore City Councilman Zeke Cohen, is a News & Features Editor for The News-Letter. Laís Santoro is a staff writer for The News-Letter. They did not contribute reporting, writing or editing to this article.
