Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott sails to victory and rare second term
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott cruised to an anticipated victory Tuesday, setting the stage for another four years leading a city that has not reelected a mayor for a second term in two decades.
Scott, a Democrat who became mayor in 2020, declared a win over opponent Shannon Wright minutes after polls closed. The outcome was near predetermined in heavily Democratic Baltimore.
In a social media post around 9:45 p.m., Scott thanked voters and pledged to continue work begun during his first term.
"As we have said from the beginning of this race, the work is not done and this victory is a mandate to double down on our efforts to keep building Baltimore's renaissance and make our city into the best version of itself."
Scott, a former City Council president and staffer to former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, seized the Democratic nomination in the May primary after a rematch against former Mayor Sheila Dixon, whom he defeated in 2020.
The 14 percentage point victory was decisive, but the campaign was hard-fought. Dixon, 70, contended that the 40-year-old Scott was too inexperienced for the job. Powerful allies, including State's Attorney Ivan Bates, backed the claim, and ads from a political action committee supporting Dixon dubbed Scott a "nice guy, bad mayor."
But Scott, who took the reins amid a global pandemic, ultimately prevailed. Homicides in Baltimore dipped below 300 last year for the first time in nearly a decade, a drop coupled with an overall decrease in violent crime. On the campaign trail, he touted a growing economy and a robust employment rate .
Just weeks before the primary, the catastrophic collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge thrust Scott into the national spotlight. Polling showed his local favorability rating surged as he appeared on cable news shows and clapped back against racist attacks .
Scott collected almost 53% of the vote to Dixon's 39%, even after Democratic candidate Thiru Vignarajah exited early from the race and implored his supporters to back Dixon.
This fall, Scott faced next to no competition from the Republican Wright , a 57-year-old pastor, in her second bid for the office. Wright did little public campaigning and raised and spent less than $1,000 on the race, according to reports filed with the Maryland State Board of Elections. The Republican faced a significant registration disadvantage. Democrats in Baltimore outnumber Republicans 10-to-1, and Baltimore hasn't had a GOP mayor since 1967.
Sherry Wilson, a 59-year-old city voter at Cross Country Elementary/Middle School, said she cast her vote for Scott because she didn't know who Wright was. Wilson was hesitant to say Scott has had a successful first term, however.
"I mean, how do you get the city under control?" she asked, citing crime.
Pamela Hursey, 57, who said she voted blue up and down her ticket Tuesday, felt more optimistic about Scott. Hursey said he earned a second term, calling him effective in spite of tough circumstances. She also felt he cares about the job.
"He's doing the best that he can," Hursey said. "It's not easy."
In his next term, Scott has pledged more of the same, continuity for a city that has seen little of it. He campaigned on a plan to continue investment in the city's Group Violence Reduction Strategy , a program that intercepts and provides services to vulnerable young people.
He's also sunk considerable funds into Safe Streets, a violence intervention program in which "interrupters" are employed to de-escalate conflicts.
Scott's lofty plan to address thousands of vacant properties will likely be a focus of his next term. The $3 billion proposal , unveiled in late 2023, calls for a new Tax Increment Financing zone and substantial state investment. Legislation authorizing the tax district, which would affect properties across the city, still faces City Council approval.
Dogged by concerns about his relative youth in his first campaign for mayor, Tuesday's election solidified Scott's position as a senior leader inside City Hall. Two-term Councilman Zeke Cohen, elected Tuesday as the city's next council president, will oversee a largely fresh-faced legislative body. Half the incoming council has served one term or fewer.
Former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke, who served three terms in the office, said a second term is a "great benefit to someone who is trying to solve long-range problems for the city."
Schmoke cautioned, however, that voters will want to see results after granting Scott four more years. He said the mayor's ambitious vacant housing plan in particular will be closely watched.
"If you are going to try to deal with a big problem, you've got to have a big solution," he said.
