Baltimore’s first female City Council president, Mary Pat Clarke, dies at 83

The first woman elected to serve as president of the Baltimore City Council, Mary Pat Clarke, died Sunday morning. She was 83.

Clarke was elected to the council in 1975 from District 2, when the city had six districts with three council members each. She helped to pass measures that reduced school class sizes and protected tenants' rights.

As a council member , Clarke was known for her responsiveness, along with an energetic campaigning and governing style.

In 1987, Clarke became City Council president. In that role, she passed a bill that was the first of its kind in the nation, mandating that city contractors pay workers a living wage set by the Board of Estimates.

Throughout her 32-year career on the council, which ended in December 2020, worker pay remained one of her priorities. She sponsored a minimum wage bill that ultimately was vetoed by then-Mayor Catherine Pugh in March 2017. Clarke also maintained progressive stances over the years on issues ranging from housing to the environment to gay rights.

Current City Council President-elect Zeke Cohen said on the social media platform X that Clarke was a "wonderful friend and mentor" who saw the best in him and helped him become the person and leader he is today.

"Mary Pat Clarke defined what it means to be a public servant in Baltimore," Cohen wrote. "Her decades of selfless service to our city yielded incredible results for children, workers and families. She was an uncompromising moral voice."

This will be updated.