Incumbent Baltimore mayor faces familiar rival in Democratic primary

BALTIMORE (AP) — The 2024 Baltimore mayor’s race includes familiar faces and corruption allegations — two common themes in the city’s long history of political scandals.

In the Democratic primary on Tuesday, incumbent Brandon Scott is facing off against former Mayor Sheila Dixon, whose tenure was cut short in 2010 after she took a plea deal for misappropriating gift cards meant for poor families. Both candidates also ran in 2020, with Scott ultimately beating Dixon by a narrow margin.

The winner of the primary will be considered the prohibitive favorite in the November general election in the heavily Democratic city.

Public safety became a central issue in the 2020 campaign and it remains a key point of contention this time around. Baltimore consistently ranks among the nation’s most violent cities, but its homicide rate has fallen significantly over the past several months. Scott cites those reductions as evidence his anti-violence strategies are working, while Dixon emphasizes the importance of policing “quality of life” crimes such as loitering, public urination and drug possession. She points to a rise in car thefts that’s reflected across the country.

Scott, 40, brought a youthful energy to the office four years ago. In recent weeks, he’s been the face of Baltimore in the aftermath of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which left six people dead and closed most maritime traffic through the city’s busy port. It remains to be seen whether that time in the spotlight will help his campaign.

<bsp-list-loadmore data-module="" class=«PageListStandardB» data-gtm-region=«READ MORE» data-gtm-topic=«No Value» data-show-loadmore=«true» data-gtm-modulestyle=«List B»> <bsp-custom-headline custom-headline=«div»> READ MORE