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EspañolBALTIMORE MAYORAL ELECTION, 2007
The next 'Baltimore mayoral election' will take place on November 6, 2007. Because Baltimore politics are dominated by the Democratic Party, in all likelihood the Democratic primary, to be held on September 11, 2007, will be the most competitive contest in this race and will determine the city's next mayor.
| Contents |
| Background and candidates |
| July 2007 |
| August 2007 |
| Televised debate |
| Fundraising |
| September 2007 |
| Mayoral endorsements |
| References |
| External links |
| Candidate Web sites |
Background and candidates
Martin O'Malley, the winner of the previous mayoral election, was elected governor of Maryland in 2006. Therefore, city council president Sheila Dixon became mayor for the final year of what was O'Malley's term, and is running for reelection to a full term. Other candidates for the Democratic nomination include city councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell, Jr.; Andrey Bundley, a former school administrator who was O'Malley's only major opponent for the Democratic nomination in 2003; Frank M. Conaway, Sr., the only person, other than Dixon, in the race to have won a city-wide election, [1]; Maryland state delegate Jill Carter [2]; and perennial Baltimore-area candidate and social activist A. Robert Kaufman. Elbert Henderson is the sole candidate for the Republican nomination; he was the Republican nominee in the previous election, losing by a wide margin to O'Malley[3] [4]. Kweisi Mfume, former Congressman and president of the NAACP, was at one point rumored to be considering a run[5], but ultimately chose not to join the race. The Green Party did not nominate a mayoral candidate [6].
Dixon has the advantage of incumbency, but Mitchell has shown a knack for grassroots campaigning[7] . The beginning of Dixon's term and campaign was dogged by an ethics investigation, although the city's Board of Ethics ultimately found no reason to prosecute her[8]. An upsurge of violent crime in Baltimore during the first half of 2007 had an impact on early campaigning. Dixon launched a number of anti-crime initiatives, focusing on illegal guns[9]. Mitchell's initial campaign moves focused on crime; Carter, criticizing Dixon's administration for what she called overzealous policing, promised a total revamp of the police department, stating that "if we had leadership in this city, we would have already changed police commissioners[3]." The Baltimore police commissioner later resigned his post on July 19, in an act that some observers felt would affect the course of the race[11].
July 2007
With less than two months remaining before the Democratic primary, a poll of likely Democratic voters commissioned by the ''Baltimore Sun'' showed Mayor Dixon holding a comfortable lead over her nearest challenger. The poll, released on July 16, 2007, had Dixon leading Councilman Mitchell with 47 percent of the likely primary voters to Mitchell's 15 percent. The rest of the field was in single digits, below the poll's margin of error, with 28 percent undecided. Although candidates would not be required to release fundraising numbers until August, Dixon was reported to have sizeable lead in this area as well. [12] [13].
The president of the Baltimore City Council will also be elected in a citywide vote at the same time as the mayor. In a poll on this race, released by the Baltimore Sun on July 17, 2007, incumbent Council President Stephanie Rawlings Blake was virtually tied with Michael Sarbanes, son of former United States Senator Paul Sarbanes. The poll has Sarbanes getting 27 percent of the respondents and Rawlings-Blake 26 percent, with Councilman Kenneth N. Harris, Sr. a distant third with 8 percent. The poll's margin of error is 4 precent. [14]
August 2007
With little more that a month left until the primary election, Dixon may have further distanced herself from her primary opponents. On August 3, 2007, the father of Dixon's closest challenger, Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr., resigned as treasurer of his son's mayoral campaign after it was discovered that he spent more than $40,000 in campaign funds for personal expenses, according to reports in the Baltimore Sun and WBAL-TV news.[15] Mitchell said, despite the discovery, his campaign remains focused on the problems facing Baltimore City. Meanwhile, Delegate Jill Carter continued her attack on Dixon by charging her with not showing at local political forums and for sending city employees in her stead. At a press conference outside City Hall, Carter and a campaign worker dressed in a yellow chicken suit handed out copies of a letter she sent to the State Ethics commission complaining about the practice.[16]
Televised debate
On Monday night, August 27, 2007, all eight democratic candidates for Mayor appeared in a debate televised by Maryland Public Television and WBAL-TV. During his introduction, candidate Conaway announced that he was withdrawing from the race and throwing "his money and support" behind candidate Mitchell. [[1]] The debate lasted fifty-five minutes with candidate giving an opening and closing statement and answering questions posed by reporters in between. The debate was sponsored by the League of Women Voters and the Greater Baltimore Committee.
Fundraising
Baltimore's WJZ-TV reported that the Dixon campaign said that as of August 30th, it had more than $480,000 left to spend in the final two weeks before the September 11th Democratic primary. Challenger Carter's campaign reported having just over $8,000 on hand, [17] challenger Bundley's campaign reported having $15,000 left as of the mid August 2007 campaign reporting date. [18] Dixon's closest rival, City Councilman Keiffer Mitchell, was reporting that Mitchell had just over $115,000 in cash on hand as of August 26, 2007. [19]
September 2007
A September 2 Baltimore Sun poll, with just over a week before election day, had Dixon maintaining her strong lead. According to the Sun, "Dixon leads City Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. by 46 percent to 19 percent - a 27 percentage-point spread - according to the poll conducted by OpinionWorks, an independent Annapolis-based firm." According to a number of experts, the race never really became competitive. Lenneal J. Henderson, a professor at the University of Baltimore's School of Public Affairs, said, "I think it is over. It would take a huge misstep on the part of Sheila Dixon for her not to win this one."[20] Andrey Bundley (4%) and Jill Carter (2%) showed no improvement over the previously released July poll.
Mayoral endorsements
| Candidate | Endorser | Date of Endorsement | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andrey Bundley | none listed yet | no endorsements listed on campaign web-site | |
| Phillip Brown | none listed yet | no campaign web-site yet | |
| Jill P. Carter | ACORN[21] | July 31, 2007 | Community organization that spearheaded campaign for Question P in 2002 |
| | Withdrew 8/27/07 | ||
| Sheila Dixon | SEIU | June 12, 2007 | national union of service workers, with local in Baltimore |
| United Auto Workers [22] | June 20, 2007 | ||
| Laborers Baltimore Washington Council [23] | unknown | representing laborers in Baltimore | |
| Md & DC State Council of Machinists [24] | July 2, 2007 | all machinists locals in Baltimore | |
| UNITE HERE [25] | July 12, 2007 | represents 20,000 hospitality, food service, laundry, retail and apparel workers in Baltimore and the surrounding region. | |
| Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of Carpenters [26] | July 14, 2007 | represents 12,000 members | |
| Baltimore Retired Police Benevolent Union [27] | July 14, 2007 | represents retired Baltimore police officers. | |
| Baltimore AFL-CIO[28] | July 19, 2007 | all AFL-CIO affiliated unions in Baltimore | |
| Peter Franchot[29] | July 24, 2007 | Maryland state comptroller, polled well in Baltimore City | |
| Elijah Cummings[30] | August 12, 2007 | Maryland congressman, polled well in Baltimore City | |
| Martin O'Malley[30] | August 13, 2007 | Maryland governor, polled well in Baltimore City | |
| Kweisi Mfume[32]|| August 13, 2007 || former Maryland congressman, former head of the NAACP | |||
| Progressive Maryland[33]|| August 22, 2007 || statewide progressive organization with over 1,000 Baltimore members | |||
| ''The Baltimore Sun'' | September 2, 2007 | Baltimore's major daily newspaper | |
| ''The Baltimore Afro-American'' | August 25, 2007 | published weekly | |
| | Withdrew - 03/19/2007 [3] | ||
| Frank Kaufman | none listed yet | no endorsements listed on campaign web-site | |
| Keiffer J. Mitchell, Jr. | Douglas Gansler | January, 2007 | Maryland Attorney General |
| Baltimore FOP | July 24, 2007 | organization of police officers | |
| Baltimore City Sheriff's Office Lodge | July 31, 2007 | organization of deputy sheriffs[34] | |
| Baltimore City Firefighters Local 734 | August 9, 2007 | organization of active and retired firefighters[35] | |
| Baltimore City Fire Officers Local 964 | August 9, 2007 | organization of active and retired fire officers[35] | |
| Frank Conaway | August 27, 2007 | Baltimore City Clerk of the Courts, former 2007 mayoral candidate. | |
| ''City Paper'' | September 5, 2007 | Baltimore City alternative newspaper, published weekly | |
| Mike Schaefer | none listed yet | no endorsements listed on campaign web-site | |
| Elbert Henderson | none listed | no web-site yet |
References
1. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-conaway0621,0,6716078.story?coll=bal-home-headlines
2. http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=8ff3cfdd-ef68-4971-9787-d6062bda00b9
3. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.filing03jul03,0,4636137.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
4. http://www.examiner.com/a-810501~Carter_announces_candidacy_for_mayor.html
5. http://www.examiner.com/a-351240~Tom_Moore__Mfume_for___Baltimore_City_mayor.html
6. http://www.baltimoregreens.org/candidates_2007.php
7. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/elections/bal-mayor1108,0,2190324.story
8. http://wbal.com/commentary/defilippo/story.asp?articleid=53965
9. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=FA0E10FB3B5A0C708CDDAC0894DF404482
10. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.filing03jul03,0,4636137.story?coll=bal-local-headlines
11. http://wtop.com/?sid=1193365&nid=104
12. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-te.ci.mayor16jul16,0,6341243.story?coll=bal-home-headlines
13. http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=d2ff4b48-c6fe-4935-8d02-73fef21500ba
14. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-te.md.ci.president17jul17,0,4457877.story?coll=bal-home-headlines
15. http://www.wbaltv.com/news/13813364/detail.html
16. http://www.examiner.com/a-848070~Carter__Mayor_s_staff_at_events.html
17. http://mdelections.umbc.edu/campaign_finance/sumprocess.php?fsk=A00000362420070001
18. http://mdelections.umbc.edu/campaign_finance/sumprocess.php?fsk=A00000485920070001
19. http://wjz.com/local/local_story_242201349.html
20. [2]
21. http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/elections/blog/2007/07/miscellany_1.html
22. http://www.sheiladixon.com/node/243
23. http://www.sheiladixon.com/about/endorsements
24. http://www.sheiladixon.com/node/477
25. http://www.sheiladixon.com/node/539
26. http://www.sheiladixon.com/node/549
27. http://www.sheiladixon.com/node/572
28. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-md.ci.union21jul21,0,6345829.story
29. http://wbal.com/news/story.asp?articleid=61086
30. http://wbal.com/news/story.asp?articleid=61816
31. http://wbal.com/news/story.asp?articleid=61816
32. http://www.wbaltv.com/news/13879503/detail.html
33. http://www.sheiladixon.com/node/669
34. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/politics/bal-md.ci.sheriff31jul31,0,5286836.story
35. http://wbal.com/news/story.asp?articleid=61734
36. http://wbal.com/news/story.asp?articleid=61734
External links
★ City mayoral race begins to take shape, ''Baltimore Sun,'' November 9, 2006
★ Mfume for … Baltimore City mayor, ''Baltimore Examiner,'' October 19, 2006
★ Dixon's campaign leads in funding ''Baltimore Sun,'' November 14, 2006
Candidate Web sites
★ Andrey Bundley official site
★ Jill Carter official site
★ Frank Conway official site
★ Sheila Dixon official site
★ Robert Kaufman myspace site
★ Keiffer Mitchell official site
★ Mike Schaefer official site
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