Baltimore’s Democratic Mayor Brandon Scott handily won his reelection campaign on Nov. 5, defeating the GOP nominee Shannon Wright by an 82% to 17% margin.
According to CBS News, Scott’s win in a rematch of the 2020 mayoral election made him the first incumbent mayor to retain his position since 2004.
Scott was humbled and grateful to Baltimore residents for believing in his vision for the city. He told the outlet that his administration would continue its work on violent crime, vacant housing, and focusing on young local residents.
“I am deeply humbled and grateful to the residents of Baltimore for granting me the opportunity to continue serving them as Mayor of Baltimore,” Scott said. “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 continued, “Together, we will continue the progress on improving public safety the right way, tackling the issue of vacant housing, investing in our young people, and modernizing city government to serve all Baltimoreans. Let’s get back to work building a more equitable Charm City.”
Scott’s campaign focused on his impact on reducing crime, his ability to grow Baltimore’s economy, and his investment in the city’s youth.
He was also vocal about his opposition to Question H, a ballot measure that would have reduced the number of seats on Baltimore’s city council from 14 to 8.
Scott argued that the reduced number of seats would have reduced the representation of the city’s voters, stripped Black leaders from office, and weakened the ability of voters to access their local government.
On his way to becoming the second incumbent Baltimore mayor since Martin O’Malley in 2004, Scott received endorsements from quite a few local leaders and unions, including Maryland Sens. Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, SEIU Locals 1199, 32BJ, and 500 and the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund.
RELATED CONTENT: Baltimore Mayor Reacts To Kamala Harris Election Loss, ‘This Country Does Not Deserve Black Women’