Baltimore is Lurching Toward Another Bizarre Mayoral Election

We recently looked at the latest news out of Baltimore, Maryland, where Mayor Brandon Scott has been accused of certain campaign finance “improprieties” that are reminiscent of other Charm City officials who were caught with their hands in the cookie jar over the years. Scott is facing reelection this year and the city’s Democratic primary is coming up one month from today. Since we’re talking about Baltimore, the Democratic primary is essentially the same as the general election. I found myself wondering if the recent news has led the voters to reconsider their choices and I was somewhat surprised to see this article from the Baltimore Sun revealing polling showing a very tight race. Any hope I may have had about the voters shopping for a more enlightened, trustworthy leader quickly evaporated, however. Brandon Scott is holding a slim polling lead of just three points, but the candidate nipping at his heels is none other than the disgraced former Mayor of Baltimore, Sheila Dixon. You really can’t make this stuff up.

Brandon Scott, Baltimore’s mayor of four years, and Sheila Dixon, the city’s former mayor hoping to reclaim her position, are locked in a close race amid a swell in city voters who feel Baltimore is headed in a positive direction, according to a new poll for The Baltimore Sun, University of Baltimore and FOX45.

The poll conducted April 7-11 shows Scott with 38% support to Dixon’s 35% among likely Democratic primary voters surveyed. Thiru Vignarajah, a former prosecutor and late entrant to the race, had 10% support. Businessman Bob Wallace trailed significantly with just 4% of likely voters saying they would cast a ballot for him. The poll of 508 people has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.3 percentage points.

The results for the top candidates strongly correlate with how those polled ranked their satisfaction with the direction the city is heading, said Steve Raabe, president of OpinionWorks, the Annapolis-based firm that conducted the poll.

One of the more interesting cross-tabs in this poll deals with how voters view the current direction the city is taking. An equal number of respondents (40%) said that Baltimore is “heading in the right direction” or the “wrong direction.” How they found 40% who said “right direction” is something of a mystery, particularly with the crime rates, gang activity, and questionable conduct of some members of the City Council, to put it charitably. But that’s a topic for another day. The point here is that those supporting Sheila Dixon overwhelmingly said “wrong direction.” And Dixon is your solution to this?

Just as a refresher, the last time Dixon was given the keys to the Mayor’s office in 2008, she didn’t last two years before she was indicted. She was hit with twelve counts including felony theft, perjury, and fraudulent misappropriation. These weren’t just rumors and innuendo being spread by her political opponents. She stole prepaid gift cards intended for needy families. She managed to beat some of the charges and avoided going to jail, but she had to do community service, pay reparations, and serve four years of probation. By February of 2010, she had resigned in disgrace. 

Look, I realize that sometimes people make mistakes and they might deserve a second chance if they can show that they have made amends and gone on the straight and narrow path. But if somebody has already served time for jacking your vehicle, you have the right to at least be a little suspicious if they show back up asking to borrow the keys to your car. In a city the size of Baltimore, you might think that a better candidate could be found than either of these two. But at least the “only” things Brandon Scott is suspected of thus far are some campaign finance irregularities and possible influence peddling with some wealthy vendors who have contracts with the city. Sheila Dixon only escaped doing hard time in prison by the skin of her teeth.

We’ve discussed this situation here before, but it’s really enough to leave any sane person shaking their head. Whose fault is it that the City of Baltimore has been such a mess for so many years? Is it the fault of Sheila Dixon? Is it Brandon Scott’s fault? Or does the blame lie with the voters who keep sending this same pack of dubious actors back to the halls of power year after year? Sooner or later, the finger of blame surely must point at the voters who enable them.