When Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s five- year term ends late next year it will be the first time in more than 20 years (since Dec. 1995) that she will not hold public office.  She will however retain her position
as President of the United States Conference of Mayors and Secretary for the Democratic National Convention. [Photo/Essence magazine (Mark Makela/Getty Images)]

DESERVES PRAISE FOR RESTORING
TRUST AND ETHICS TO OFFICE
OF BALTIMORE’S MAYOR

WOULD HAVE BEEN REELECTED
 
By David Maril
 
The rather startling announcement by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake that she will not seek reelection is drawing heavy analysis and intense speculation as to why she has withdrawn from next year’s election campaign.

Joe Cluster, the Executive Director of the Maryland Republican Party, was quoted in the Baltimore Sun September 11th as saying, “I guess she realized her mismanagement of the city in the past several months made her un-electable.”

I would disagree strongly with that classless, cheap shot, partisan remark:  Even with a drop in popularity, if the Mayor decided to run, she would have remained unbeatable.

In Baltimore, and most other major cities, it is extremely difficult to defeat an incumbent mayor who has a well-financed organization in place.

Making it even harder in Baltimore is the fact the city’s primary-election system doesn’t require a candidate to achieve at least a total of over 50 percent of the votes to win.

The victor, in an election with several or more candidates, is simply determined by who gets the most votes.

There are no runoffs.

So if five or six people run, someone could conceivably win with just 30 percent of the votes.

The field for the upcoming mayoral election figures to have a large number of well-known local political figures running.

Sheila Dixon, Rawling-Blake’s predecessor, who had to resign in disgrace five years ago because of scandal, has already announced she is running.

GROUP OF DECLARED CANDIDATES INCLUDES PUGH, STOKES

The group of declared candidates also includes State Sen. Catherine E. Pugh and City Councilman Carl Stokes. Other big names, including City Councilman Nick Mosby, are expected to also join the fray.

What all of this means is that if Rawlings-Blake was running, this group of other candidates would have split up the anti-incumbent vote several ways, making it much easier for the Mayor, even with a drop in popularity, to win.

Even if 70 percent of the voters who bother to cast ballots thought a change was called for, she’d have still been able to win with 30 percent.

Instead of figuring she was quitting so she would not lose, she deserves credit for acting more like a statesman and less like a politician, putting the city ahead of her own political ambition.

She is not exaggerating when she says that not running a reelection campaign will allow her more time to focus on governing and leadership through what promises to be one of the most difficult, dangerous and challenging times in Baltimore’s history.

The city, after Freddie Gray’s death in police custody and the resulting protests, looting, arson and riots, is under a media microscope on a local and national level.

As the court trials of the six indicted officers are held over the next year, the Mayor’s Office and city police department will be dealing with tense and sensitive situations in the Baltimore community.

EVERY DECISION WAS LABELED POLITICAL

As long as the Mayor was seeking reelection, every decision she made was labeled a political decision and what would work best for her.

When she supported the recent $6.4 million settlement by the city with Gray’s family, before the police trials were even held, many labeled this an attempt to buy peace in the community and avoid embarrassing problems in the streets.

Police union officials accused her of selling out.

The mayor offered explanations.

She reasoned the settlement would save the city extensive legal fees and provide closure to the Gray family. At the same time, it would also protect the police officers in court from lawsuits they might have to face after their own trials.

We are not going to argue however that Rawlings-Blake should go down in Baltimore history as one of the city’s all-time great mayors.

She definitely had some leadership/image deficiencies that were very damaging during the turmoil of the riots and looting on April 27th. She appeared to be slow in stepping forward on that day, coordinating extra security enforcement with the Governor.

METHODICAL STYLE SEEMED COUNTERPRODUCTIVE

Through this difficult period of unrest, internal problems with the police department hierarchy and the bleak economic conditions that many sections and neighborhoods of the city face, her serious, methodical style seemed counterproductive.

The statement from her office, when the city’s murder rate skyrocketed at the beginning of the summer, that she was “disheartened” by the increase in homicides, was honest but not setting the forceful, positive tone people are looking for.

But enough criticism.

The Mayor, who has devoted much of her life to public service, deserves praise.

What can also be said is that after being thrown into the job when her predecessor was booted out, she restored honesty, trust and credibility to the Mayor’s Office.

When she was elected for a full term a year later, most voters were pleased with how she was handling what can only be termed an impossible job, leading a city plagued by numerous complex problems.

The fact she began to rise as a national figure, becoming President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, was a tribute to her reputation and work ethic.

REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR NOT INTERESTED IN BALTIMORE

In different times, without having to deal with protests, riots and a Republican governor who isn’t interested in Baltimore, she would have probably wanted to keep the mayor’s job indefinitely and consider opportunities to run for higher office.

I believe it is important to not minimize the impact in her mind of not having a governor she feels comfortable working closely with. It must have been an ominous sign to her when Larry Hogan killed Baltimore’s long-anticipated and much-needed light rail plan.

Let’s give the Mayor credit for opening the door to encourage candidates who offer a change of pace in leadership while she focuses on governing through 15 crucial and challenging months.

Ignore all the chatter about her losing clout because she assumes lame duck status.

The reality is she is free to do what she believes is right without considering personal political consequences.

Putting statesmanship ahead of personal ambition is quite rare these days.

Wouldn’t it be great if, on a national level, Hillary Clinton were to learn something from what Rawlings-Blake has unselfishly done?
 
davidmaril@voiceofbaltimore.org
 
“Inside Pitch” is a weekly opinion column written for Voice of Baltimore by David Maril.
 
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