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VOTE411 Voter Guide

Baltimore City Mayor

DUTIES: Baltimore City has a strong mayor form of government. The mayor s power is derived from several sources:The Mayor s Office, as part of the Executive Branch, is responsible for administering the laws and providing municipal services and functions.The mayor makes hundreds of appointments, including the heads of most city agencies.The mayor may veto bills passed by the city council and a three-fourths vote of the city council is necessary to override the veto.The mayor appoints two of the five members of the Board of Estimates. (The Board of Estimates is responsible for developing and executing the fiscal policy of the city. Each year it submits an annual budget called the Ordinance of Estimates to the City Council).ANNUAL SALARY: $204,040 as of 2023TERM: 4 year term. Limited to two terms.HOW ELECTED: Citywide.

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    Uncle Wayne Baker
    (Dem)

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    Wendy Bozel
    (Dem)

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    Texas Brown
    (Dem)

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    Sheila Dixon
    (Dem)

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    Kevin P. Harris
    (Dem)

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    Wendell Hill-Freeman
    (Dem)

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    Yolanda Pulley
    (Dem)

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    Brandon M. Scott
    (Dem)

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    Joseph E Scott
    (Dem)

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    Keith B. Scott
    (Dem)

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    Thiru Vignarajah
    (Dem)

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    Bob Wallace
    (Dem)

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    Yasaun Young
    (Dem)

Biographical Information

Background: What in your background and experience qualifies you to be Mayor of Baltimore City?

Crime: What specific plans would you propose to reduce homicides, violent crime, theft and vandalism in Baltimore?

Education: How would you fund public education in Baltimore, while assuring the quality and ongoing structural maintenance of school buildings?

Health: What strategies do you have to address continued health disparities in Baltimore? What will you do to make sure that the Health Department has the resources it needs to serve all residents?

Climate and Environment As we face climate change and sea level rise, what would be your priorities to increase sustainable practices by the city and to increase the city’s resilience?

Housing: What strategies do you propose to remove or rehabilitate vacant buildings and provide affordable housing through the new inclusionary housing bill and other means?

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Campaign Twitter @bozel_wendy
Campaign Website http://Wendy4Baltimore.org
Campaign Phone 410-881-8187
Campaign Email wendy@wendy4baltimore.org
Campaign Instagram wendy4baltimore
Campaign Twitter Handle @bozel_wendy
Campaign Mailing Address 109 S Wolfe St
Baltimore, MD 21231-1915
I am a Baltimore Teacher and have been a teacher for over 10 years. I have first hand knowledge of what to do now. Prior to teaching, I was a Director for several non profits. I am the past president of my community association. As a single mom of three girls, I know the struggles many Baltimoreans face. I took on a leadership role and stopped BGE’s installation of external gas regulators. I wrote and received at $80,000 Grant to make my neighborhood safer. Endorsed by the Forward Party.
Implement Problem Oriented Policing. Every Police Districts will meet with the residents of the community and businesses to identify the roots causes of crime and provide services: Lack of Employment, Addiction, Housing, Food Insecurity, Mental & Physical Health Crisis, Truancy and Lack of Youth Activities. Restart the Police Athletic League build relationships with officers and the children they serve. Youth violence was it low when we had PAL programs and the Police Academy was filled.
Despite a massive budget of $1.7 billion, Baltimore City schools are the lowest ranked in the MD. Currently,164 principals(who are not Chief Financial Officers) are given millions of dollars to decide how to use down to the payroll. Centralize and realign budgets like other districts, so every school in Baltimore City is a great choice with money spent appropriately. Baltimore County has a 2.6 billion budget and 30,000 more students and is centrally run with better results. Partner with business
The leading causes of death in Baltimore City are heart disease, cancer, stroke, accidents, and chronic lower respiratory diseases. Making a plan to close BRESCO that emits a significant amount of greenhouse gasses and health-harming local air pollution. Our city has double the amount of children that have asthma than our national average. I will work for affordable health coverage, comprehensive patient-centered care and behavioral health. We also need more home and community-based services.
The BRESCO needs to be stopped and let's work for 0 waste. Baltimore City and Baltimore County’s trash in South Baltimore, emitting significant greenhouse gasses and health-harming local air pollution but it has received over $20,000,000 in subsidies that could have been used to start composting. I will add composting as part of DPW efforts toward zero waste. Today, around 60% of what is incinerate. I will make sure Baltimore gets the 4 million the EPA has to build a composting plant here.
Reestablish “Dollar Homes” to tackle the 14,000 vacant homes like Schaeffer did. Sandtown Winchester Area is a good place to start. First make sure the infrastructure is place and safeguards that the purchaser will start construction 30 days after settlement. Part of the program will include providing a path to home ownership for people on rental assistance. Funds that support landlords will now be used to support home ownership. Plan to turn some vacant building to green spaces.
Campaign Phone 4105009633
Campaign Mailing Address 7408 Washington St
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Baytown, TX 77521
I have Worked in the Service and Hospitality Industry My entire life! Starting very young in the Kitchen of My Grandmother's School. I have help build productive financial relationships for some of our country's most iconic attractions like Six Flags Astro World and Baltimore's own National Aquarium! I have also ran and help develop some of the Nations largest restaurant chains! Baltimore needs a New "Light" and A New "LightHouse" Keeper! And besides, I don't even Like Gift Cards!
We are coming for ANYONE! found to be apart of these agrecious acts! God Help You! I will defend my City and the people that call this City home. A mass hiring of Police officers that live in the city. We have to rebuild our communities from the inside. Tougher sentences and consequences for any Crime committed. You Jacking cars in my city? I'm Jacking your azzes! When it comes to crime I will be NO JOKE! The citizens of Baltimore deserve to feel their homes and communities are safe Always!

We have to find out where the money in this city is going. We have eliminate useless projects that go nowhere, services that waste Millions of dollar and benefit Noone. A full Audit of all offices and all money will be the first order!.. I'm going THROUGH EVERYTHING! The children of Baltimore deserve the best opportunities for their educational Experiences! What's her face is Fired!

I also propose to create sustainable incomes that will be used solely to better our Education System.
We will definitely rely on some Government and Federal Funds to help Baltimore continue to provide services for all who need them . New trainings for Health department employees, to keep up on latest techniques in dealing fairly in all situations. A constant review of how the services are used and distributed through out the City. A complete Audit regularly to assure money is used for those services. We have to be incredibly humane when it comes to the health disparities facing our City!
Our city has Amazing Environmental Offices and Services and being a Conservationist myself! I will make a commitment to shortening the Incinerator contract in half. Making composting a service to be used for Sustainable Projects and practices throughout the City! Devoting more effort to recycling services throughout the City. New techniques that limit the use of plastic. Clean Water is also a Top Priority for our residents! My commitment is to making Baltimore the cleanest City in America!
We will look at All properties and evaluate what the best courses of action of each property. My Goal is to help replenish the empty lots with new beautiful affordable housing, Art projects, new cafes and businesses imagined by Baltimore residents. I will help create special financial subsidies for new Home buyers or, residents building and creating businesses that will create part time jobs for the youth of Baltimore. The citizens of Baltimore deserve better opportunities above all.
Campaign Twitter twitter.com/SheilaDixonBalt
Campaign Phone 443-438-5492
Campaign Instagram www.instagram.com/sheiladixonforbaltimore
Campaign Twitter Handle @SheilaDixonBalt
Campaign Mailing Address P.O. Box 4853
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Baltimore, MD 21211
During my time as Mayor, I reduced crime to 25-year lows, expanded investment in community schools, implemented a 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness, banned indoor smoking, started single-stream recycling, launched the Charm City Circulator, created the Sustainability Commission, cut taxes, increased revenues, paved record numbers of streets and took on big banks that were peddling subprime loans. I have a proven track record of leveraging City Hall to improve the lives of our residents.
As Mayor, we reduced crime to historic lows while also reducing arrests. We will go after the most violent repeat offenders and target policing resources to prevent these individuals from reoffending. We will also fully partner with the State’s Attorney to implement his Citation Docket initiative for low-level crimes. I will aggressively recruit officers to close the current BPD staffing deficit of 700 officers, which has left communities feeling vulnerable and driven up overtime costs.
As a former educator, funding our schools in compliance with the Blueprint for Maryland's Future will be a key priority. I am a strong believer in the community school concept, where a full-time coordinator engages families to enhance student learning, support families, and improve community health. We also cannot tolerate the 11,000 outstanding requests for repairs in our schools. Investing in our educational infrastructure is a vital part of keeping children safe and engaged in the classroom.
We cannot combat crime effectively without acknowledging the corresponding public health crisis. As Mayor, I will fully support public health funding for the critical issues we face, including funding to reduce infant deaths, fight childhood obesity, end opioid and drug addiction, and increase prevention and treatment of HIV. This also includes funding to end the environmental dangers that threaten the livability of some parts of our City and our enjoyment of Baltimore’s best natural resources.
My administration plans to increase community solar projects, such as Community Solar Energy Generating Systems, by utilizing grant programs, like the Solar Energy Equity Grant, more effectively. I am also a longtime advocate for increasing tree coverage across all of Baltimore’s neighborhoods. I would direct DOT to fully waive permit fees for nonprofits and community organizations that plant trees, instead of charging nonprofits thousands of dollars, which has ground tree projects to a halt.
I believe that we need to create a Neighborhood Redevelopment Authority. The Redevelopment Authority, which will be responsible for the disposition of thousands of vacant residential properties, will accelerate and streamline homeownership opportunities. To avoid displacement, we will invest in programs that prepare city residents, as well as people interested in moving to our city, for homeownership, such as financial literacy coaching, homebuyer education, and down payment assistance.
Campaign Twitter @harris4office
Campaign Phone 4432717812
Campaign Twitter Handle @@harris4office
Campaign Mailing Address 445 Random Rd
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Baltimore, MD 21229
I've worked two years in the Mayor's Office as a liaison between the people of the city and the numerous city agencies and offices and saw just how ineffective and poorly managed vital citizen-facing services were. I have education and degrees in the social sciences and have read numerous meta analysis on how to solve major city issues.
I will be taking a multi-vector approach to crime that deals with the root causes of inequality and economic despair, streamline and focus BPD on resolving crimes rather than over policing in areas that don't require it. I intend to reduce the urban blight and dark streets that attract criminal elements and further reduce the quality of life for our citizens.
Funding is not the issue as we are one of the highest funded public school systems in America. I intend to replace the CEO of schools in Baltimore and create a new system of distribution of funds so that it is equitable in its release and ensure teachers have a greater say in how funds are spent within the classroom, as they are the ones who best know what their students need.
As a member of the Board of Estimates, I will redistribute funds from agencies that are over funded for their performance and distribute it to other agencies such as the health department to ensure they have the resources to help fund vital programs such as those that help fund lead abatement programs and programs that support young children and new parents.
My Green Path Initiative focuses on increasing parks, gardens, and the tree canopy in Baltimore, creating sustainable garbage disposal solutions that don't emit as much toxic pollutants as the incinerators, abate lead and chrome toxins in our neighborhoods, and solve the coal issue in Curtis bay. I also intend to reduce the city's dependency on cars and heavily invest in city-led public transit systems.
I will work with Annapolis to continue to increase the penalties applied to owners of vacant homes so that we are able to take control of these abandoned properties. I also intend to increase taxes on vacant homes so it is no longer financially beneficial to let these properties deteriorate over decades. I will offer tax incentives to developers who want to create mixed income properties and eliminate housing restrictions so more multi-family buildings can be built.
Campaign Website http://wendellfreeman.com
Campaign Phone 443-478-3440
Campaign Instagram @freemanforbaltimore
Campaign Mailing Address 1001 N Gay St Apt 103
Baltimore, MD 21205
What In my Background qualifies me for Mayor of Baltimore City is my background in Businesses Management I am the current CEO of ABM Marketing Group a Small Business in Baltimore Maryland. I handle payroll for my employees that consist of Millions of dollars in revenue as a business yearly and also am responsible for bringing Energy and Community Solar companies to wanna do business in Baltimore. I truly believe the next Mayor has to be Good with Managing Money that’s why I’m the man for the job
We have to solve the Poverty problem in Baltimore First Because Poverty is the reason for Crime. As Mayor I will invest into People First. Investing in them the right way in Education, Mental Health, Giving incarcerated individuals opportunities before they return back to society. We invest in those three areas Crime will go down Tremendously.
The Problem isn’t the Funding it’s where the Funding is going. As Mayor we will make the Right investments by making sure that all schools have heat and air conditioning, up to date Schools & Gyms all over the city of Baltimore. We also are going to change the Education Curriculum to meet our students where they are. Trade Schools, Financial Literacy Classes, Mentor Ship Programs.
As Mayor I will work with the health department to make sure they have the resources that they need by talking to the leader of the department and letting them know how important our health department is to our city and there everyday lives and it is our responsibility to make sure that services are available to the citizens that we serve by holding them accountable and doing weekly meetings to make sure services are provided on time.
Right now Baltimore is ranked #1 in dirtiest city in America and that is un acceptable! As Mayor Recycling/ Trash Pick up will be two days out of the week. Also as Mayor we will build a job opportunity in the Mayors Office for people to clean up the city.
As Mayor we have a $800 million dollar plan to rehabilitate the vacant buildings and homes in the city of Baltimore over my first term. Growing up in Baltimore that’s all I’ve ever seen was blocks and blocks of vacant houses and No Mayor Has Done Anything about it that ends with Mayor Freeman. We have one of the highest properties taxes in the state of MD. As Mayor we will work to drop property tax by 6%.
Campaign Website http://pulley4mayor.com
Campaign Phone 443-355-8014
Campaign Email pulley4mayor@gmail.com
Campaign Facebook http://pulley4mayor
As a registered candidate with the Board of Elections (BOE), I possess all the necessary qualifications and skills required to run for the position of Mayor. I have I am a CEO of a non-profit organization that provides comprehensive support to individuals in need, around the clock. Our organization firmly believes in supporting individuals 24/7 we believe in life hours and not business hours to assist whenever life mandates. We all know trauma happens before 8 am and certainly after 5 pm.
Our firm belief is to hold people accountable with laws already on the books. Addicts will be offered alternatives or face court action. We will offer Apple air tags for car thefts. Place cameras in highly problematic areas for vandalism. Nightly engagement for youth and people loitering offering resources or face fines. Build a task force to focus on guns and youth with guns.
To support public education in Baltimore and ensure that school buildings are properly maintained, it is important to address the financial mismanagement issues that have been affecting the city's school system. This includes making sure that financial resources are used appropriately for important purposes and that state funds for building maintenance and repair are utilized effectively. To achieve this, we will establish a Mayor's Office of School Integrity and Accountability.
To tackle health disparities in Baltimore, it's important to implement programs and telehealth pilot programs for vulnerable residents. Our administration will focus on race, equity, and inclusion, as well as upstream interventions to address issues early on. Social determinants of health, community partnerships, and advocating for policies also play crucial roles. We will give The Health Department sufficient resources to serve all residents, and multiple funding streams can help fill the gap.
To reduce reliance on fossil fuels, cities should promote renewable energy initiatives like solar and wind power. Green building practices and energy-efficient designs can help mitigate environmental impact. Building green infrastructure such as urban forests and sustainable drainage systems improves resilience and air quality. Encouraging sustainable behaviors like recycling, public transportation, and sustainable food systems is also important.
Our administration is committed to revitalizing Baltimore by removing or rehabilitating vacant buildings and houses. We offer bonds with a low 2% interest rate to finance the necessary infrastructure and development. We collaborate with local communities, private investors, and developers to create an all-inclusive, equitable Baltimore. Our primary objective is to rectify past injustices.
Campaign Twitter twitter.com/MayorBMScott
Campaign Instagram @MayorBMScott
Campaign Twitter Handle @MayorBMScott
From day one, I led the city through a global pandemic and oversaw monumental landmarks: historic investments in education, recreation, and revitalizing city jewels like Lexington Market and Harborplace, to the lowest vacant housing rate in a decade. I worked to address crime the right way, away from zero-tolerance, leading to record drops in homicides while cutting improper arrests over half. I continue to lead the charge forward for a better Baltimore.
As soon as I became Mayor in December 2020, I established the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. MONSE led the intensive efforts to transform how Baltimore views public safety prevention, with a much stronger focus on community based interventions. My Group Violence Reduction Strategy and my dedication to strengthening Violence Interruption Programs, such as Safe Streets, had a direct impact on reducing homicides in 2023 by 20 percent, the largest drop in Baltimore history.
As Mayor, I have invested more into City Schools than any other mayor in the history of Baltimore. I have worked to fully fund our schools beyond what is expected because of my belief in our youth as Baltimore’s promise. I supported our students, families, and teachers; providing laptops, expanding fiber-optic public wifi in Baltimore, and building seven new school buildings. We went from 75 schools without heat/AC to less than 10 in , with each school having funding set aside for maintenance.
On day one of my term, we confronted and overcame a global pandemic that shut the world down, thanks to our nationally-recognized health department, hospital systems, and workforce. We have targeted public health at its core to serve all Baltimoreans.

I established the Mayor's Office of Older Adults to support our aging, multigenerational residents. I expanded our city’s 911 behavioral health diversion and purchased two hotels to continue housing vulnerable Baltimoreans and combat homelessness.
We’re working to prioritize equity so communities who face environmental injustice have cleaner air and water. 100% carbon neutrality by 2045 with steps like moving our administrative fleet to electric vehicles, working to improve Harbor health by reaching a 97% reduction in sewage overflows and making it swimmable most days of the year. Our treatment plants are putting out their lowest effluent numbers ever thanks to the reforms we’ve made. Baltimore is becoming a leader in climate resilience.
My administration has led the effort to oversee the lowest number of vacants in a decade, alongside a transformational $3b vacants strategy to tackle vacants like no one has before. This includes a $1,000 property tax cut for all homeowners and additional support for renters, creating a new revenue stream via a local sales tax which will be used to revitalize our city and address the vacant housing crisis once and for all.
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Campaign Twitter @thiru4baltimore
Campaign Website http://www.thiruformayor.com
Campaign Phone 410-456-7552
Campaign Email teamthiru@votethiru.com
Campaign Instagram @thiru4baltimore
Campaign Twitter Handle @thiru4baltimore
Campaign Mailing Address 211 Wendover Road
Baltimore, MD 21218
A proven leader, Thiru has devoted his life to Baltimore. The son of city schoolteachers, he studied at Yale and Harvard Law, where he was president of the Harvard Law Review and later clerked for Justice Stephen Breyer.

He served as a federal and city prosecutor and Deputy Attorney General of Maryland. He was a partner at DLA Piper, CEO of one of the nation's largest CDFIs, and am today the managing partner of the country's leading civil rights firm.

Thiru is ready to lead on day one.
To restart community policing and a cold case unit, Thiru will recruit 500 more cops and 50 homicide detectives with student loan programs and transfer incentives.

He will expand reentry and diversion programs and stop garnishing wages of returning citizens to align incentives to work.

He will increase federal referrals for gun and carjacking cases, invest in camera technology to catch thieves and vandals, shut down open-air drug markets, and use wiretaps to prosecute violent drug gangs.
The son of two city school teachers, Thiru knows his pledges on education - free college & trade school for public school grads and universal pre-K with door-to-door transport - are critical investments that cannot divert from school infrastructure needs.

Repairing school buildings and replacing lead pipes, heating, and AC systems will be done with unspent ARPA money, while funds from cannabis, taxes on abandoned buildings, and ending developer subsidies must be redirected to public education.
Covid exposed acute disparities in health care, and too many still lack access to our world-class hospitals. Thiru will radically expand telemedicine and invest in digital infrastructure to eradicate transit barriers to visiting a doctor when needed. He will collaborate with trusted faith communities to establish clinics in churches for routine checkups. He will also expand Medicaid coverage by providing city-backed medical grants to all uninsured adults who do not qualify due to income limits.
Thiru will expand our canopy with 130K more trees, reach the goal of 77-miles of bike lanes set in 2017, invest $50M in fixing our water-sewage infrastructure, establish twice weekly trash pickup, and crack down on illegal dumping. In his first 60 days, Thiru has pledged to ban natural gas in new homes by 2026, close the incinerator, comply with the EPA order to provide cleanup funds for sewage backups, launch free West-East buses, and block construction of luxury apts in the Inner Harbor Park.
Following the successful lead of other cities, Thiru will reclaim property from out-of-stage hedge funds and investors by raising taxes on abandoned homes, transferring property with excessive fines to affordable housing organizations, and relaunching the $1 homes program with city renovation subsidies. Thiru will enforce and increase inclusionary housing requirements for new construction and stop granting TIFFs and other giveaways to donor-developers for waterfront projects for the ultra-rich.
Campaign Twitter @robertlwallace
Campaign Phone 4108370770
Campaign Email mikegojohnson@yahoo.com
Campaign Instagram wallaceforbaltimore
Bob Wallace is an experienced entrepreneur, engineer, and job creator, who brings over 40 years of experience to the Office of Mayor. With a proven track record in business leadership, he champions economic development, a tech economy, and innovation. Committed to community growth and family values, Wallace offers a dynamic vision for a thriving Baltimore, grounded in integrity and dedication to service.
Bob Wallace will Implement a multi-faceted approach that entails bolstering community policing initiatives to foster trust between law enforcement and residents. Investing in youth programs, education, and job opportunities will divert at-risk individuals from crime. Strengthening mental health and addiction services will address underlying issues contributing to violence. Collaborating with local organizations and utilizing data-driven strategies, will remove criminals from the streets.
Bob Wallace's commitment to education in Baltimore City involves a comprehensive funding strategy. This plan includes conducting a forensic audit on existing systems, reallocating resources, and pursuing private-public partnerships. Additionally, a portion of the budget will be allocated specifically for ongoing structural maintenance of school buildings, ensuring a safe and conducive learning environment for all students.
To tackle health disparities in Baltimore, Bob Wallace will implement targeted interventions, including increasing access to healthcare facilities in underserved communities and expanding health education programs. Additionally, the city will prioritize funding for the Baltimore City Health Department to ensure it has ample resources to serve all residents equitably, regardless of socioeconomic status or race.
To address climate change and enhance resilience, Bob will focus on sustainable infrastructure projects like green energy initiatives, expanding public transportation, and promoting green building practices. Plus, investing in flood mitigation measures and coastal protection projects will bolster the city’s resilience against sea level rise. Collaborating with local stakeholders and leveraging innovative technologies will be key to creating a sustainable and resilient future for Baltimore.
Baltimore's inclusionary housing bill focuses on a dual approach: rehabilitating vacant buildings and constructing new affordable housing units. Through partnerships with developers and community organizations, vacant buildings will be renovated to create affordable housing options. Simultaneously, incentives will encourage the construction of new affordable units, ensuring access to housing for low and middle-income families while revitalizing neighborhoods.

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