By Aria Brent
AFRO Staff Writer
abrent@afro.com
And
By Tashi McQueen
AFRO Political Writer
tmcqueen@afro.com
The 2024 primary election featured several important races, including the mayoral race for Baltimore City. The much-anticipated night for the mayoral race ended with incumbent Brandon M. Scott (D) leading with 50.96 percent of the votes, according to the Maryland State Board of Elections. Dixon received 41.29 percent of the vote and Baltimore Businessman Bob Wallace (D) received 3.15 percent.
“I want to thank Sheila Dixon for her tireless service and commitment to our city. This was a hard fought campaign and regardless of any policy disagreements we may share, there is absolutely no disagreement about Sheila Dixon’s passion and love for Baltimore City,” said Scott in response to Dixon’s concession on May 17. “Mayor Dixon’s advocacy has been a fixture in our city and today I join thousands of city residents in acknowledging her many contributions to our city.”AF
Though Dixon has now conceded, she did not give up hope right away.
“In respect to all who voted, I’ll be waiting for the final outcome of the mail-in ballots before I make any further statements on the outcome of the mayoral primary,” said Dixon in a statement from her campaign on May 15. “I appreciate your patience as we monitor the tally of the outstanding votes still being counted.”
After more votes were counted on May 17 at 11 a.m., bringing Scott to 12,340 mail-in ballot votes and Dixon to 10,365 mail-in votes, she conceded.
“I have called Mayor Brandon Scott to congratulate him on his victory in the mayoral primary. His success leading our city is success for us all, so I sincerely wish him all the best in his second term,” said Dixon in a statement on May 17. “While this isn’t the outcome we hoped for, I’m profoundly grateful to God and to each and every one of the Baltimoreans who stood with me in this race. Those who know me know that my commitment to our city does not end with this campaign. I have dedicated my life to Baltimore, and while this race marks the end of my journey in public office, I will never stop working to serve the city I love.”
“After some much-needed rest and some time with my family, I look forward to stepping back into the community as your lifelong partner in the work to fulfill this city’s potential because I know it will take all of us to realize the future we all envision and the great people of this city deserve,” continued Dixon.
Baltimore Mayoral Candidate Thiru Vignarajah (D) shook things up when he dropped out of the race and endorsed Dixon just ahead of the primary.
“I’m going to make the best closing argument I can to my voters, to people that were planning to vote for me, to those who are undecided about why tomorrow, it is critical for you to cast the ballot for Sheila Dixon,” said Vignarajah on May 13 at Dixon’s final rally of the campaign. “There is something that she has learned over the course of time that has enabled her to bring people together. It’s the reason why she was able to bring an incredible team together in city hall.”
Vignarajah announced he was dropping out of the race and endorsing Dixon on May 1, just a day before early voting. On May 13, less than 24 hours before Marylanders took to the polls for the Maryland primary, Vignarajah joined Baltimore City Councilman Eric Costello (D-District 11) and other supporters in urging voters to turn out for Dixon.
During her campaign, Dixon garnered support from several Baltimore notables, including Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan J. Bates (D), State Sen. Jill P. Carter (D-Md.-41) and former U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D).
“We believe Sheila Dixon is the best hope to lead our city moving forward,” said Costello. “She has the demonstrable track record of reducing crime.”
According to a book by Theodore Carl T. Hyden and Theodore F Sheckels, “Political Problems and Personalities in Contemporary Maryland,” in 2007, as Dixon was entering office, Baltimore was expected to exceed 300 homicides. Dixon made it her priority to tackle crime when she got into office and was able to reduce homicides by 17 percent by the end of 2008. She partially did it by using community policing and officer resources to address violent offenders.
During the initial conference, Vignarajah discussed how closing his campaign to promote Dixon’s run for mayor was done with “unity” in mind and “for the sake of a broader purpose.”
“It became increasingly clear to me that it was important to show the people of Baltimore what unity looks like,” said Vignarajah at the press conference on May 1. “What it means to put small differences aside for the sake of a broader purpose, a bigger vision, a greater goal.”
Much of the former deputy attorney general’s speech highlighted Dixon’s passion for service and dedication to Charm City. However, he took time to acknowledge her past and that she was in a place of redemption.
“We’ve all stumbled. It’s how you respond to those stumbles that define you. Redemption is a journey, and I think that she and I understand and appreciate that sometimes you have to earn that redemption through public service,” he stated.
Vignarajah explained that despite their differences, he’s happy to support the former mayor’s campaign. As he continued to speak, it became clear that his interest in helping her seemed equally tied to his interest in seeing current Mayor Brandon Scott leave office.
“One failed corrupt politician endorsing another failed corrupt politician is a prime example of the broken, corrupt politics of the past,” said Scott’s Campaign Manager, Nicholas Machado, in response to Vignarajah’s announcement. “Thiru’s endorsement was for sale and Sheila Dixon was more than happy to buy it. We’d expect nothing less from Sheila Dixon, who has already proven time and again her personal interests outweigh all others.”
Dixon spoke towards the end of the nearly 15-minute press conference, noting how much she appreciates him and his team’s support.
The seasoned politician assured citizens that her interest in being mayor again is rooted in her love for the city.
“I got into this race not to create political enemies, not to do this for any politics on my agenda, but because of my commitment and love of this city,” said Dixon. “The one thing that I’ve done over the years, no matter if somebody supported me or didn’t support me, I always brought people to the table for Baltimore and the citizens of this city.”
Dixon responded to Scott’s comments that evening, declaring them “false narratives.”
“Mayor Scott has responded to today’s endorsement news by pushing a false narrative regarding commitments I have allegedly made to Mr. Vignarajah. While we had conversations about issues facing the city and his desire to support my team in addressing them, I can say unequivocally that no promises were made regarding future employment with my administration,” said Dixon. “I have a reputation of being a strong manager that brings smart people with different perspectives to the table. I appreciate Mr. Vignarajah’s support today and I look forward to working with him towards a better Baltimore.”
Tashi McQueen is a Report For America corps member.
The post Former Mayor Sheila Dixon concedes to Mayor Brandon M. Scott in Democratic primary appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
