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Brandon Scott

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This article is about the Mayor of Baltimore. For the American actor, see Brandon Scott (actor).

Brandon Scott
53rd Mayor of Baltimore
Incumbent
Assumed office
December 8, 2020
Preceded byJack Young
President of the Baltimore City Council
In office
May 6, 2019 – December 8, 2020
Preceded byJack Young
Succeeded byNick Mosby
Member of the Baltimore City Council
from the 2nd district
In office
December 8, 2011 – May 8, 2019
Preceded byNicholas D'Adamo
Succeeded byDanielle McCray
Personal details
Born
Brandon Maurice Scott

(1984-04-08) April 8, 1984 (age 40)
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Residence(s)Frankford, Baltimore, Maryland
EducationSt. Mary's College of Maryland (BA)

Brandon Maurice Scott (born April 8, 1984)[1] is an American politician serving as the mayor of Baltimore, Maryland since 2020. The city of Baltimore uses a strong mayor-council structure for their government, meaning Scott holds strong mayoral powers.[2] He is the former president of the Baltimore City Council and was a candidate for lieutenant governor of Maryland in 2018, as well as a representative for Baltimore's second district.[3] On May 6, 2019, Scott was elected to replace Jack Young as council president after Young succeeded Mayor Catherine Pugh.[4] In September 2019, Scott announced his candidacy for mayor[5] and won the June 2020 Democratic primary.[6] Scott won the November 3 general election and took office on December 8, 2020.

Early life and education

Scott was born and raised in Park Heights, Baltimore. He ran track and cross country at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School where he graduated in 2002 and received a degree in political science from St. Mary's College of Maryland in 2006. [7][8]

Career

Scott speaking in 2019

Political background

After graduating from college, Scott worked as a liaison for City Council President Stephanie Rawlings Blake.[7] In 2011, he was elected to serve as the city councilperson for the second district, making him one of the youngest ever elected to city office. He was the chair of the Public Safety Committee and a member of the Budget and Appropriations and Judiciary and Legislative Investigations committees.[7] In early 2018, he passed a bill creating an open data policy in Baltimore.[citation needed] As a council member, Scott oversaw the reinstatment of Council Oversight of the Baltimore Police Department.[9] On May 2019, the Baltimore City Council unanimously voted to elevate Scott to serve as the City Council president, serving the remainder of the term of Bernard C. "Jack" Young, who ascended to the mayoralty following the resignation of Baltimore mayor Catherine Pugh.[10]

Scott has participated in the 300 Man March, a nonviolence group.[11] While serving as city councilperson, he voted against an aerial surveillance program for the Baltimore Police Department and supported reductions in police funding.[8]

On February 16, 2018, Baltimore attorney Jim Shea announced the selection of Scott as his running mate in 2018 Maryland gubernatorial election.[12] Scott would later appoint Shea to serve as Baltimore's solicitor under his mayoral administration.[13][14]

2020 Baltimore mayoral election

Main article: 2020 Baltimore mayoral election

Scott announced his campaign for mayor on September 13, 2019, at a press conference in his childhood neighborhood of Park Heights.[15][16] On June 9, 2020, Scott was declared the winner of the Democratic primary, defeating the incumbent mayor Jack Young.[6][17] Scott was perceived as more progressive than Young.[18][19] This all but assured him victory in the November general election. Democrats have a nearly 10-to-1 advantage in registered voters, and for years the Democratic primary has been the real contest.[6] As expected, he won the November 3, 2020 general election in a landslide, with a nearly 3-to-1 margin over his nearest opponent, independent Bob Wallace.[20] For the second election in a row, the Republicans were pushed into third place.[citation needed]

Baltimore City Mayor (2020–present)

Inaugurated in a small, socially distanced ceremony on December 8, 2020, Scott vowed to take on both "public health emergencies" — gun violence and the coronavirus.[21][22] Taking the office at age 36, Scott is the youngest mayor in Baltimore's history.[20]

In February 2022, Scott was named one of 10 new co-chairs of Mayors Against Illegal Guns.[23]

COVID-19 pandemic

On his first day in office, Scott signed an order mandating an end to restaurant dining, both indoor and outdoor, and capping retail activity, religious gatherings, gyms, malls, casinos, and museums to 25 percent capacity.[24] Scott lifted Baltimore's mask mandate and state of emergency declaration on July 1, 2021.[25] In August 2021, Scott reinstated the city's mask mandate following a 374 percent increase in COVID-19 infections in July.[26][27] The mask mandate expired on March 1, 2022.[28]

In January 2021, Scott and Maryland governor Larry Hogan started a confidence campaign called "GoVax Maryland" encouraging citizens to get vaccinated.[29] In February, Scott launched a new partnership with local universities to boost confidence in and combat misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines.[30]

In March 2021, Scott expressed frustration with the Hogan administration after state health officials denied his request to set aside 50 percent of state's COVID-19 vaccine doses for the state-run mass-vaccination sites in the city.[31] Hogan responded to these criticisms by telling him to "talk to his health department," which he claimed was telling the state health department to send vaccines elsewhere because they had too many. Scott refuted Hogan's charges, calling them "categorically untrue."[32]

In May 2021, Scott delivered a letter to Hogan asking him to impose a temporary statewide eviction moratorium while local jurisdictions continued to distribute federal rent relief funding to tenants and landlords.[33] In January 2022, Scott declined requests from housing advocates to institute an eviction moratorium in Baltimore, saying that he didn't have the power to do it on his own and that action would need to come at the state level.[34]

Scott tested positive for COVID-19 on October 4, 2021.[35][36] He returned to City Hall on October 15, 2021 after testing negative.[37]

Crime and policing

Scott speaks at a press conference on violent crime in Baltimore with U.S. Attorney in Maryland Erek Barron and Governor Larry Hogan, 2022

During his mayoral campaign, Scott vowed to "reduce homicides by 15 percent each year in my term, getting us to below 300 homicides in my first year as mayor"[38] by studying the flow of guns into Baltimore and implementing violence reduction strategies.[18] He also rallied on reforming police spending after leading the charge to cut $22.4 million from the city's $550 million police budget, half of which was for "unallocated" funds.[39] Despite this, Scott's first budget, introduced in April 2021, included a $28 million increase in the city's police budget. This proposed increase was met with criticism by Baltimore residents.[40][41] Scott pushed back against this criticism by asking people to "look at the full picture behind violent crime rather than the "simple conflict" that leads to the loss of life."[42] His budget was approved without amendments on June 8, 2021.[43] In April 2022, Scott again proposed a $5 million increase in the city's police budget,[44] which was met with further criticism.[45][46]

In May 2022, Scott and the Baltimore Police Department launched the Strategic Management and Alternative Response Tactics (SMART) initiative in an effort to free up resources and improve community relations.[47]

In June 2022, Scott filed a lawsuit against Polymer80, alleging the company flooded the city with ghost guns that have contributed to bloodshed in the city's streets.[48]

Housing

In May 2021, Scott removed owner-occupied homes that faced tax sale liens from the city's annual tax sale, an online auction that the city uses to collect overdue bills.[49] In September 2021, he announced that Baltimore would purchase the liens of 454 owner-occupied homes to keep them out of the city's tax sale process.[50] In April 2022, Scott removed all owner-occupied homes from the city's tax sale and postponed the auction until June.[51][52]

In May 2021, Scott delivered his first veto of his mayorship on a bill that would give renters more options when paying security deposits.[53]

In June 2021, Scott launched a fund to cover up to $2,000 in security deposits for low-income tenants, funded with $3.3 million in supplemental funds from a fiscal year 2020 pandemic-related Community Services Block Grant.[54]

On January 25, 2022, a fire at an unoccupied rowhouse building killed three firefighters and left another on life support.[55] In response to the fire, Scott announced a citywide review of its operations related to vacant properties.[56]

In February 2022, Scott announced that the city would spend $90.4 million in funding received from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to purchase two hotels to provide 275 beds for the city's homeless population.[57][58]

Environment

In October 2021, Scott signed into law a bill mandating that the city's three pension funds divest from the fossil fuel industry.[59]

Guaranteed income

In April 2022, Scott announced a guaranteed income pilot program to provide 200 young parents with payments of $1,000 per month over two years.[60]

Transportation

Scott speaking at President Biden's infrastructure rally, 2021

In June 2021, Scott announced his opposition to a proposal to construct a Maglev connecting Baltimore and Washington, D.C., delivering a letter to the Maryland Department of Planning urging them to reject the project.[61]

In September 2021, Scott criticized the state's proposed transportation budget, which included $500 million in investments for the Purple Line in Prince George's County, for not including enough funding for infrastructure projects in Baltimore.[62] In order to help prioritize projects in the city, Scott created The Mayor’s Office of Infrastructure Development in June of 2022 and appointed Matthew Garbark to head the department.[63]

In November 2021, Scott joined President Joe Biden in a visit to the Port of Baltimore, where he hailed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as a plan to rebuild America and create "good-paying, union jobs."[64]

Personal life

Scott is unmarried[65] and lives in Frankford, Baltimore.[8] He has a cat named Madam Scarlet and a dog named Lord Grogu. His previous dog, Sir Charles of Baltimore, died from congestive heart failure in December 2020.[66]

Electoral history

2020 Baltimore mayoral election, Democratic primary[67]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brandon Scott 43,927 29.6
Democratic Sheila Dixon 40,782 27.5
Democratic Mary Miller 23,193 15.6
Democratic Thiru Vignarajah 17,080 11.5
Democratic Bernard C. "Jack" Young (incumbent) 9,256 6.2
Democratic T. J. Smith 8,593 5.8
Democratic Carlmichael Cannady 2,473 1.7
Democratic Mary Washington 1,028 0.7
Democratic Valerie Cunningham 339 0.2
Democratic Keith Scott 303 0.2
Democratic Yasaun Young 188 0.1
Democratic Ralph Johnson, Jr. 177 0.1
Democratic Yolanda Pulley 152 0.1
Democratic Lou Catelli 151 0.1
Democratic Dante Swinton 143 0.1
Democratic Michael Jenson 131 0.1
Democratic Brian Salsberry 129 0.1
Democratic Rikki Vaughn 116 0.1
Democratic Liri Fusha 57 0.0
Democratic Terry McCready 46 0.0
Democratic Sean Gresh 45 0.0
Democratic James Jones II 33 0.0
Democratic Erik Powery 32 0.0
Democratic Frederick Ware-Newsome 31 0.0
Total votes 148,405 100.00
2020 Baltimore mayoral election[68]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Brandon Scott 164,661 70.49
Independent Bob Wallace 47,275 20.24
Republican Shannon Wright 16,664 7.13
Working Class David Harding 3,973 1.70
Write-in Others 1,007 0.43
Total votes 233,580 100.00

References

  1. ^ "Brandon M. Scott, Mayor, Baltimore, Maryland". Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  2. ^ "Baltimore, Maryland". Ballotpedia. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  3. ^ Cox, Erin. "Jim Shea picks Baltimore City Councilman Brandon Scott as running mate". baltimoresun.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2019. Retrieved April 2, 2019.
  4. ^ Duncan, Ian. "Baltimore City Council elects Brandon Scott council president". baltimoresun.com.
  5. ^ Broadwater, Luke. "City Council President Brandon Scott enters race for Baltimore mayor, heating up 2020 contest". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved September 13, 2019.
  6. ^ a b c Paul Gessler (June 10, 2020). "Brandon Scott Wins Democratic Nomination For Baltimore Mayor". Baltimore CBS. Retrieved June 10, 2020.
  7. ^ a b c magazine, Baltimore (May 7, 2019). "Could New City Council President Brandon Scott Be Baltimore's Next…". Baltimore magazine.
  8. ^ a b c Knezevich, Alison (June 10, 2020). "Get to know Brandon Scott: Here are some fast facts about Baltimore's Democratic nominee for mayor". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  9. ^ City of Baltimore (November 16, 2022). "Mayor Brandon M. Scott". baltimorecity.gov.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. ^ Kurtz, Josh (May 6, 2019). "Pace of Political Change Accelerating in Baltimore". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  11. ^ Wheeler, Timothy B. "Street-corner rally appeals for residents to 'stop killing each other'". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved September 4, 2020.
  12. ^ Zorzi, William (February 16, 2018). "Shea's Pick for LG Says He's Not Thinking Beyond June Primary". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  13. ^ Kurtz, Josh (December 23, 2020). "Scott Names Jim Shea Solicitor, Creates Cabinet-Level Equity Position". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  14. ^ Opilo, Emily (December 22, 2020). "Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott names former running mate Shea as city solicitor". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  15. ^ "City Council President Brandon Scott Announces Mayoral Bid". Baltimore Magazine. September 13, 2019.
  16. ^ Kurtz, Josh (September 13, 2019). "Scott Makes Mayoral Bid Official". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  17. ^ Leckrone, Bennett (June 9, 2020). "Brandon Scott Claims Victory in Baltimore Mayoral Race". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  18. ^ a b Sullivan, Emily (December 8, 2020). "Baltimore's New Progressive Mayor Is Ready To Tackle The City's Biggest Problems". NPR. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  19. ^ Kurtz, Josh (December 22, 2019). "Josh Kurtz: A Lane Supreme". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  20. ^ a b Gaskill, Hannah; Shwe, Elizabeth (November 4, 2020). "Scott Poised to Become Baltimore Mayor as Generational Change Continues at City Hall". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  21. ^ Leonard, Emily Opilo, Ben. "Brandon Scott sworn in as Baltimore mayor, addresses 'public health emergencies' of COVID-19 and gun violence". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved January 5, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  22. ^ Shwe, Elizabeth (December 8, 2020). "Brandon Scott in First Comments as Baltimore Mayor: 'Equity Will Be My Guiding Principle'". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  23. ^ Gaines, Danielle; Kurtz, Josh (February 9, 2022). "Political Notes: Kaiser Running Again, Scott Named Co-Chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  24. ^ DePuyt, Bruce (December 9, 2020). "Plea From Concerned County Leaders as Hospitals Fill Up: Wear Masks, Avoid Gatherings". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  25. ^ Miller, Hallie (June 16, 2021). "Baltimore City to lift mask mandate July 1 following end of Maryland's COVID-19 state of emergency". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  26. ^ Robinson, Lisa (August 6, 2021). "Baltimore mayor reinstates face mask mandate for everyone". WBAL-TV. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  27. ^ DePuyt, Bruce (August 5, 2021). "With Blunt Warning for Vaccine Holdouts, Hogan Imposes New Policy For State Workers". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  28. ^ Richardson, Kevin (February 24, 2022). "Baltimore City to lift indoor mask requirement on March 1st". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  29. ^ DePuyt, Bruce (January 29, 2021). "Legislators in Annapolis Receiving COVID Vaccine Under 'Continuity of Government' Provision". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  30. ^ DePuyt, Bruce (February 11, 2021). "Health Officials Work to Overcome 'Understandable' Vaccine Hesitancy". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  31. ^ DePuyt, Bruce (March 3, 2021). "Baltimore, Prince George's Leaders Amp Up Criticism as Hogan Administration Releases More Vaccine Data". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  32. ^ DePuyt, Bruce (March 4, 2021). "State Ramps Up Vaccine Equity Plan; Hogan and Scott Spar Over Doses, Funding". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  33. ^ Leckrone, Bennett (May 7, 2021). "Local Leaders Join Call For Temporary Statewide Eviction Moratorium". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  34. ^ Leckrone, Bennett (January 4, 2022). "Fair Housing Advocates Urge Baltimore Officials to Stop Evictions Amid Omicron Surge". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  35. ^ Kurtz, Josh (October 4, 2021). "Mayor Scott Tests Positive for COVID-19; He's Asymptomatic But Remains in Quarantine". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  36. ^ Opilo, Emily (October 4, 2021). "Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott tests positive for COVID-19". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  37. ^ Opilo, Emily (October 15, 2021). "Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott out of quarantine after negative COVID test". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  38. ^ Rydell, John (December 9, 2021). "Baltimore Mayor Scott Reflects on One Year in Office". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  39. ^ Richman, Talia; Wenger, Yvonne (June 15, 2020). "In Baltimore budget battle, Mayor Young exerts power over City Council and Democratic nominee Scott". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  40. ^ Sullivan, Emily (April 22, 2021). "City Residents, Comptroller Henry Slam Mayor Scott's Proposed BPD Budget Increase At Taxpayers' Night". WYPR. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  41. ^ Opilo, Emily (May 27, 2021). "Baltimore taxpayers condemn police spending plan in 2022 budget, urge City Council to make cuts". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  42. ^ Gaskill, Hannah (April 26, 2021). "Black Community Leaders in Baltimore Call For Community Investment as a Method of Police Reform". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  43. ^ Opilo, Emily (June 8, 2021). "Baltimore officials pass budget with $555 million in police spending without amendments". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  44. ^ Anderson, Jessica; Opilo, Emily (April 11, 2022). "Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott's proposed budget would increase police spending, add civilian investigators". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  45. ^ Reed, Keith (April 29, 2022). "Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott Criticized For Increasing Police Budget". The Root. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  46. ^ Price, Lilly (April 28, 2022). "Taxpayers at Baltimore budget forum criticize Mayor Brandon Scott's second straight proposed increase in police spending". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  47. ^ Taylor, Alexis (May 18, 2022). "Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott and Police Commissioner Michael Harrison announce SMART policing initiative". Baltimore Afro-American. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  48. ^ Mann, Alex (June 2, 2022). "'A growing menace': Baltimore Mayor Scott announces city lawsuit against 'ghost gun' manufacturer, Hanover gun shop". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  49. ^ Leckrone, Bennett (May 3, 2021). "In Baltimore, Some Owner-Occupied Homes Will Be Spared From Tax Sale". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  50. ^ Leckrone, Bennett (September 23, 2021). "Scott Announces Tax Sale Workgroup, Says Baltimore Will Purchase Liens of 454 Homes This Fall". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  51. ^ Leckrone, Bennett (April 27, 2022). "Mayor Postpones Baltimore Tax Sale, Removes All Owner-Occupied Homes". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  52. ^ Bologna, Giacomo (May 1, 2022). "Baltimore mayor gives break to homeowners". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  53. ^ Miller, Hallie; Opilo, Emily (May 17, 2021). "Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott vetoes security deposit alternative bill". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  54. ^ Leckrone, Bennett (June 10, 2021). "Scott Announces Fund To Help Baltimoreans Pay Security Deposits". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  55. ^ Mann, Alex; Oxenden, McKenna (January 25, 2022). "Three fallen Baltimore firefighters remembered for their passion, sacrifice after fatal rowhouse fire". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  56. ^ Opilo, Emily (January 31, 2022). "Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott calls for review of efforts to reduce vacant properties following firefighter deaths". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  57. ^ Sullivan, Emily (February 22, 2022). "Scott puts $90.4 million in federal relief toward homelessness services". WYPR. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  58. ^ Shen, Fern (February 23, 2022). "Baltimore to use ARPA funds for hotel purchases and other programs to help the homeless". Baltimore Brew. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  59. ^ Kurtz, Josh (October 5, 2021). "Baltimore Mayor Signs Bill Mandating City Pension Funds Divest From Fossil Fuels". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  60. ^ Leckrone, Bennett (April 20, 2022). "Baltimore to Pay 200 Young Parents $1,000 a Month as Part of Guaranteed Income Pilot Program". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  61. ^ DePuyt, Bruce (June 25, 2021). "Baltimore Officials' Rejection of Maglev is Latest Blow for Proposed High-Speed Rail". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  62. ^ Campbell, Colin (September 20, 2021). "Baltimore City officials grill state transportation boss over transit funding, relief aid spending in proposed six-year budget". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  63. ^ "Scott Forms Baltimore City's Office Of Infrastructure Development". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  64. ^ Gaskill, Hannah (November 10, 2021). "Biden Announces That 'Infrastructure Week Has Finally Arrived' During Port of Baltimore Visit". Maryland Matters. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  65. ^ Duncan, Ian (August 15, 2019). "A child of tough Baltimore streets, Brandon Scott now heads the City Council. He may be aiming higher". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  66. ^ Tkacik, Christina (May 20, 2021). "Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott welcomes furry new family member: Lord Grogu". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
  67. ^ "Official 2020 Presidential Primary Election results for Baltimore City". elections.maryland.gov. Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
  68. ^ "Presidential General Election Baltimore City, Maryland November 3, 2020 OFFICIAL RESULTS" (PDF). Baltimore City Board of Elections. 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Baltimore
2020–present 		Incumbent
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