Kweisi Mfume – Baltimore Magazine

GameChanger: Kweisi Mfume

Lauren Cohen — Tue, 05 Jan 2021 09:00:34 +0000

—Photography by Mike Morgan

Kweisi Mfume’s return to Capitol Hill after two-plus decades out of elected office is more than a second act. It’s like his fifth. Overcoming a troubled youth, Mfume was elected to the Baltimore City Council in 1978. Eight years later, he went to Congress, eventually giving up his seat to helm the NAACP. In 2013, he was named chair of the board at his alma mater, Morgan State University. We discussed the national political climate, and the work at hand.

With the presidential inauguration this month, it seems appropriate to ask how well you know President-Elect Joe Biden.
I know Joe well. I used to bump into him on the train [to D.C.] when I first got elected. A couple of years ago, at Morgan State University, he came and gave the spring commencement address. He’s just a good guy.

How has COVID-19 impacted working on the Hill for Congress?
Well, you can participate in one or two hearings at the same time. And oftentimes that will happen. But I don’t know if it adds to the quality of the process.

Donald Trump is leaving the White House, but most likely not the national scene. How do you understand his appeal to a significant percentage of voters?
Donald Trump is an individual, who aside from being narcissistic, has the ability to stoke the fears of people, and to do it over and over again by pushing certain buttons, and people rally around that. Unfortunately, it’s because they think that they have something to lose and that he’s going to protect them. He is a master salesman, which is how, in my opinion, he was able to beat that large field of Republican candidates four years ago and become the nominee of the party. He is, in many instances, all about Donald Trump. And it’s unfortunate, because in a leadership position such as the President of the United States, you have to at least attempt to work with the other side of the aisle.

What do you consider an achievement from when you held this seat previously?
I was proud of the Americans with Disabilities Act. I was an original co-sponsor, and I helped to get it passed on the floor. We tend not to think about it now because it’s been so many years. It’s just the way we live. But there was a real struggle getting that out of committee onto the floor and becoming law. I’m proud of the ban on assault weapons that was in place for 10 years. Unfortunately, Congress did not reauthorize or renew it.

What are your goals for the 117th Congress?
As we deal with this wicked virus and all that it’s done to us over the last 10 months or so…we’ve got to get a stimulus package, a second one through. Cities and states are hurting, and there has got to be relief for them in this package. There’s got to be a one-time stimulus check for families. There’s got to be unemployment insurance. People who are essential workers deserve essential pay. They’re not getting that. In many instances, their pay has been cut. So, we’re trying to find a way to get money into the hands of people, which in turn will get it into society and buoy the larger business community…That’s my number one priority. I don’t understand how Mitch McConnell has slowed the process on the other side of the Capitol in the Senate, but we’ve got to find a way to do that. We can’t fight back with one arm tied behind us.

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2020: Year in Review

Lauren Cohen — Wed, 16 Dec 2020 20:06:06 +0000

Twenty of the most pivotal events in Baltimore this year, in chronological order.

By Ron Cassie, Lauren Cohen, Janelle Erlichman Diamond, Ken Iglehart, Christine Jackson, Jane Marion, Max Weiss, and Lydia Woolever
Photo illustration by Lorann Cocca

News & Community

2020: Year In Review

Twenty of the most pivotal events in Baltimore this year, in chronological order.

By Ron Cassie, Lauren Cohen, Janelle Erlichman Diamond, Ken Iglehart, Christine Jackson, Jane Marion, Max Weiss, and Lydia Woolever
Photo illustration by Lorann Cocca

We’re not going to lie, 2020 was a lot. But the funny thing was, when we were sitting around “the office” (a Zoom chat room) trying to brainstorm the 20 biggest events of the year, we were a bit stumped. It’s not that a lot of stuff didn’t happen—it did. But, in a way, everything seemed to fall under the same three umbrellas—COVID, our nation’s and region’s racial reckoning, and the incendiary political climate. Heck, this entire list could’ve been about COVID alone—the heroic local efforts to combat and chart the spread; its massive unemployment toll; its impact on the dining, retail, and arts scenes; the canceled events (no Artscape or AFRAM); the disparities, both in terms of health care access and economic stability, that the virus underscored; the greater understanding of the “digital divide” that we gained, and so on. But, at the same, we literally spent the majority of the year stuck in our homes—so we were a little short on actual “events.” That said, here’s our best attempt to sum up an undoubtedly tragic and surreal year. —MW

JHU’s COVID-19 Dashboard Becomes a Go-To Resource

In January, a team of Johns Hopkins University engineers started tracking the novel coronavirus as it began its initial spread around the globe. Lauren Gardner, an infectious disease specialist and co-director of the school’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering, led a tiny team of PhD students to build an online, real-time dashboard to document the data, which quickly went viral itself. This summer, it garnered more than 4.5 billion hits a day from public health authorities, researchers, and the general public. Gardner’s impressive work landed her on Time magazine’s list of “The 100 Most Influential People of 2020,” in which Baltimore’s own former health commissioner Dr. Leana Wen declared the dashboard an “indispensable resource” and its inventor a hero in her own right. “In the face of an existential threat, Lauren took action,” wrote Wen. “She didn’t wait for others—she stepped up first. She democratized data and filled a void of public-health leadership. Lives will be saved because of her proactive work.” Photography by Mike Morgan

Restaurants Show Resilience

Restaurants have always been the lifeblood of our city, so when they were forced to close in mid-March due to the pandemic and then, over many months, re-opened at varying rates of capacity, we feared that this could spell the end of dining out as we know it. And while only time will tell, for now, something stirring has happened, as signs of reinvention and resilience abound. We could go on and on, but the pivots we appreciate most include outdoor parklets and streeteries, heated tents complete with swinging chandeliers, individual greenhouses, QR codes in place of paper menus, temperature checks, and contact lists, ad-hoc pantries, and soup kitchens feeding not only the hungry and the homeless but health care workers, too. While we mourn the ones we’ve lost (we will miss you Lobo and The Milton Inn), new spots—from Nihao to Café Dear Leon and Ovenbird Bakery—have sprung up, too. Clearly, the scene—however changed—is here to stay. We are smiling beneath our masks. Photography by Scott Suchman

“Spy Planes” Launch Into the Skies Over Baltimore

High-tech aerial surveillance—some would say Orwellian—planes flew over Baltimore this past year, which city residents no doubt saw and heard day after day. A U.S. District Court judge gave the go-ahead in April to the civil liberties-challenged and privately funded Baltimore Police Department pilot program known as Aerial Investigation Research (AIR). The first of its kind in the country, the initiative collected images of vehicle and pedestrian movements across 90 percent of the city, up to 12 hours daily, for six months from May through the end of October after former Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young greenlit the experiment without a vote by the City Council. Newly elected Mayor Brandon Scott has said he does not support the surveillance program, or “spy planes” as the effort is often derided, so its future remains unclear. One recent follow-up study showed the aerial surveillance indicated a slight benefit—an increase of 3.6 percent—in “provisionally” closed cases with an arrest, but the question remains at what cost to Baltimoreans’ civil liberties. Meanwhile, the Ohio-based Persistent Surveillance Systems, which owns the technology, is pitching its eerie aerial program in St. Louis. Shutterstock

The Sun Wins Pulitzer Prize

It’s what every journalist dreams of—writing an investigative story that brings down a powerful figure and results in the Pulitzer Prize. And that’s exactly what happened this year when staff of the Sun won the Pulitzer for “Local Reporting” for discovering and covering the Catherine Pugh Healthy Holly scandal. But even as the paper continued to do superlative journalism, not all was rosy. In May, the Sun news guild announced it had found a local ownership group—its ranks include the Abell Foundation, the Goldseker Foundation, and former Baltimore County executive Ted Venetoulis—that wanted to buy the paper and turn it into a nonprofit. This proposal stemmed from the Guild’s dissatisfaction with the current owners, Tribune Publishing, whose relationship with notorious hedge fund firm Alden Global Capital has led to layoffs and other budget cuts. “As a nonprofit, any profits the Sun makes could be put back into making sure that it becomes a better newspaper,” reporter Liz Bowie, co-chair of the local unit of the Washington-Baltimore Press Guild, told us in May. “We could have more reporters, more photographers, more editors.” Updates on the Guild’s efforts can be found here. Photo courtesy of Weller Management

Iconic Charm City Festivals Go Virtual

Typically, as the last of the ice melts and temperatures begin to climb, organizers of Baltimore’s spring and summer festivals begin gearing up for the likes of HonFest, Artscape, and AFRAM. But with coronavirus cases rising and officials actively discouraging large gatherings, the city took a year off from hosting many of the time-honored get-togethers that have been a part of our culture for decades. That meant no cooling off in the water misters at Artscape, no dancing along the parade route at the Baltimore Caribbean Carnival, no watching the toilet bowl races down Chestnut Avenue at Hampden Fest. If there was a silver lining, it was seeing organizers turn lemons (stuck with peppermint sticks in the case of Flower Mart) into lemonade, with virtual events that were able to maintain the spirit of the summer. HonFest celebrated the city’s best beehives on social media, Artscape hosted an online artists’ market, and even winter events like the 49th annual Monument Lighting in Mt. Vernon followed suit with virtual iterations as the holidays rolled around. Courtesy of BOPA

Baltimore Stands with Black Lives Matter

In the weeks following the death of George Floyd, an outpouring of rage and grief swept across the United States, including here in Baltimore, just one month after the five-year anniversary of the death of Freddie Gray. From downtown to the county, dozens of peaceful protests popped up, with Baltimoreans of every age and race, including then mayoral candidate—now incumbent mayor—Brandon Scott, taking to the streets with colorful signs and calls for action. Youth activists demanded more inclusive curriculum in public schools, while transgender organizers reminded the community of their particular plight within broader systemic racism, with a photograph from the latter march by local photographer Devin Allen landing on the cover of Time magazine. Meanwhile, residents used art installations in their local parks and murals on the asphalt of their neighborhoods to declare solidarity with Black Lives Matter—three simple words that have become a clarion call for justice in 2020. Photography by Lorann Cocca

Columbus Statue Toppled, Thrown Into the Harbor

Amid Fourth of July fireworks displays across the city, activists toppled the marble Christopher Columbus statue near Little Italy and dumped it into the Inner Harbor. The destruction of the memorial to the Genoa-born Columbus followed similar actions in cities across the country and hardly came as a surprise here. Two weeks before the vandalism, an anti-racist protest group known as Baltimore Bloc had warned Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young that activists planned to take down the Columbus monument if the city did not act to remove it as it had done previously with Baltimore’s four Confederate monuments. The statue at the eastern edge of the Inner Harbor, the most prominent of three Baltimore monuments to Columbus, had been unveiled in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan and Mayor William Donald Schaefer. The 14-foot statue was paid for by a fundraising campaign led by the Italian American Organizations United of Maryland, which is recreating the statue with plans to reinstall it on private property elsewhere in the region. Shutterstock

Larry Hogan Raises His National Profile

Larry Hogan has never met a media opportunity he didn’t like—or so it seems. It comes as no big shock, then, that the historically popular two-term Republican governor is starting to hint at a run for higher office—maybe even that really high one, especially since the GOP is in such dire need of a reinvention by a likeable, Reagan-esque leader. (It was Reagan’s name, after all, that Hogan claimed he wrote in as a protest vote in November.) And, in fact, after burnishing his reputation here and nationally with a fairly capable response to the pandemic, the frequent Trump critic has said he wouldn’t rule out a run for president in 2024. At the least, however, he intends to play a role in the future of the party. “I do want to be a part of the discussion about where we go as a party and where we go as a country,” the former chairman of the National Governors Association told Bloomberg TV. “So I’m going to try and continue to be involved and speak up and let people know what I think we should do.” But Hogan, 64, said he plans to stay in Annapolis for now: “I made a commitment to the people of Maryland to serve out my term." Courtesy of Maryland GovPics

Mo Gaba Passes Away

A collective sense of heartbreak was felt among players, fans, and the entire city as the Orioles took the field for their home opener at Camden Yards on July 29. But it wasn’t because the birds would be playing to an empty stadium, or because the start to their season had been delayed due to the effects of the pandemic. It was because, one day prior, the city lost perhaps the most beloved fan in local sports history. Hours before 14-year-old Baltimore sports superfan Mo Gaba lost his lifelong battle with cancer on July 28, it was announced that he had been awarded the Wild Bill Hagy Award and elected into the Orioles Hall of Fame. Since his passing, the city has continued to honor Gaba—a shining light who inspired us all with his infectious smile, gentleness, and positivity—in thoughtful ways. The Ravens filled sections, dubbed “Mo’s Rows,” with cardboard cutouts of Gaba and painted “BaltiMOre” in the endzone at M&T Bank Stadium. And a street near both of the stadiums will soon be dedicated as Mo Gaba Way. All are but small reminders of the massive mark Gaba left on the world. Photo courtesy of Baltimore Orioles

Trohv Shutters its Doors in Hampden

In a year filled with so much loss, the closing of Trohv felt like a pile-on. The beloved shop on The Avenue—always filled with the best gifts, home goods, and cards—was no match for the pandemic and unforgiving rent due. Despite a groundswell of support for the store and its gem of an owner Carmen Brock, Trohv closed its doors in August. A Hampden mainstay for almost 14 years, the shop was the true heart and soul of the community. People came out in droves the last four weeks of business, their sad faces hidden behind masks, telling Brock with tears in their eyes, “this was my favorite shop” or “I had my first kiss here.” It all felt like a bad dream that could have been avoided if small businesses were given a lifeline during an impossible situation. But in true Carmen fashion, she was focused on the sunshine. “It has been the joy of my life to have a small business in Baltimore,” she told us before the closure. “For me, Trohv felt like a laboratory that sort of became a personal love story, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to have worked, hustled, lived, and loved the many creative people in this beautiful town.” Photography by Mike Morgan

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Enters a New Era

One year after picket lines and protest signs were a daily sight at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra finally reached a period of healing—with both the organization’s musicians and management agreeing to their first long-term contract since 2016. It ended years of contentious negotiations, and marked a new chapter for the 104-year-old arts institution. The agreement included gradual pay increases for artists, the restoration of 10 full-time positions over the next five years, and the formation of a task force to address diversity, inclusion, and equity within the organization. To that end, in early September, assistant conductor Jonathan Rush and artistic partner Wordsmith were appointed to the BSO’s artistic team, joining cellist Esther Mellon as the orchestra’s only African-American artists, and serving as advisors on original programming. Amidst these changes, maestra Marin Alsop will also step down from her podium in 2021, leaving behind a legacy as the first female conductor to ever lead a major North American orchestra and the founder of the organization’s vital OrchKids program, which she will continue to oversee as music director laureate. Meanwhile, the LA Opera’s James Conlon will come on as artistic advisor in 2021 while the search for her replacement gets underway. Photo courtesy of the BSO

Maryland State Parks Break Records

There was really only one safe thing to do when quarantine fatigue started: Take to the trails. And Marylanders did, in record numbers. In October, Governor Larry Hogan announced that the Park Service had already recorded 17.1 million visitors, compared to 14.9 million for all of 2019. In July alone, 3.4 million visitors hit places like Sandy Point, Elk Neck, Patapsco Valley, and Gunpowder Falls—almost one million more than the previous July. (That also meant some parks closed on busy weekends after reaching maximum capacity, and others like Calvert Cliffs imposed a residents-only rule.) But there were still plenty of parks to go around, and families, friends, and solo hikers were rewarded with waterfalls, swimming holes, swinging bridges, and changing foliage. Bike sales skyrocketed and camp sites quickly filled up, as folks took to the great outdoors—mask and water bottle in hand. Shutterstock

The BMA Causes a Stir in the Art World

When it was announced that the Baltimore Museum of Art would deaccession works by Andy Warhol, Clyfford Still, and Brice Marden in order to fund a $65-million “Endowment for the Future,” objections came from both within the BMA and far beyond its walls, garnering criticism from the likes of the Los Angeles Times’ Christopher Knight and Pergamon Art Group’s Martin Gammon in addition to letters penned by members of the BMA board. Though the endowment itself would be designated for care of the BMA’s collection, equitable pay for its staff, diversity programs, establishing evening hours, and extending free admission to special exhibitions, concerns were raised over the implications of using the museum’s collection like chips to cash in for funding initiatives beyond the collection. Whether the sale will eventually go through remains in the air. On Oct. 28, the original date of the sale, the BMA announced that it would be paused to allow for “further, necessary conversations” about their intentions, but the museum also reaffirmed its dedication to the Endowment for the Future, saying, “Our vision and our goals have not changed. It will take us longer to achieve them, but we will do so through all means at our disposal.” Photo courtesy of Mike Steele via Flickr Commons

Brandon Scott Wins Mayoral Election

After a tense few days counting mail-in ballots during the Democratic primary for mayor in June, 36-year-old City Council President Brandon Scott rallied and pulled out a close victory over former Mayor Sheila Dixon. In a crowded field with 24 candidates receiving votes, Scott won 29.6 percent of the tally. Dixon claimed 27.5 percent of the ballots cast—a margin of slightly more than 3,000 votes. (Perhaps the most surprising result was that Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young, who had assumed office in the wake of former Mayor Catherine Pugh’s criminal plea, received just 6.2 percent of the vote.) Earlier this month, Scott—the youngest person to become mayor of Baltimore in at least the past century—was officially inaugurated as Baltimore’s 52nd mayor in a small ceremony at City Hall, which was broadcast online. “I am not a savior for our city,” the Park Heights native said afterward. “No one is coming to save us. We have the ability to save ourselves. But we can only do that together.” Photography by Meredith Herzing

Kweisi Mfume Wins Back His Former Seat

After two-plus decades out of elected office—and tenures leading the NAACP and his alma mater Morgan State University—72-year-old Kweisi Mfume’s return to Capitol Hill this year is a remarkable full circle moment. Overcoming a troubled youth, Mfume was elected to the Baltimore City Council in 1978. Eight years later, he went to Washington, filling the historic seat previously held by Parren Mitchell. Following the death of Elijah Cummings—who like Mitchell had become not just a Baltimore but national civil rights leader—Mfume returned to his former House seat in May of 2020 after winning a special election. He replicated the victory with another win in November, easily defeating Republican challenger Kimberly Klacik. Mfume has vowed to help those “struggling at this hour to fight off the terrible disease of coronavirus” as well as those struggling to meet their basic economic demands in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. He has pledged to work to improve the city’s public transportation and school infrastructure woes as well as advocate for stricter gun-control measures, including a renewal of the federal assault weapons ban, which he had pushed when he previously held the seat. Shutterstock

Trey Mancini Announces He's Cancer Free

Baseball fans were shocked in mid-April when Trey Mancini, the O’s best and most popular player, announced he had been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer. It was hard to comprehend that someone so young, strong, and dynamic could be that sick. Mancini missed the entire 2020 season and went through several rounds of chemo, all the while being shown enormous love and support from the fans and his teammates, who sported F16HT shirts and handmade F16HT signs in his honor. And Mancini, always one to think of others first, created the F16HT campaign to raise money for colorectal cancer awareness. Then, the news we’d all been waiting for finally came: On November 12, Mancini announced that he was officially cancer-free and that he intends to play in the 2021 season. Orioles fans already rooted hard for Trey—now, if possible, we’ll root even harder. Photo courtesy of Baltimore Orioles

COVID Rocks the Ravens

A Thanksgiving matchup between archrivals the Ravens and the Steelers? It almost seemed too good to be true. And suddenly, it was. The day before the game, it was announced that, due to a COVID outbreak on the team, the game was being moved to Sunday. Little by little, the details emerged: That a (still unnamed) strength and conditioning coach had been sick and infected several members of the team, including running backs Mark Ingram and JK Dobbins. As Steelers players publicly grumbled about the cancelations (because they wanted to…catch COVID?), days went on and more players tested positive or were put on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including star quarterback and reigning league MVP Lamar Jackson. Meanwhile, in an unsurprising twist, the Steelers placed three of their own on the reserve/COVID-19 list. (No comment.)

The game was finally played Wednesday at 3:40 pm (the strange time was so as not to preempt the lighting of the Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree, scheduled to air that night—oh, how the mighty have fallen). The Ravens played without a dozen key contributors. Robert Griffin III started at QB and second-year backup (and inexplicable TikTok phenomenon) Trace McSorley led a memorable touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. It was actually a gutty effort by the Ravens—they were in it the whole game—but they ultimately fell to their division rivals, 19 to 14. But their COVID saga wasn’t quite over yet. On Tuesday, December 8, the Ravens were scheduled to play the Dallas Cowboys. All eyes were on former Cowboy Dez Bryant, who made it clear how stoked he was for the chance to “make a point” against his old team. And then—you guessed it—shortly before kickoff, it was announced that Bryant had tested positive for COVID and wouldn’t be able to play (he has since tested negative twice). “I’m about to drink some wine and cope,” he tweeted, as excellent a summation of 2020 as we can think of. Photography courtesy of Baltimore Ravens

Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Storytelling Shines

What a year to be Ta-Nehisi Coates. In addition to the particularly wise choice to remain off Twitter during an election year, the celebrated author was part of several exciting new projects. Coates guest-edited the September issue of Vanity Fair curating a special edition on race in America that explored art, activism, and power. Then in November, Coates’ Between The World And Me—a letter from father to son about growing up in Baltimore and in a society that enables white supremacy—was adapted as an HBO special. When we heard the news, we were equal parts excited and curious. Would the filmed version have the same power that the National Book Award-winner carried in its pages? The short answer: Yes. Based on the 2018 adaptation and staging at the Apollo Theater, the project brought together a cast of dozens of Black celebrities and luminaries to help tell Coates’ story. Powerful voices and visuals fill just over an hour, and together they form a stunning companion piece to the author’s work. The continuation of Coates’ film projects, an adaptation of his 2019 debut novel, The Water Dancer (which came out in paperback and revived Oprah’s Book Club this year), produced by Winfrey and Brad Pitt is also coming down the pipeline. We can’t wait. Courtesy of HBO

John Waters Secures Appropriately Filthy Legacy

Someday, the powers that be will see fit to take John Waters from us. And while we hope that time is still a long, long way away, it is nice to know that when it happens, we will be able to mourn appropriately: from the bathrooms at the Baltimore Museum of Art. The auteur of filth announced this year that, upon his death, his collection of around 375 paintings, prints, and photographs—including works by such prolific artists as Andy Warhol and Betsy the Chip—will go to the BMA. In addition, his name will be added to two equally important museum spaces, “The John Waters Rotunda” in the European art galleries and “The John Waters Restrooms” in the East Lobby. Photography by Marnie Hertzler

Marylanders Mourn Lives Lost

Five-thousand, two-hundred and seventy—that’s the number of Marylanders who have died (at press time) from COVID-19. Not that any one life can be reduced to a number. Every number represents a person. A mother, a sister, an aunt, an uncle, a cousin, a niece, a nephew, a husband, a wife. There was Windsor Mill’s DJ “Sugar” Chris Tittle, who spread his love for old-school classic R&B and house music; Evelyn Caro, 69, who became a registered nurse at the age of 50; Mary Wilson, 83, the first African-American woman to serve as a senior zookeeper at what is now the Maryland Zoo. India Jaimala “Mala” Singh, 65, a Lutherville resident who designed tapestries and saris back in her native India and went on to become one of the top designers for Calico, a design store chain. Chianti Jackson Harpool, 51, a political fundraiser who owned a marketing and public relations firm. Eastern Stewart Junior, 71, a longtime house manager at the Bowie Center for the Performing Arts. And Joseph Costa, 56, Chief of the Division of Critical Care at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, who succumbed after dedicating his career to caring for the sickest patients and continued to work on the front lines as the virus proliferated. All of you—as well as the thousands not named here—will be greatly missed. Photography courtesy of Mercy Medical Center

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What You Need to Know About Tuesday’s Special Primary Election

Evan Greenberg — Mon, 03 Feb 2020 17:07:00 +0000

Four months after Congressman Elijah E. Cummings passed away, a special primary is being held to fill his vacant seat on Tuesday, February 4. The 7th district seat has long been a Democratic stronghold, and its next holder will continue to build upon Cummings’ legacy. There have been a number of candidates, 24 Democrats and eight Republicans, who have declared their intention to run for the seat in the special election, for which voters can view polling places here.

“The fact that there’s 32 candidates is extraordinary,” says Matthew Crenson, a retired Johns Hopkins University political science professor and author of several books about Baltimore. “It suggests a degree of political entropy or disintegration.”

Crenson also speculates that the large candidate pool might be due to the fact that the district expands beyond the city. The winner of each primary will become the party nominee for a special election to finish the remainder of Cummings’ term on April 28, the same day as Maryland’s primary elections.

However, since a regular primary will be held that same day, a candidate could lose the special primary today but still become the party nominee for a November election to determine a full two-year term congressperson.

As it stands, the presumptive favorites in tomorrow’s special primary are democrats including Congressman Cummings’ widow Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, former NAACP leader Kweisi Mfume, and Maryland state senator Jill Carter.

But Crenson says that there is not much that wouldn’t surprise him. The large field could even open the door for someone like University of Baltimore law professor F. Michael Higginbotham, a political unknown who has had a heavy television presence. Delegates Talmadge Branch and Terri Hill of Districts 45 and 12, respectively in the Maryland House of Delegates, are also in the running.

Though it is likely to be a tough climb, among the eight Republican challengers is Liz Matory, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for Congress against Dutch Ruppersberger in 2018, and Kimberly Klacik—who runs a nonprofit to assist disadvantaged women and has increased her media profile with appearances on Fox News and other conservative media networks.

“The winner will win with a relatively low percentage of the vote—maybe even with a minority or mere plurality,” Crenson says. “What would surprise me most is if somebody managed to win with a majority of the vote.”

Here, we break down the three Democratic frontrunners and the developments in their campaigns since they first entered the race.

Kweisi Mfume

Experience: Mfume, who held the 7th District Congressional seat from 1987-1996 before Congressman Cummings, was a national NAACP leader from 1996-2004. After an unsuccessful campaign for Senate in 2006, losing out to Ben Cardin, he moved on to his current roles as chairman of the board of regents at Morgan State University and as vice chair on the board of Research America.

Platforms: Mfume has said that his tenure would be marked by improving education and eradicating drugs. During his earlier congressional tenure, he was selected to chair the Congressional Black Caucus, fought for prorated rents in public housing on the basis of real income rather than net income, and fought against discrimination in its many forms.

In mid-January, a Baltimore Sun story highlighted previous sexual harassment and nepotism allegations during his leadership of the NAACP. Mfume has denied being forced out of his position.

Predictions: Despite the allegations, he remains a leading candidate for the seat. Mfume has also drawn strong female support—Cummings’ sisters have even endorsed their late brother’s longtime friend who spoke at their brother’s funeral.

“I sort of expected that one or another candidate would emerge by this time as the universal favorite but that’s not happened—I thought it would be Mfume,” Crenson says. “The fact that he’s held this seat before and has name recognition helps him. I wouldn’t count him out at all.”

Maya Rockeymoore Cummings

Experience: Rockeymoore Cummings is not running off the strength of her husband’s name alone. She has government experience, previously serving in the late 1990s as the chief of staff to former New York Rep. Charles B. Rangel. Prior to that, she also served in the House Ways and Means Social Security Subcommittee as a professional staffer.

In 2018, when Councilman Cummings was suffering from health problems, Rockeymoore Cummings dropped out of the race for Maryland governor. Later that year, she was elected as the chair of the Maryland Democratic Committee, though she was criticized for the party’s overspending during her tenure.

Platforms: In her campaign announcement in November, Rockeymoore Cummings pledged to tackle gun violence and education disparities, as well as expand social security.

Predictions: Despite her name recognition, Rockeymoore Cummings has failed to pull ahead in the race in the way many expected when she announced her candidacy.

“She is not perceived by many Baltimoreans as a local person,” Crensons says. “There’s also the perception that there’s a coolness between her and the Cummings family.”

Jill P. Carter

Experience: Senator Carter represents Maryland’s 41st legislative district. She is the daughter of the late civil rights leader Walter P. Carter and formerly acted as director of the Baltimore Office of Civil Rights. Given her resume, she is viewed by many of her progressive supporters as a potential successor to Cummings on civil rights issues.

There are currently no women serving in Maryland’s congressional delegation, and if elected, Carter—or Rockeymoore Cummings—would be the first woman to hold this representative seat.

Platforms: In announcing her candidacy, Carter said that, if elected, she hopes to fight for issues she has long been passionate about, including corrupt policing, education, mass incarceration, and eradicating lead from homes and water.

Predictions: This past weekend, Carter picked up an endorsement from the Baltimore Sun editorial board, who commended her advocacy in the criminal justice system and longtime service of the city. As Crenson sees it, Carter’s candidacy marks an inflection point that could be an illustration of where Democratic politics in the state of Maryland stand nationally.

“She’s a Bernie Sanders voice,” Crensons says. “There are probably many Baltimoreans who think we need something like that now—especially given the stagnation of most people’s incomes and the presidency of Donald Trump. For many people, Jill Carter represents something new.”

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Maya Rockeymoore Cummings Declares For Late Husband’s Seat

Evan Greenberg — Tue, 12 Nov 2019 17:03:00 +0000

In the months leading up to his tragic passing, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings had conversations with his wife, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, about the future and what would come of his seat should his health continue to fail. Rockeymoore Cummings, who has served as the chairwoman of the Maryland Democratic National Committee, believes her political experience makes her the ideal candidate to succeed her husband.

At the West Baltimore home she shared with her husband, Rockeymoore Cummings formally announced Tuesday that she intends to continue his legacy and join what is expected to be a crowded field for the open 7th Congressional seat. The district has long been a Democratic stronghold, and it’s one many presume could be a job for as long as the person elected wants it.

“I think she has to be one of the top candidates,” says Matthew Crenson, a retired Johns Hopkins political science professor and author of several books about Baltimore. “Because she’s Congressman Cummings’ wife—there’s a very strong sentimental attachment to him that may pass over to her. The repudiation of the past probably isn’t going to work as well in this case as it might in some others.”

The special primary election will be held Feb. 4, with the general election set for April 28, the same day as Maryland’s primary election. Essentially, whoever wins the initial special election in a few months will once again need to win again in the April primary followed by November’s general election. This means that there will be an incumbent who will have the advantage of being familiar to voters.

Here is a breakdown of who else might compete for the seat and announce their intentions by the filing deadline of November 20:

Heavy Hitters

Kweisi Mfume
A familiar face in Baltimore politics, Mfume held the 7th District Congressional seat from 1987-1996 before Congressman Cummings. Considered the favorite in the race, he is a former leader of the national NAACP, heading the organization from 1996-2004. He ran an unsuccessful campaign for Senate in 2005, losing out to Ben Cardin. Currently, Mfume serves as chairman of the board of regents at Morgan State and as vice chair on the board of Research America, which works to achieve funding for medical and health research.

“He’s probably [Rockeymoore Cummings’s] stiffest competition having held the seat before,” Crenson says. “It’s going to be tough for outsiders to capitalize. Here, the same old same old looks pretty good.”

Jill P. Carter
A Maryland State Senator, Carter represents Maryland’s 41st legislative district. She has not officially filed, but many have speculated that she will enter the race. The former director of the Baltimore office of civil rights, Carter is the daughter of the late civil rights leader Walter P. Carter, and could make a natural successor to continue to fight for the progressive issues Cummings was passionate about.

Carter said Monday that she will make a special announcement next week that will likely launch her campaign for the seat. Crenson notes that there are currently zero women in Maryland’s congressional delegation, and that Carter and Rockeymoore Cummings could command women voters who are energized to change that.

Talmadge Branch
Branch is another familiar face in Maryland politics, currently serving as a delegate in the 45th legislative district and the majority whip of the House. He was first elected to the House of Delegates in 1994 and has served since 1995. Branch is expected to officially file for the seat soon.

For Branch and the other candidates, navigating how best to respect Congressman Cummings and his legacy will be a tricky minefield, especially given Rockeymoore Cummings’s claims about her husband’s wishes.

“There’s a way to make it clear what profound respect they have for him and his record, while also asserting that they might be able to carry on his tradition more effectively than [Rockeymoore Cummings] could,” Crenson says.

Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
Rawlings-Blake’s name has been thrown around in speculation, but her entering the race isn’t much more than that at this point. Still, for the former Baltimore mayor, who resigned in the aftermath of Freddie Gray’s death and the subsequent uprising in the city, running for office again could stir up a reexamination of her tenure as mayor. (Update: Rawlings-Blake will not run for the seat.)

Further Consideration

Dr. Mark Gosnell
Gosnell has never held political office before, but if voters are looking for a fresh face, he could be an option. A Baltimore native, Gosnell is currently a pulmonologist at MedStar Harbor Hospital. Gosnell has indicated he is serious about running, as he was already planning on primarying Elijah Cummings before the congressman’s passing. His platform will be based around health issues such as drug addiction and health care.

Marilyn Mosby
For the Baltimore City State’s Attorney, no formal interest has been expressed yet. However, Mosby is an ambitious politician, and it may make sense for her to seek the seat once held by the man who she says helped launch her political career. In the summer of 2018, Cummings narrated an ad for Mosby during her reelection campaign in the Democratic primary. The ties the two share could make her a logical candidate to step into the seat.

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Nick Mosby Ends Bid for Mayor; Endorses Pugh

Ron Cassie — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 16:19:00 +0000

Sonja Sohn talks with Nick Mosby outside of City Hall on Wednesday. - Photography by Ron Cassie

Also Wednesday, a number of other prominent Baltimore leaders formally endorsed Pugh, including attorney Billy Murphy, who has been representing Freddie Gray’s family; former Rep. Kweisi Mfume; former NAACP chief and Baltimore native Ben Jealous; and Rev. Jamal Bryant, pastor of the Empowerment Temple in West Baltimore.

Mosby said his decision to leave the race, “wasn’t about the polls,” which put his support at 5 percent, essentially tied with City Councilman Carl Stokes in fifth place, behind Pugh, Dixon, attorney Elizabeth Embry, and businessman David Warnock.

“If the polls were always right, my wife wouldn’t be city state’s attorney, Gregg Bernstein would. And Anthony Brown would be governor,” Mosby said. “This election will be strange. It’s tough to call. There are a lot of people after the unrest that signed up to vote. There’s the presidential race, the senate race, and a large number of ex-offenders who are able to vote for the first time.”

On the campaign trail, Mosby talked often of his personal story as the son of the city and a struggling mother in Northeast Baltimore, who went on to become an engineer. He said that he would focus on serving out the remainder of his first term in the City Council and representing the 7th District.

The City Council is currently examining a $535 million tax increment financing deal for the proposed Under Armour/Port Covington project—believed to be one of the largest urban redevelopment plans under consideration in the country.

“I’m disappointed he’s dropping out of the race, but at the same time I understand the political realities,” said Mosby supporter Kirk Wesley. “Nick ran on a message of new ideas, and the need for new candidates—instead of repeating the same mistakes made by the same people for the past 30 years. I think his candidacy, given where he came from, gave some hope to people who may have felt a sense of hopelessness.”

Mosby said that he hasn’t made any long-term career decisions. He added that his pressing concern at the moment was informing his two daughters, ages 5 and 7, when they return home from school that he was leaving the race and wouldn’t be mayor.

Early primary voting in Maryland begins April 14 with same-day registration offered during the early voting period, which continues through April 21. Early voting centers in the state can be found here.

On a light-hearted campaign note, the Stoop Storytelling Series and Open Society Institute-Baltimore are presenting “The Stoop Mayoral Show” this evening at The War Memorial, 101 N. Gay St. The free, unique election year event features Baltimore’s mayoral candidates “telling 5-minute true, personal tales about their first job” and “offers a different way to get to know the candidates.” Festivities, including music and food trucks, begin at 6 p.m. with stories to follow at 7 p.m. The event is sold out, but standby and standing room tickets will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The show will also be broadcast on WYPR and WEAA

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Hillary Clinton Makes Baltimore Campaign Stop

Ron Cassie — Sun, 10 Apr 2016 18:32:00 +0000

Hillary Clinton took a detour from her busy schedule in New York, where the former secretary of state is locked in a heated primary battle with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, to make a campaign stop in Baltimore Sunday.

The Democratic presidential frontrunner drew a crowd estimated by a fire department official at about 1,000 to City Garage, an innovation space near Port Covington that’s part of a development venture of Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank.

Among those introducing Clinton were former U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, a Baltimore native, current Maryland U.S. Sens. Ben Cardin and Barbara Mikulski, and notably, U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings—a staunch ally of Clinton during her Benghazi hearing last fall, who had remained neutral on the presidential primary until today.

Cummings praised Clinton’s advocacy on behalf of children’s health care initiatives and pay equity when she served in the U.S. Senate, as well as her work on imposing sanctions on Iran as secretary of state.

Cummings also directed words of praise toward her opponent, commending Sanders on bringing the issue of income and wealth inequality to the fore of the national debate and “spending your career fighting for peace and justice and universal health care.” But Cummings added, “I know Hillary Clinton.”

“Families in Baltimore who are hurting right now need more than the promise of a political revolution,” Cummings wrote earlier in an op-ed submitted to The Washington Post, in announcing his endorsement.

According to a University of Maryland/Washington Post poll released this week, Clinton leads Sanders by 15-point margin in the state. It’s a formidable advantage with the Maryland primary scheduled for April 26, but down from her 33-point margin in March in a University of Baltimore/Baltimore Sun poll.

Clinton only mentioned Baltimore briefly in her remarks, saying that if elected she’d invest significant federal dollars in places like West and East Baltimore. She added that she thought the city’s Red Line mass transit project, cancelled by Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, “should have been completed.”

Clinton did not mention Freddie Gray, last April’s riot, or the subsequent protests and demands for political and criminal justice reform in Baltimore. When asked by Baltimore magazine following her address what it meant to be in Baltimore one year after the unrest here, Clinton said, “We have to restore faith in the criminal justice system.”

A handful of protestors were also on hand, including a small group that held up a sign reading “Clinton: What about mass incarceration?” and chanted “super predator”—references to policies and statements from the 1990s when her husband was president. Two individuals were also escorted out after shouting questions about the rights of Palestinians.

Mostly, however, it was a very enthusiastic Clinton crowd, which broke into loud applause throughout her speech—an address that ticked off nearly every Democratic issue from early childhood education and clean energy to a minimum wage increase and voting rights. Other than drawing distinctions with Sanders on their gun control records, Clinton spent most of her speech going after Republican presidential primary leaders Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, both of whom she characterized as promoting discrimination and bigotry.

Sanders visited Baltimore in December, touring West Baltimore and meeting with local pastors.

While the crowd was largely white and perhaps not as racially diverse as Clinton might have wished for, it included many who have been looking forward to today since 2008 when they first hoped the former First Lady would break the biggest glass ceiling in the country.

“I’m so excited about Hillary’s campaign,” said Bronwyn Coltrane, who brought her 8-year-old daughter to the rally. “I was with her eight years ago and I’m glad she’s back.”

“Eight years ago, I walked into the [primary] voting booth wearing pins for both Hillary and Barack Obama, but I pulled the lever for President Obama,” said Darcy Sawatzki, who brought her 9-year-old daughter. “Since then, I’ve been waiting for my turn to pull the lever for Hillary.”

Early primary voting in Maryland begins April 14 with same-day registration offered during the early voting period—which continues through April 21— for the first time ever this year. Early voting centers in the state can be found here.

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