By: Luke Broadwater, The Baltimore Sun
City Council President Brandon Scott has entered the race for Baltimore mayor, with the young Democrat saying he wants to bring “transformational” change to a city struggling with high rates of gun violence and poverty.
The 35-year-old Scott is the first elected official to get into the 2020 race, a move that heats up the contest and puts pressure on Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young to decide whether he wants to seek the office in his own right after taking over from Catherine Pugh. She resigned amid scandal in May and is the subject of a criminal investigation into her business dealings.
In an interview Thursday with The Baltimore Sun, Scott announced his run for office.
“After thinking long and hard, talking with my family and listening to the citizens of Baltimore, I’ve decided to run for mayor,” Scott said. “Baltimore is at its most critical point in generations. We need transformational leadership. We need leadership that understands what it’s like to grow up here and understands Baltimore inside and out."