Brandon Scott

Age: 40

Personal: Engaged to fiancée Hana Pugh. Father to Charm and stepfather to Ceron. Lives in Hamilton neighborhood in Northeast Baltimore.

Education: Graduate, Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School. Bachelor’s degree, political science, from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Experience: Incumbent mayor since December 2020. Served as Baltimore City Council president from 2019 to 2020. Served as a Baltimore City Councilmember from 2011 to 2019, representing Northeast Baltimore. Aide to former mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

Endorsements: Metropolitan Baltimore AFL-CIO Council, IAFF Local 734 and IAFF Local 964, AFSCME.

Notable donors: MCB Real Estate, the company redeveloping Harborplace; Michael Beatty and Nathalie Beatty of Beatty Development Group; Jason Levien, the co-chairman of the D.C. United soccer team; Mark Sapperstein, the CEO of Walker Development; and others.

Read The Baltimore Banner profile: Mayor Scott promised to change Baltimore. The job changed him.

Questionnaire

Q: Would you continue the Group Violence Reduction Strategy and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement? Please explain your answer.

Q: In what other ways would your administration fight to reduce homicides and gun violence?

Q: What should the mayor do to improve the prosperity of Baltimore’s residents?

Q: Do you support Renew Baltimore’s effort to cut property tax rates? Please explain your answer.

Q: Baltimore’s influx of federal pandemic aid will expire during the next mayor’s term. Are there aspects of the city’s American Rescue Plan Act investments that you think should be sustained after the federal money has dried up?

Q: How would you ensure the city has enough affordable housing?

Q: What should Baltimore do to reduce the number of vacant properties?

Q: City finance officials have predicted that Baltimore could face a budget deficit over the next 10 years of nearly $2 billion. What should the city do to ensure a balanced budget?

Q: Do you support the Harborplace plans as proposed? Please explain your answer.

Q: Baltimore’s plan for making its roadways more accommodating for bikers and pedestrians has been embraced in some circles and has faced intense opposition in others. Do you support any changes to the city’s Complete Streets policy? If so, describe them.

Q: Why should voters elect you?