Thiru Vignarajah

Thiru Vignarajah has dropped out of the Baltimore mayor’s race and endorsed former Mayor Sheila Dixon.

Age: 47

Personal: Separated. Father to one child. Lives in Federal Hill neighborhood in South Baltimore.

Education: Graduate, Woodlawn High School. Bachelor’s degree, philosophy and political science, Yale University. Master’s degree, medical ethics, King’s College London. Graduate of Harvard Law School.

Experience: Managing partner at Sanford Heisler Sharp. Partner at DLA Piper, 2017 to 2021. Deputy Attorney General, 2015 to 2016. Chief of the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Major Investigations Unit, 2011 to 2015. Democratic candidate for mayor in 2020; Democratic candidate for City State’s Attorney in 2018 and 2022.

Notable donors: Using public financing.

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?

Correction: This article was updated to correct personal details.