By Ashlee Banks
Special to the AFRO
Baltimore City Mayor Brandon Scott was re-elected to a second term on November 5th.
In a statement obtained by the AFRO, Scott thanked Maryland voters for reelecting him.
“I am deeply humbled and grateful to the residents of Baltimore for granting me the opportunity to continue serving them as mayor of Baltimore,” said Scott. “The work is not done, and this victory is a mandate to double down on our efforts to keep building Baltimore’s renaissance and make our city into the best version of itself.”
“Thank you, Baltimore – now let’s get back to work building a more equitable Charm City,” the mayor added.
U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.-4) told the AFRO that Scott is a “top shelf guy.”
“He’s very smart, very focused. I think people sometimes underestimate him because he is young and looks young,” said Ivey. “He’s got a laser focus on getting the job done and he’s had good success already in making things happen that have been beneficial to the city.”
Scott plans to tackle key issues during his second time in office which includes combating violence and improving public safety.
“Number one, we’re gonna continue to drive down violence in Baltimore City. Two, we’re gonna continue to invest in our future and our young people in Baltimore City. Third, we’re going to see a revitalization in our city, getting rid of vacant homes and building a new downtown,” said Scott. “We’re going to make sure that Baltimore is going to be the best version of itself ever.”
The mayor also plans to “modernize” city government in order to “better serve” the city’s residents.
Ivey told the AFRO that he has looked to Scott’s leadership as it pertains to tackling key issues.
“I’ve been looking to Baltimore City to see what they’re doing right that we can do it in other jurisdictions across the country, including Prince George’s County,” said the congressman. “I think he’s been doing a fine job and I think he deserves re-election.”
“I think it definitely helps him a lot to have a governor who’s on the same page. Governor Wes Moore has been working very closely with Brandon to combine the resources to get things done, because you need all three levels of government, and the Maryland delegation has been helping out with that,” the Democratic lawmaker added.
Earlier this year, Scott was praised by Gov. Moore, Maryland Congressional members and the Biden-Harris administration for his response to the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
On March 26, a Dali container ship struck one of the bridge’s beams causing the bridge to collapse into the Patapsco River. As a result, six members of a maintenance crew who were working on the bridge were killed. Two others were rescued from the river.
Ivey told the AFRO that Scott worked tirelessly to help secure funding to reconstruct the major thoroughfare.
“The Biden-Harris administration has provided billions of dollars in funding to rebuild the Key Bridge,” said Ivey. “Brandon did a great job of coordinating these efforts with the help of the Maryland delegation.”
The mayor told the AFRO that being a husband and a father has made him a “better mayor.”
“Having my lovely wife Hana here with me and understanding that we have another baby on the way, and two at home, it makes all of these things even more real and more personal for me and my service more personal,” said Scott. “But there is no job that I love more than being a dad.”