BALTIMORE—Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is abandoning her re-election bid, dogged by critics who questioned whether she was fit to lead a city still reeling from a black man’s mysterious death from injuries received while in police custody.
The mayor of this majority black city, still 15 months away from election day, said at a news conference Friday that she wanted to focus on governing, not campaigning. Rawlings-Blake said she wanted to guide the city through a difficult time and pointed to her achievements: ethics reforms to combat fraud, reducing the city’s $100 million budget deficit by half, adding 12,000 jobs and demolishing more than 3,000 vacant structures.
Her five years in office have been marred in the months since Freddie Gray’s death, however. In April, the day of Gray’s funeral, rioters smashed windows, set fires and caused millions of dollars in damage. In the aftermath, the head of an already troubled police department was fired, with one of his deputies tapped to restore trust in the community.
Systemic issues, including racial inequality and economic disparity, became all the more stark after festering for decades. And now, after reaching a $6.4 million settlement with Gray’s family, the prosecution of six officers charged in his death must continue.
“Many important decisions lie ahead, both from recovering from April’s unrest and managing our city through the multiple trials we have coming up,” said Rawlings-Blake, referring to the prosecution of the six officers charged in Gray’s death.
“The last thing I want is for every one of the decisions I make moving forward at a time when the city needs me the most to be questioned in the context of a political campaign.”
Rawlings-Blake has been a steady figure in Baltimore politics, serving on the City Council for 15 years before replacing former mayor Sheila Dixon, who was forced to resign in 2010 after pleading guilty to fraud. Dixon has announced that she will run next year.
During a news conference Friday, Rawlings-Blake acknowledged her approval ratings had “dipped” since April.
Some political analysts say she may have been able to pull off a win next year, especially because her numerous challengers would have likely split the vote among those who dislike her.
