Seven members of the Baltimore City Council have endorsed Mayor Brandon Scott in his reelection bid, including council Vice President Sharon Green Middleton, a signal that some City Hall members will work their networks for the incumbent in the last few weeks of a competitive mayoral primary.

Danielle McCray, Kristerfer Burnett, John Bullock, Ryan Dorsey, James Torrence, and Phylicia Porter also announced Tuesday their support for the mayor, who faces a tight primary vote on May 14. Together, the council members represent racially and geographically diverse neighborhoods across Baltimore.

The seven endorsements represent much of the council’s progressive wing and previous Scott allies — but not all of them — as well as support from officials who aren’t always in step with the incumbent.

Middleton, a Northwest Baltimore fixture who’s a more moderate Democrat than Scott, has been unafraid to publicly rebuke him. She has generally aligned herself with council President Nick Mosby, who has not endorsed in the mayor’s race.

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The endorsements were announced by Scott’s campaign, which did not specify why the council members were backing the incumbent.

Scott held a slight lead over a pack of Democrats vying for victory, according to a recent survey from The Baltimore Banner and Goucher College Poll. Of likely voters, 40% said they would cast a ballot for Scott, while 32% said they supported former Mayor Sheila Dixon.

In a tight race, endorsements — even if they may make little inroads with voters — send important signals within Baltimore’s political world.

Officials must weigh a slew of factors, from their preferred candidate’s political agenda and likelihood of winning to the potential ire of snubbed opponents and their political cliques. Even abstaining from endorsing can be read as a statement.

”My partnership with the City Council is grounded in our shared belief that we must continue to move Baltimore forward into the future, not return to the failed, broken ways of the past,” Scott said.

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A slate — a campaign finance committee of multiple candidates who pay for joint campaigning together — reflects the new alliance and has raised about $8,500.

In March, the Slate for a More Equitable Baltimore was established to support Scott’s candidacy. Earlier this month, each of the council members who endorsed Scott were added to the slate’s affiliated campaigns, except for Burnett, who is not seeking reelection. Paris Grey, a current aide to Burnett who received his endorsement, was added.

A PAC representing the International Union of Operating Engineers, Loc #37 donated $2,000 to the slate. An out-of-state PAC representing construction workers and laborers donated $6,000.

Eric Costello is the only council member to publicly throw his support behind Dixon. He did so early on, endorsing her in November. Baltimore State’s Attorney Ivan Bates said he’d support her earlier this month, amid a beef with Scott that the two men say has since been quelled.

There are several notable abstentions from other city leaders, including those aligned with the mayor’s priorities. Council members Isaac “Yitzy” Schleifer, Odette Ramos, Mark Conway and Zeke Cohen have so far sat out of the mayor’s race.

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Cohen and Ramos are generally allies of the mayor’s, while Conway and Schleifer tend to side with Mosby in his public disagreements with Scott.

Mosby is running to keep his council president title against Cohen and former councilwoman Shannon Sneed in a tight race, according to the Banner/Goucher poll.

No major Democratic council presidential candidate has endorsed a mayoral candidate this cycle, and mayoral candidates have similarly sat out of the council president race.

In both races, candidates must weigh the possible mayor-City Council president’s permutations; the offices work together on the city budget and policy agendas. The fact that no candidates have chosen to run on a ticket suggests that campaigns are cautious about alienating other candidates, as well as their bases.

Comptroller Bill Henry, who is running unopposed and is broadly a Scott ally, has not weighed in on the mayor’s race. He endorsed Cohen last spring.

Emily Sullivan

emily.sullivan@thebaltimorebanner.com

Emily Sullivan

Emily Sullivan covers Baltimore City Hall. She joined the Banner after three years at WYPR, where she won multiple awards for her radio stories on city politics and culture. She previously reported for NPR’s national airwaves, focusing on business news and breaking news.

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