By Simone Ebongo Bayehe
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Green Party mayoral candidate Joshua Harris’ virtual tie with Republican nominee Alan Walden in Tuesday’s election may help move the Greens one step closer to becoming Baltimore’s second major political party.
Harris finished the campaign with 20,936 votes, 10 percent of the total and just 24 votes shy of Walden’s 20,960. Both lost to Democrat Catherine Pugh.
“What we’ve shown here today is the only thing that beats big corporation power, is people power,” Harris said during his election night party at Sweet 27 Café on West 27 Street. “We’ve created a push for progressive policy change for a Baltimore that represents people no matter their zip code.”
A Baltimore City native, Harris’ campaign began last year, after what he described as a combination of factors that made him realize Baltimore was facing a crisis of leadership.
“When he first told me he was running, I thought, ‘interesting,’” said Sonya Harris, Joshua’s mother. “I thought it was so much work in such a big city, but his passion is my passion, and I’m proud he started something.”
Harris said his campaign was fully financed by the people and not large corporations. He said he felt good that he could run an empowering campaign with no help from media or big organizations.
“We have shown there is power in the people, and we have shaken up the establishment,” Green Party U.S. Senate nominee Margaret Flowers said. “We’ve shown that we have heart, something money can never buy.”
Harris said his vote total makes him optimistic for the future.
“We live in a city that needs help, that needs a government to represent it,” Harris said. “This is just the beginning.”