By Ryan Sullivan
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Brandon M. Scott, 34, was sworn into office as the 52nd mayor of Baltimore this afternoon during a small inauguration event held at City Hall that was broadcasted online.
“I would like to thank the residents of Baltimore for putting your trust in me to lead you through this difficult time — and it is a very difficult time,” Scott said at the inauguration. “We must also understand that these dual emergencies of violence and this pandemic exacerbate the underlying and obvious inequities facing residents of Baltimore.”
Scott said he was humbled by the task before him and the city, adding that he is not naïve about the challenges ahead.
Scott comes into office as the city faces a pandemic that has infected thousands, growing gun violence, and persistent poverty and inequality.
At the time of the inauguration ceremony this afternoon, there have been 309 reported cases of homicide dating back to Jan. 1, according to The Baltimore Sun’s Baltimore homicide tracker. There were 348 reported homicides in 2019 and 309 reported homicides in 2018.
“This is about getting to work because we’re at a critical point for our city,” Scott told The Associated Press. “That was the case even before COVID, and even more so now. Here in Baltimore, we have two public health emergencies: We have a pandemic of COVID and an epidemic of gun violence in our city, and we have to tackle both of them at the same time with the same vigor.”
There have been 26,415 total cases of COVID-19 in Baltimore City and 553 total deaths at the time of publication, according to Baltimore City statistics.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and gun violence harming the city, some see brighter days ahead for Baltimore.
“The future of Baltimore is bright,” Maryland Democratic Party Chair Yvette Lewis said in an email interview. “Mayor Scott has done so much for the city during his time as Council President—he’s led the fight for a livable minimum wage, worked tirelessly to reform the Baltimore City Police Department, and launched groundbreaking initiatives to invest in and improve schools and recreational centers.”
Lewis said she expects Scott to continue making progress, adding that she is confident the new mayor will fulfill his promises of bringing a new generation of success and prosperity to Baltimore.
Scott defeated Bob Wallace, Republican Shannon Wright and David Harding in the general election for mayor of Baltimore on Nov. 3, where he received 70.6%, or 133,004 votes.
“This year has been an interesting and challenging year, and it is my hope that moving forward, we will see Baltimore turn the corner,” Wright said in an interview.
“The election is done, and it is time for us to work together,” Wright continued. “I ask that in this holiday season that every one of faith lift up our new mayor so that our concerns can be alleviated, and he can actually lead the city in the direction that it needs to go.”
Former mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young did not immediately respond to a comment request.
Scott previously represented Baltimore’s Second District as a city council member. He was unanimously elected president of the council in May 2019. He is a graduate of MERVO High School and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. He currently lives in Baltimore’s Frankford neighborhood.
“COVID cases are rising, deaths are rising, small businesses are suffering, and an eviction crisis looms large over our city,” Scott said. “Not to mention the huge fiscal impact to our city’s budget that will require sacrifices.”
He said the city was also losing too many lives to violence and preventable overdose deaths.
“That must change, and we cannot accept this as normal in our city,” Scott said.