AFSCME union backs Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott for reelection, Zeke Cohen for City Council president

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees publicly endorsed Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on Thursday and argued that Scott’s rival, former Mayor Sheila Dixon, oversaw the city during a period in which city services were cut and staffing pared back.

The union represents 45,000 public sector workers statewide, 10,000 of whom live in Baltimore. AFSCME members include operational employees of multiple city agencies under the mayor’s purview including the Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Works and the Department of Recreation and Parks.

Beyond their endorsement, AFSCME has also backed Scott financially. The union gave Scott’s campaign $5,000 in January, campaign finance reports show.

In addition to Scott, the union endorsed Councilman Zeke Cohen in his bid for City Council president, Comptroller Bill Henry who is running unopposed for reelection, and 11 candidates for the City Council, most of whom are incumbents. All of the endorsed candidates are Democrats.

“We look for candidates who shared our commitment to advocating for working people supporting and enhancing public services and moving Baltimore forward,” said AFSCME Council 3 President Patrick Moran. “Many of our members have worked in Baltimore for decades and can remember what candidates have and have not done for working families over the last 30-plus years. We want ethical people to lead Baltimore to a prosperous future.”

Gathered in AFSCME’s South Baltimore office, union leadership took aim at Dixon, a Democrat, who was mayor from 2007 to 2010 and City Council president from 1999 to 2006 under then-Mayor Martin O’Malley, a Democrat.

AFSCME was among the groups behind a coalition that pushed for a reduction in the size of the City Council from 19 to 15 members and did away with multi-member districts during Dixon’s time as council president. Despite opposition from Dixon and others, voters approved a related ballot measure, Question P, by a nearly 2-to-1 margin in 2002, which supporters said was intended to increase council accountability and make it easier for lesser-known candidates to win election.

Led by Dixon, council members tried to kill the measure with an alternative ballot question. The move was foiled because the council violated the state’s Open Meetings Act by meeting via a closed-door session.

Scott touted the city’s recent gains during his time in office, like reduced homicides and low unemployment, and said his administration had yet to weather a major scandal like the embezzlement conviction that ended Dixon’s time in office in 2009.

Dixon said she was forced to make drastic cuts to city services to keep them afloat during the 2008 financial crisis, but did not have the benefit of COVID federal relief dollars.

“Public service workers are the backbone of city government, and as Mayor, Sheila Dixon will ensure that they are accountable, well managed, and well resourced so they can finally deliver on the city services too many of our residents have missed out on during Mayor Scott’s tenure,” Luca Amayo, a Dixon campaign spokesperson, said in a statement.

Scott and Dixon are among 13 Democrats vying to win the May 14 primary. Also among those running are former prosecutor Thiru Vignarajah and businessman Bob Wallace. The Democratic primary typically decides the mayoral race in heavily Democratic Baltimore.

Cohen is running against incumbent Council President Nick Mosby as well former Councilwoman Shannon Sneed. All are Democrats.

The AFSCME endorsement is the second union endorsement for Scott in as many weeks. Last week, Baltimore Firefighters IAFF Local 734, which represents rank-and-file firefighters, and Local 964, which represents the city’s fire officers, announced their support for Scott while making a similar case against Dixon.