The crowded Baltimore mayoral race just got a little more complicated with the entrance of a new candidate: local millionaire David Warnock.
The Baltimore Sun reports that Warnock plans to formally enter the race today. He’s different from the many candidates already campaigning for mayor in ways that might both help and hurt him. On the plus side: He’s rich and well-connected. He’s displayed an interest in applying an entrepreneurial approach Baltimore’s longstanding problems by founding the Warnock Foundation and West Baltimore’s Green Street Academy. (Read more about Warnock’s approach in our Big Fish interview with him.)
But there are also factors working against Warnock. His name recognition is low. He’s not an established politician (although some might put that into the plus column). He’s a rich white guy in a majority black city where many people struggle financially. For his part, Warnock doesn’t necessarily see these as disadvantages: “I think Baltimore likes winners,” he told the Sun. “I’ve made a lot of money. It’s time for me to make a lot of change.”
But in a crowded field, the things that set Warnock apart might actually work to his advantage. One thing’s for sure: This is going to be an interesting race.
