Brandon Scott

Brandon Scott
Born	Brandon Maurice Scott 8 4, 1984
Birthplace	Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Politician
Known for	53rd Mayor of Baltimore
Education	St. Mary's College of Maryland (BA)
Children	2

Brandon Maurice Scott (born April 8, 1984) is an American politician who has served as the 53rd Mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, since December 8, 2020. A member of the Democratic Party, Scott rose through Baltimore's political ranks over the course of a decade, first winning election to the Baltimore City Council representing the 2nd district in 2011 at the age of 27, making him one of the youngest members ever elected to the body. He later served as president of the Baltimore City Council from May 2019 to December 2020 before winning the mayoral race in 2020. Born and raised in Baltimore, Scott has centered much of his political career on issues of public safety, violence reduction, and government equity. His ascent to the mayoralty represented what observers described as a generational shift in Baltimore city politics, as Scott became the youngest mayor of Baltimore in over a century.

Early Life

Brandon Maurice Scott was born on April 8, 1984, in Baltimore, Maryland, where he was raised. He grew up in the city's neighborhoods and experienced firsthand the challenges of urban life in Baltimore, including the violence that would later become a central focus of his political career.

Scott became involved in community organizing as a young man. In 2015, he was associated with efforts to address violence in Baltimore, including the 300 Men March, a community-led initiative aimed at curbing shootings and homicides in the city. The movement sought to bring men from Baltimore's neighborhoods together to walk through areas affected by violence and engage with residents.

His early engagement with anti-violence work and community activism in Baltimore shaped his approach to public policy and governance. Scott's upbringing in the city provided him with direct knowledge of the systemic issues—including poverty, crime, and inequity—that would define his later political platform. He remained a resident of Baltimore throughout his life, eventually settling in the Frankford neighborhood on the city's east side.

Education

Scott attended St. Mary's College of Maryland, the state's public honors college located in St. Mary's City, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Career

Baltimore City Council (2011–2019)

Scott was elected to the Baltimore City Council in 2011, representing the 2nd district. He took office on December 8, 2011, succeeding Nicholas D'Adamo in the seat. At the time of his election, Scott was 27 years old, making him one of the youngest people to serve on the council.

During his tenure on the City Council, Scott focused on issues of public safety and violence reduction, drawing on his background in community organizing. He served on the council for nearly eight years, building a reputation as a legislator engaged with the day-to-day concerns of Baltimore residents, particularly around issues of crime and neighborhood investment.

2018 Lieutenant Governor Campaign

In 2018, Scott entered statewide politics as a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland during the 2018 Maryland gubernatorial election. He ran on a ticket with Jim Shea, a Baltimore attorney who sought the Democratic nomination for governor. Scott's selection as a running mate reflected his growing profile in Maryland Democratic politics.

In an interview during the campaign, Scott indicated that his focus was on the June 2018 Democratic primary rather than longer-term political ambitions, stating that he was "not thinking beyond" that immediate contest. The Shea-Scott ticket ultimately did not prevail in the Democratic primary, but the campaign further raised Scott's statewide profile and established a working relationship with Shea that would continue into Scott's mayoral administration.

President of the Baltimore City Council (2019–2020)

On May 6, 2019, Scott was elected president of the Baltimore City Council, succeeding Jack Young, who had ascended to the mayoralty following the resignation of Catherine Pugh. Pugh had resigned amid a scandal involving undisclosed payments for her self-published children's books, creating a cascading series of leadership changes at Baltimore City Hall. Young, as council president, automatically became mayor upon Pugh's departure, leaving the council presidency vacant.

Scott's election as council president was part of what Maryland Matters described as an accelerating pace of political change in Baltimore. The rapid turnover in city leadership—from Pugh's resignation to Young's elevation to the mayoralty to Scott's rise to the council presidency—underscored a period of significant political upheaval in the city.

As council president, Scott held the second-highest elected office in Baltimore city government. The position gave him a platform to shape legislative priorities and increased his visibility as a citywide political figure. He served as council president from May 2019 until December 2020, when he was inaugurated as mayor. He was succeeded as council president by Nick Mosby.

2020 Mayoral Campaign

Scott announced his candidacy for mayor of Baltimore in September 2019, making official a bid that had been anticipated for several months. Baltimore Magazine also covered the announcement, noting that the City Council president was entering what was expected to be a crowded Democratic primary field.

A December 2019 analysis in Maryland Matters examined the political landscape of the mayoral race, assessing the various candidates and their lanes to victory in the Democratic primary.

The 2020 Democratic primary for mayor of Baltimore took place on June 2, 2020, against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd. Scott claimed victory in the race, emerging from a competitive primary field. Official results from the Maryland State Board of Elections confirmed his primary victory.

In the November 2020 general election, Scott won the mayoralty, as is typical in heavily Democratic Baltimore. The general election results were certified by the Baltimore City Board of Elections. Maryland Matters noted that Scott's election represented a continuation of generational change at City Hall.

Mayor of Baltimore (2020–present)

Brandon Scott was inaugurated as the 53rd Mayor of Baltimore on December 8, 2020, succeeding Jack Young. In his first remarks as mayor, Scott stated that equity would be his "guiding principle" in governing the city. NPR described him as a "progressive mayor" prepared to confront the city's most significant challenges, including violent crime, poverty, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early Administration and Cabinet

Shortly after taking office, Scott made several notable appointments and structural changes to his administration. In late December 2020, he named Jim Shea—his former running mate from the 2018 gubernatorial campaign—as the city's solicitor, the top legal position in Baltimore's municipal government. At the same time, Scott announced the creation of a cabinet-level chief equity officer position, fulfilling a campaign commitment to embed equity considerations into the city's governance structure.

The appointment of Shea as solicitor was notable for its connection to the pair's earlier political partnership. Shea, an attorney with experience in Baltimore legal circles, had led the gubernatorial ticket on which Scott ran as lieutenant governor candidate in 2018. The solicitor's office oversees all legal matters for the city of Baltimore, including litigation, legislation review, and advisory opinions for city agencies.

The creation of the chief equity officer position reflected a central theme of Scott's campaign and early governance. The role was designed to evaluate city policies and programs through an equity lens, with the goal of addressing systemic disparities in areas such as health, housing, employment, and public safety. By placing the position at the cabinet level, Scott signaled that equity considerations would be integrated into high-level decision-making within the administration.

Gun Violence and Public Safety

Public safety remained a defining issue for Scott's mayoralty, consistent with his longstanding focus on violence reduction throughout his political career. In February 2022, Scott was named co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a coalition of American mayors who advocate for measures to reduce gun violence. The appointment recognized his work on the issue and placed him in a national advocacy role alongside other urban leaders.

Baltimore has experienced elevated rates of homicides and shootings for decades, and the issue has been a persistent challenge for successive mayoral administrations. Scott's approach to public safety drew on his earlier community organizing work and his experience chairing public safety efforts during his time on the City Council.

Personal Life

Scott resides in the Frankford neighborhood of Baltimore, located on the city's northeast side. He has two children. Scott has maintained his residence in Baltimore throughout his life, and his deep roots in the city have been a consistent element of his public identity and political campaigns.

Recognition

Scott's election as mayor of Baltimore at the age of 36 drew national attention. NPR profiled him upon his inauguration, describing the generational shift his election represented in a city that had been governed by older politicians for decades. His appointment as co-chair of Mayors Against Illegal Guns in 2022 placed him in a national leadership role on gun violence prevention, alongside other mayors from across the United States.

His rise from City Council member to council president to mayor within approximately nine years was noted by political observers in Maryland as an unusually rapid ascent through Baltimore's political hierarchy. Maryland Matters and The Baltimore Sun covered his career trajectory extensively, documenting each stage of his advancement.

Legacy

As the youngest mayor of Baltimore in over a century, Scott's election in 2020 was characterized by multiple outlets as emblematic of a generational shift in the city's political leadership. His emphasis on equity as a governing framework, including the creation of a cabinet-level equity position, represented a structural change in how Baltimore's municipal government approached policy development and implementation.

Scott's career trajectory—from community organizer engaged in anti-violence work to the youngest member of the City Council to council president to mayor—reflects a path shaped by direct engagement with the issues that have defined Baltimore's modern political landscape. His administration took office during a period of overlapping crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, national reckoning over racial justice, and the city's ongoing struggle with violent crime, placing him at the center of some of the most consequential governance challenges facing American cities in the early 2020s.

The appointment of Jim Shea as city solicitor demonstrated a governance approach that drew on existing political relationships forged during earlier campaigns, while the structural innovations such as the chief equity officer position signaled an intent to embed new priorities into the institutional framework of city government.