On Sunday I received a robocall from Frank Richardson. Mr. Richardson is running for city council the 12th district. Carl Stokes currently represents the 12th district, and at the time we thought he was running for higher office. Since the seat appeared to be open there were six Democrats who had filed to run for the seat as of Sunday. Carl Stokes is no longer running for mayor, he is running for his current seat in the 12th district! This is bad news for all the 12th district candidates who thought there would be no incumbent in their race. I do not think Stokes should have run for mayor, but I also thought it was time for new blood in the 12th. Stokes should have run for city council president.
Most of you know that I do not live in the 12th district so it is a little strange for me to receive a robocall that targeted “12th district citizens”. I assume that a few candidates have realized that if they include me on their call list that they might end up with their name on my blog.
Richardson’s call talked about jobs and schools. He wished everyone a happy holiday weekend and said that he would be campaigning throughout the weekend. I actually ran into Richardson last night and he had no clue who I was and was unaware of the stray robocall I received.
It is clear that Richardson is pretty serious about this campaign (he is spending money on robocalls very early). It would have been a highly competitive race. Odette Ramos has had a few fundraisers and is sending out plenty of messages over the Internet, I keep seeing Jason Curtis signs in Mount Vernon, and Robert Stokes has the same last name as the current office holder. That last point is pretty pathetic, but in Baltimore it works. Good luck to every candidate. Concilman Stokes entry into the race is a depressing thought for those who want change in Baltimore. The hard campaigning newbies are going to have to campaign a lot harder now. If Stokes can be toppled then it will be a major upset and speak volumes about the mindset of the people of the 12th District.
Adam is the most recognizable face of the recent resurgence in Reservoir Hill. He has appeared on many national and local radio shows, in several news publications, and at numerous events discussing his innovative urban redevelopment ideas and his unique lifestyle. Adam is a successful entrepreneur, community activist, and a local political guru who ran for city council in 2007. He is the founder and director of the TechBalt.com Buy a Block Project and BaltimoreHourly.com. His fearless local political commentary has rocked the local blog scene for most of this decade and he plans to take it to the next level in the next decade here on Charm City Current.