Baltimore mayor race reaches past city limits

Candidates find support in Washington suburbs that could go beyond Election Day

It’s the latest out-of-city fundraiser for the incumbent, who has also raised money at house parties in Baltimore and Howard counties.

Dixon is not alone. City Councilman Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. has stumped across the Baltimore region and in Montgomery County, where he has the support of Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler (D) and Del. Heather R. Mizeur (D-Dist. 20) of Silver Spring.

Both campaigns said raising money outside the city is common because other regions have a stake in the welfare of the state’s largest city.

‘‘The health and the stability of Baltimore city is important for the region, and I think people who have been watching and paying attention want to be a part of the progress of Baltimore city and have come to us and said, ‘How can we help?’” said Dixon campaign manager Martha McKenna.

‘‘Baltimore is an important part of the whole Maryland community, and people throughout the state recognize that the problems in Baltimore affect the rest of the state,” concurred Mitchell campaign manager Jayson Williams.

But Williams charged that Dixon’s non-Baltimore donations are coming from developers competing for city contracts. ‘‘There’s a pay-to-play culture in the city of Baltimore that she is in the middle of,” he said.

McKenna fired back that Mitchell’s campaign is having trouble raising money because of recent allegations that his father paid for personal expenses with campaign money.

‘‘Even those few people who aren’t supporting Mayor Dixon are cautious to give Keiffer Mitchell money because they’re afraid it will go to pay a hotel bill in Baltimore County,” she said.

Building bridges

The Prince George’s County reception for Dixon comes less than two weeks before the eight-way Democratic mayoral primary on Sept. 11. Elbert R. Henderson is the only Republican candidate.

The lineup of movers and shakers listed as honorary co-chairs in an event outside her home base is a sign that Dixon has built strong alliances since being appointed in January to replace mayor-turned-governor Martin O’Malley (D).

‘‘It suggests that she has support and has a network that extends beyond Baltimore,” said C. Vernon Gray, a political science professor at Morgan State University and Howard County’s human rights administrator. ‘‘If you’re going to address the problems of the city, sometimes you have to go outside the city to people who have ideas on what the solutions might be.”

Because it’s also a quiet political year, activists across the state are itching to get engaged in some capacity, said Mizeur, who attended a Mitchell reception in Silver Spring several months ago.

‘‘I think Marylanders love politics, and they love rubbing elbows with politicians across the board and all across the state,” she said. ‘‘It’s a little too cynical to try to box us in to the districts we represent and suggest that there’s anything more than growing your base of advocates and allies.”

Another political scientist said the Dixon reception may have the more practical objective of raising money for the campaign’s stretch run.

‘‘There’s a lot of money in the Washington suburbs, and she may find it an effective way to tap into prospective [donors],” said Matthew Crenson of Johns Hopkins University.

Given her proficiency in collecting campaign cash — Dixon raised nearly twice as much as Mitchell, her closest competitor, in the last reporting cycle — she also could stockpile the money for future use, Crenson said.

As in statewide office?

‘‘She’s got a long, long way to go,” said Mike Miller, a top Democratic Party boss who counts Mitchell as a dear friend. The difference between being an elected councilwoman and an elected mayor is like the ‘‘difference between being head of a patrol versus being head of a regiment.”

Others agreed that Dixon isn’t looking that far ahead — at least not yet.

But Baltimore’s mayor will always be on the short list ‘‘because the job brings with it electability and a governance experience that is unmatched to any other [job],” said Donald C. Fry, president and CEO of the Greater Baltimore Committee. ‘‘Being mayor of Baltimore propels one into that elite level of conversation.”

Building relationships

In the short term, the mayoral victor must forge alliances with state lawmakers and other elected officials in order to pursue the city’s agenda, so the outreach makes sense.

‘‘It’s just showing that [Dixon] is focused enough to understand that Baltimore city is not a silo in isolation, that it’s a part of Maryland,” said Sen. Verna L. Jones (D-Dist. 44) of Baltimore, a Dixon supporter.

With local governments potentially on the chopping block as the state grapples with a $1.5 billion deficit, the mayor has to lobby across the state to preserve that aid.

‘‘I think it’s smart. You need state help. Baltimore city receives more money than it contributes to the state coffers,” said Sen. Paul G. Pinsky (D-Dist. 22) of University Park, who was not attending Thursday night’s reception because of a scheduling conflict. ‘‘Making connections with local executives ... is probably a smart move. You want to get as much visibility to share your vision because a good part of your revenues are going to be voted on in the legislature.”

Plenty of Prince George’s lawmakers were expected to attend Thursday’s reception.

‘‘I think Prince George’s County has maintained a certain alignment with Baltimore city for whatever reasons. We have similar problems, similar objectives,” said Del. Barbara A. Frush (D-Dist. 21) of Beltsville, who is supporting Dixon because of her help on the statewide smoking ban bill that passed the General Assembly this year.

Dixon will need that kind of support if she wins to address some of the city’s numerous challenges, Crenson said.

‘‘I think what she’s looking for now is some state-level help to deal with some of those problems,” he said. ‘‘... She’s still got a rough road ahead.”

Staff Writer Judson Berger contributed to this report.