Black Lives Matter activist DeRay McKesson to run for Baltimore mayor
Prominent Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson has filed to run for mayor of Baltimore, the Baltimore Sun reported late Wednesday.
“Too often the elected individuals we put our public trust in, disappoint us,” the outspoken critic of racism and police brutality said in a post on Medium.
{mosads}”We have lived through lofty promises and vague plans. We have come to expect little and accept less. When we rely on this traditional model of politics we are rewarded with consistent, disappointing results.
“I am running to be the 50th Mayor of Baltimore in order to usher our city into an era where the government is accountable to its people and is aggressively innovative in how it identifies and solves its problems,” he continued.
“We can build a Baltimore where more and more people want to live and work, and where everyone can thrive.”
McKesson, a 30-year-old Baltimore native, gained prominence on social media during protests after police violence in Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore in 2014 and 2015.
The activist, who registered in the mayoral race as a Democrat, has met with Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Hillary Clinton.
He joins a crowded field of 28 candidates, including 13 Democrats. Current mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who was heavily criticized following the Baltimore riots last year, is not seeking reelection.
– Updated at 10:57 p.m.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.