2016 Baltimore mayoral election

Incumbent Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake did not seek re-election in 2016. She completed former Mayor Dixon's term, and won the mayoral seat in the 2011 mayoral race. After holding the office for five years, she faced challenges and criticism during her tenure. Notable events include the 2015 Freddie Gray Protests, Governor Hogan's rejection of the Baltimore Red Line, and an increase in crime since the Freddie Gray Protests in April 2015. On July 1, 2015, Sheila Dixon entered the 2016 mayoral race. (The terms of Dixon's probation prevented her from running for office until after December 2012.) Since her announcement, Dixon had campaigned in West Baltimore about the city's increasing transportation issues. Additional candidates included Baltimore City Council members Nick Mosby and Carl Stokes, Baltimore Police Sergeant Gersham Cupid, writer Mack Clifton, Baltimore Sun op-ed contributor Connor Meek, attorney and public servant Elizabeth Embry, and Black Lives Matter activist DeRay Mckesson. ==Democratic primary==

The Democratic mayoral primary was held on April 26, 2016. Catherine Pugh won the Democratic primary running against former Mayor Sheila Dixon and 11 other challengers in a crowded field to replace Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. Declared • Mack Clifton, writer attorney and public servant • Patrick Gutierrez, former bank operations manager • DeRay Mckesson, civil rights activist and former school teacher/administrator • Connor Meek, Baltimore Sun op-ed contributor • Catherine Pugh, State Senator for the 40th district and former Baltimore City Council member for the 4th district • Carl Stokes, Baltimore City Council member for the 12th district • Cindy Walsh, former UPS manager and candidate for Governor of Maryland in the 2014 gubernatorial election • David Warnock, businessman • Wilton Wilson, nurse • Calvin Young, engineer Declined • Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, incumbent Mayor of Baltimore ==Republican primary==

Declared • Armand Girard, retired math teacher • Chancellor Torbit • Brian Charles Vaeth, perennial candidate • Alan Walden, retired WBAL radio personality • Larry Wardlow ==Green Party primary==

Declared • Joshua Harris, community activist, co-founder of Hollins Creative Placemaking • David Marriott, US Marine • Emanuel McCray, Army Veteran ==Write-in candidates==

Former Mayor of Baltimore Sheila Dixon, who lost in the Democratic primary, re-entered the race as a write-in candidate and came in second to Pugh with 22% of the popular vote. Democratic candidate Mack Clifton, who also lost in the primaries, re-entered as a write-in candidate. In addition, Republican Steven H. Smith, Independent Frank Logan, and unaffiliated candidates Sarah Klauda and Lavern Murray, who did not run in the primaries, joined the race as write-in candidates. ==Results==