Brandon Scott facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brandon Scott
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Scott in 2023
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| 53rd Mayor of Baltimore | |
| Assumed office December 8, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Jack Young |
| President of the Baltimore City Council | |
| In office May 6, 2019 – December 8, 2020 |
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| Preceded by | Jack Young |
| Succeeded by | Nick Mosby |
| Member of the Baltimore City Council from the 2nd district |
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| In office December 8, 2011 – May 8, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Nicholas D'Adamo |
| Succeeded by | Danielle McCray |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Brandon Maurice Scott
April 8, 1984 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Hana Pugh
(m. 2024) |
| Children | 1 |
| Residences | Frankford, Baltimore, Maryland |
| Education | St. Mary's College of Maryland (BA) |
| Signature |  |
Brandon Maurice Scott was born on April 8, 1984. He is an American politician who has been the mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, since 2020. Before becoming mayor, he was the president of the Baltimore City Council from 2019 to 2020. He also served as a member of the Baltimore City Council for the second district from 2011 to 2019. Scott is a member of the Democratic Party.
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Early Life and Education
Brandon Scott grew up in Park Heights, Baltimore. When he was a kid, he looked up to Congressman Elijah Cummings. Scott ran track and cross country at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School. He graduated from high school in 2002. Later, he earned a degree in political science from St. Mary's College of Maryland in 2006.
Political Career
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After college, Scott worked for the City Council President. In 2011, he was elected to the city council for the second district. This made him one of the youngest people ever elected to a city office in Baltimore. He led the Public Safety Committee. He also worked on committees for the city's budget and laws.
In 2018, he helped pass a law for open data in Baltimore. This means the city shares more information with the public. As a council member, he also helped bring back council oversight of the Baltimore Police Department. In May 2019, the Baltimore City Council chose Scott to be their president. He took over after Jack Young became mayor.
Scott has been involved with the 300 Man March, a group that promotes nonviolence. While on the city council, he voted against a program that would use cameras in the sky to watch over Baltimore. He also supported reducing money for the police department. In 2020, he helped cut $22 million from the city's policing budget.
In 2018, Scott ran for Lieutenant Governor of Maryland. He was the running mate for Jim Shea. Later, when Scott became mayor, he asked Shea to work for the city as Baltimore's solicitor.
Mayor of Baltimore
Becoming Mayor
Scott announced he would run for mayor on September 13, 2019. He made the announcement in his old neighborhood. On June 9, 2020, Scott won the Democratic primary election. He beat the current mayor, Jack Young. Scott was seen as more forward-thinking than Young.
Winning the Democratic primary usually means winning the general election in Baltimore. This is because most voters in the city are Democrats. As expected, Scott won the general election on November 3, 2020. He won by a large amount against his closest opponent, Bob Wallace.
Scott ran for mayor again in 2024. He announced his campaign on November 18, 2023. Some people thought it might be a tough election for him. Polls showed that people in Baltimore had mixed feelings about his work as mayor. He faced criticism for how he handled schools, city services, and crime.
However, Scott's actions after the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse helped his image. He also made progress in growing the economy and reducing homicides. These things helped him gain more support from voters. On May 14, 2024, Scott won the Democratic primary again. He narrowly beat his rival, Sheila Dixon. He then won the general election on November 5, 2024. This made him the first Baltimore mayor since Martin O'Malley to win a second term.
What He's Done as Mayor
Scott became mayor on December 8, 2020. The ceremony was small due to the coronavirus. He promised to deal with two big problems: gun violence and the coronavirus. At 36 years old, Scott became the youngest mayor in Baltimore's history.
COVID-19 Response
On his first day as mayor, Scott ordered restaurants to stop indoor and outdoor dining. He also limited how many people could be in stores, churches, gyms, malls, casinos, and museums. They could only have 25 percent of their normal capacity.
Scott lifted Baltimore's mask mandate and state of emergency on July 1, 2021. But in August 2021, he brought the mask mandate back. This was because COVID-19 infections went up a lot in July. The mask mandate ended on March 1, 2022.
In January 2021, Scott and Maryland governor Larry Hogan started a campaign called "GoVax Maryland." It encouraged people to get vaccinated. In February, Scott worked with local universities. They helped build trust in COVID-19 vaccines and fight wrong information.
Scott tested positive for COVID-19 on October 4, 2021. He returned to City Hall on October 15, 2021, after he tested negative.
Housing Initiatives
In May 2021, Scott stopped homes where the owner lived from being sold for unpaid taxes. This is called a tax sale. In September 2021, he announced that Baltimore would buy the tax debts of 454 homes. This was to keep them out of the tax sale process. In April 2022, Scott removed all owner-occupied homes from the tax sale. He also moved the auction date to June.
In May 2021, Scott used his first veto as mayor. He vetoed a bill that would have given renters more choices for paying security deposits. In June 2021, Scott started a fund to help low-income renters. It would pay up to $2,000 for security deposits.
On January 25, 2022, a fire in an empty building killed three firefighters. Scott announced that the city would review how it handles vacant properties. In February 2022, Scott said the city would spend $90.4 million from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to buy two hotels. These hotels would provide 275 beds for people experiencing homelessness.
In December 2023, Scott's team announced an $8 billion plan. This plan aims to improve parts of the city with many empty or abandoned buildings. In March 2023, his administration supported a plan to sell some vacant properties for as little as $1.
Guaranteed Income Program
In April 2022, Scott announced a special program. It would give 200 young parents, aged 18 to 24, $1,000 each month for two years. This money came from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The program started giving money to people chosen by lottery in August 2022. To apply, people needed to be US citizens, have a low income, and be a parent or guardian of a child.
Transportation Projects
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In April 2021, Scott said he would work to restart the Red Line project. This project was stopped by Governor Larry Hogan. The Red Line would be an east-west train line. It would help the economy and connect neighborhoods that are harder to reach.
In June 2021, Scott said he was against a plan to build a Maglev train. This train would connect Baltimore and Washington, D.C.. He asked the state to reject the project.
In September 2021, Scott criticized the state's transportation budget. He felt it did not include enough money for projects in Baltimore. To help with this, Scott created the Mayor's Office of Infrastructure Development in June 2022.
In November 2021, Scott visited the Port of Baltimore with President Joe Biden. He praised a new law that would help rebuild America and create good jobs. In April 2022, Scott started the "Let's Ride to Work" program. This program helps newly employed workers get free rides to and from work using Lyft. It is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Scott was told about the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse shortly after it happened on March 26, 2024. He told reporters that helping people was his main goal. Scott received a lot of attention during this event.
Personal Life
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Brandon Scott got engaged to his girlfriend, Hana Pugh, on December 25, 2023. Their first child was born the very next day. They got married on August 11, 2024. In September 2024, Scott and his wife announced they were expecting their second child, a baby girl. Scott lives in Frankford, Baltimore.
Images for kids
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Brandon Scott's signature
