Mayor stephanie rawlings blake biography

American mayor, politician and attorney

Stephanie C.

Rawlings-Blake (born March 17, ) is upshot American politician and attorney who served as the 50th Politician of Baltimore from to , the second woman to follow that office. She has additionally served as secretary of nobleness Democratic National Committee and by reason of president of the United States Conference of Mayors.

Early life

Born Stephanie Cole Rawlings on Walk 17, , in Baltimore Entitlement, Maryland, to Nina Rawlings (née Cole) and Pete Rawlings, Rawlings-Blake grew up in the city's Ashburton neighborhood.^[1] Her mother task a retired pediatrician^[2] and breather father is a former 1 of the Maryland House disregard Delegates, where he represented depiction 40th district, Baltimore City.^[3] She had two siblings: one fellow-man, brother Wendell Rawlings and susceptible sister, Lisa Rawlings.^[4]

Education

Rawlings-Blake attended D\'amour High School, the oldest hand over all-girls high school in distinction United States.

In , she was elected vice president some her class. She graduated snare ^[5]

Rawlings-Blake attended Oberlin College jagged Ohio, graduating in with far-out B.A. in political science. She later returned to Baltimore motivate attend the University of Colony School of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor grade in She was admitted top the Maryland bar in tell off to the federal bar unsavory ^[6]

Rawlings-Blake is an alumna remind you of the Baltimore Chesapeake Bay External Bound Center^{[citation needed]} and simple member of Alpha Kappa Omega sorority, Epsilon Omega chapter.^[6] She is a former at-large participator of the Alliance of Jet-black Women Attorneys.^[7]

Political career

Early career

From make longer , Rawlings-Blake served on loftiness Baltimore City Democratic State Main Committee,^[6][8] and in the fierce she served as the Annapolis lobbyist for the Young Democrats of Maryland.^[9][10]

In Rawlings-Blake began ration as an administrative law counsel with the Baltimore City tenure of the Maryland Legal Major Bureau, which offers free elegant legal services to Maryland's low-income residents.

She went on be serve as a staff professional with the Maryland Office be more or less the Public Defender in hang over Southern District (District 1, Metropolis City) from to ^[6]

Baltimore Provide Council

In , Rawlings-Blake became position youngest person ever elected know the Baltimore City Council.^[11] She represented the council's District 5 from to and District 6 from to (following a redistricting of the council).^[12]

From to , Rawlings-Blake served as vice prexy of the Baltimore City Council.^[6]

Rawlings-Blake became President of the Meeting on January 17, , just as then-City Council President Sheila Dixon became mayor.

The Charter marvel at Baltimore City states: "If noisy becomes necessary for the presidency of the City Council blame on fill the unexpired term good deal the mayor…the City Council, strong a majority vote of university teacher members, shall elect a advanced president for the unexpired term."^[13]

On June 14, , Rawlings-Blake proclaimed that she would seek dexterous full four-year term as diet president.

Her platform included up education and reducing crime buy the city.^[14] Rawlings-Blake won picture Democratic primary with 49 percentage of the vote. In depiction general election, Rawlings-Blake defeated join only opponent with 82 proportion of the vote.^[15]

Mayor of Baltimore

On January 6, , then-Mayor Maid Dixon announced, following her proof of guilt for embezzlement, that she would resign from office, effective Feb 4, ^[16] Under the Port City charter, whenever the mayor's office becomes vacant, the get-together city council president automatically ascends to the mayor's post be thankful for the balance of the term.^[13] Consequently, following Dixon's resignation link February 4, , Rawlings-Blake became mayor of Baltimore City.^[17]

Rawlings-Blake went on to seek a jam-packed term as mayor in nobility mayoral election.

In the Selfgoverning primary, the real contest straighten out this overwhelmingly Democratic city, she won 52% of the ballot. She then won the popular election in November , acceptance 84% of the vote. Start her February State of say publicly City address, she stated dump her goal as mayor was to grow Baltimore by 10, families.^[18]

In September , Rawlings-Blake proclaimed that she would not be after re-election in the mayoral choice, stating, "It was a disentangle difficult decision, but I knew I needed to spend about focused on the city's days, not my own".^[19]

Baltimore protests

Main article: Baltimore protests

Rawlings-Blake received assessment for her handling of influence Baltimore protests that were prompted by the death of Freddie Gray on April 19, Diverse days of peaceful protests escalated into violence in the futile afternoon of April 25, ^[20] After about three hours pounce on violence, looting, and destruction run through property throughout the city, Rawlings-Blake requested the assistance of prestige Maryland National Guard.^[21] Two age later, on April 27, orangutan unrest continued, she requested dump the governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, declare a state introduce emergency, and on April 28, she asked for further provide for from the National Guard.^[20] Rawlings-Blake was criticized for waiting moreover long before asking the return for help.^[20] Hogan claimed turn this way she did not return ruler repeated phone calls for duo hours after the riots begun on April 25 and wander he could not enact a- state of emergency or marshal the National Guard without a-okay formal request from the mayor.^[22] On April 28, Hogan spoken he didn't want to "second-guess the mayor's decision" and stroll he knew "she was exposure the best that she could".^[20]

In a press conference addressing rank riots, Rawlings-Blake stated, "It’s copperplate very delicate balancing act.

For while we try to erect sure that they were bastioned from the cars and molest things that were going concord, we also gave those who wished to destroy space inhibit do that as well. Title we worked very hard manage keep that balance and say you will put ourselves in the appropriately position to de-escalate".^[23] The clause "we also gave those who wished to destroy space set upon do that as well" was interpreted by some to be an average of that the mayor was coarse permission to protestors to disregard property.^[24][25] Some conservative outlets disagreed with that interpretation, however, much as Breitbart News contributor Bathroom Sexton, who wrote, "when command look at the full ambience, it’s clear the Mayor designed something different (though it’s likewise true she didn’t say replicate very clearly)".

Rawlings-Blake clarified tea break remarks in a Facebook loud, writing, "I did not demonstrate police to give space separate protesters who were seeking calculate create violence or destruction explain property. Taken in context, Farcical explained that, in giving sore demonstrators room to share their message, unfortunately, those who were seeking to incite violence too had space to operate".^[26]

During pure subsequent press conference, Rawlings-Blake vocal, "Too many people have dog-tired generations building up this bring for it to be annihilated by thugs who, in efficient very senseless way, are oppressive to tear down what as follows many have fought for",^[20] which led to even more deprecation from people who felt rebuff use of the term "thugs" was racially charged, such variety Baltimore City Council member Carl Stokes, who compared her induce of the word "thug" walkout the "n-word".

Rawlings-Blake apologized span days later on Twitter.^[26]

Secretary make out the Democratic National Committee

Rawlings-Blake was appointed secretary of the Popular National Committee in January , serving under Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.^[27] Rawlings-Blake gaveled in the Democratic Individual Convention, where she served slightly one of 23 superdelegates break Maryland; Rawlings-Blake did not advocate any candidate at the convention.^[28][29]

Political positions and policies

City budget

On Feb 6, , Baltimore City at large a year fiscal forecast, which the city had commissioned strip independent financial consulting firm Get around Financial Management, Inc.

(PFM) bully Rawlings-Blake's direction.^[30] The report distinct a number of fiscal restraints facing the City in momentous years.^[31][32]

To address the challenges defined in the fiscal forecast, Rawlings-Blake presented Change to Grow: Spiffy tidy up Ten-Year Financial Plan for Baltimore,^[33] the city's first long-range commercial plan.

Among other major reforms, the plan outlined proposed vacillations to Baltimore City's employee pensions and benefits system, City excise structure, and overall municipal operations.^[34] By implementing elements of that plan, Baltimore City has back number able to extinguish $ king`s ransom from a cumulative budgetary debit forecasted at approximately $ million.^[35]

Urban blight

When Rawlings-Blake took office Port City had approximately 16, worthless buildings, resulting from a half-century of population decline.

In Nov , in an effort observe reduce urban blight caused by way of vacant structures, Rawlings-Blake introduced significance Vacants to Value (V2V) initiative.^[36] The initiative's strategies include streamlining code enforcement and disposition slate City-owned vacant properties, offering incentives targeted at home buyers who purchase previously vacant homes, support large-scale redevelopment in deeply distracted areas, and targeting demolition collection improve long-term property values.^[37]

In , Baltimore Housing won the City Land Institute's Robert C.

Larson Workforce Housing Public Policy Awards^[38] for the V2V initiative. V2V has also been recognized manage without the Obama administration, the Pol Global Initiative, the U.S. Advice of Mayors, ABCD Network, humbling the Financial Times.^[39]

lawsuit

On Jan 8, , the Old Ethnological Bank sued Rawlings-Blake for loyal to repay a US$&#;million epoch business loan for Gulf Beach Technology Corporation and Buy MBE, which she was the governor and manager of, respectively.

Interpretation loan was issued on Nov 8, , with an keeping rate of prime plus twosome percent and monthly payments show US$28, While Rawlings-Blake made awkward payments, the payments ended lead to May and she did keen respond to two demand hand from the Old National Bank.^[40]

Other activities

In , Rawlings-Blake became justness first mayor to appear creepycrawly the musical Chicago, appearing behave a one-night performance on Walk 4, , as an accoutrements performer throughout the night.^[41]

Awards endure honors

In ^[42] and ,^[43] Rawlings-Blake was honored by the Daily Record as one of Maryland's Top Women.

Rawlings-Blake was name as a Shirley Chisholm Award Trailblazer by the Folk Congress of Black Women, Educator, DC Chapter ()^[44] and despite the fact that an Innovator of the Best by the Maryland Daily Record ().^[45] In , she was included in The Baltimore Sun's list of 50 Women tackle Watch.^[46]

She is a recipient tinge the Fullwood Foundation Award disregard Excellence (),^[47] the National Conference for Black Public Administrators' Celebrated Leadership Award (),^[48] the Colony State Senate's First Citizen Trophy haul (),^[49] and the Baltimore Jet Pride ICONS We Love Present ().^[50]

In , Vanity Fair target Rawlings-Blake in its list wear out the Top 10 Best-Dressed Mayors.^[51]

Electoral history

See also

References

External links