DeRay Mckesson of #BlackLivesMatter fame files to run for mayor of Baltimore

Brett T. | 9:25 PM on February 03, 2016

DeRay Mckesson, one of the founding figures of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, surprised his followers by filing to run for mayor of Baltimore today.

Filing deadline surprise: @deray files to run for mayor of Baltimore pic.twitter.com/J1ABRGjSau

— Luke Broadwater☀️ (@lukebroadwater) February 4, 2016

https://twitter.com/WesleyLowery/status/695066552488628225

Mckesson has most recently been busy in Washington, D.C., working with the White House on Campaign Zero, a list of law enforcement reforms.

DeRay Mckesson (@deray) files to run for Baltimore mayor https://t.co/ErdsZSpmyG by @lukebroadwater pic.twitter.com/HPhF3MicQd

— Justin Fenton (@justin_fenton) February 4, 2016

https://twitter.com/rmc031/status/695065993652080640

https://twitter.com/rmc031/status/695071449284005888

Let’s find out. The Washington Post reports that Mckesson is a last-moment addition to a crowded field. “Mckesson, 30, joins a crowded field that includes former mayor Sheila Dixon, who is leading in the polls, state Sen. Catherine Pugh, and city councilmen Carl Stokes and Nick Mosby as well as 10 other Democratic candidates,” reports Wesley Lowrey.

Wow — landscape of Baltimore mayoral race changes with @deray entering. https://t.co/MxCaBV10hd

— Pamela Wood☀️ (@pwoodreporter) February 4, 2016

Former @BaltCitySchools teacher and North Avenue administrator. Can't wait for that education platform! https://t.co/OaYiEzcVHF

— Erica L. Green (@EricaLG) February 4, 2016

MIC DROP!!!!!!!! @justin_fenton @deray @lukebroadwater pic.twitter.com/bO8nGH0hFb

— MacArthur For Baltimore (@BaltoSpectator) February 4, 2016

Ish just got real! @justin_fenton @deray @lukebroadwater

— MacArthur For Baltimore (@BaltoSpectator) February 4, 2016

https://twitter.com/WesleyLowery/status/695071965304987648

“I’m running to usher Baltimore into a new era where our government is accountable to its people and aggressively innovative in how it identifies and solves problems,” Mckesson told the Washington Post. One problem which hardly needs identifying is the city’s homicide rate, which in 2015 was the highest per capita in the nation. There were more murders in Baltimore in 2015 — nearly 350 — than in New York City, despite New York’s population being more than 13 times higher.

Deray's candidacy for mayor of Baltimore is likely to set a new record for ratio of national think pieces written to actual votes cast

— Ben Jacobs (@Bencjacobs) February 4, 2016

I'm a huge fan of this. https://t.co/uXZ1AqV6Pq

— John Ekdahl (@JohnEkdahl) February 4, 2016

@JohnEkdahl @redsteeze @thehill @deray

This will be amazing to watch.

Imagine if McKesson had to actually manage an urban police force?

_

— Strahan Cadell (@Sartor1836) February 4, 2016

@JohnEkdahl Oh man, I hope he wins. That would be amazing. What would it be like to have the entire police force quit?

— gloomhauer (@gloomhauer) February 4, 2016

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional tweets.