Why you should care about the local Baltimore elections

With the mainstream media dominated by a boisterous primary season for the upcoming presidential election, it can be easy to forget the political climate in the University’s own backyard. The Baltimore mayoral election is impending, with the Democratic primary occurring on April 26. Although most students are unable to vote in this race given their lack of permanent, legal residency, it is still important for students to remain informed about the political world they inhabit for four years.

Regardless of their hometown, University students are four-year Baltimore residents. At least while we are residing in this city, we should care about our temporary home and its leadership.

It can be easy for students to remove themselves from Baltimore and the neighborhoods surrounding campus, and local elections can often seem abstract and irrelevant to the student body. But in actuality, the mayor of Baltimore yields the power to significantly impact student lives. The elected mayor can affect many policies that directly affect students, from public transportation stops and fares, to parking spots and permits across the city, to their city-wide leadership in times of turmoil. [The University remains a powerful lobbying force within Baltimorean affairs and policies, but its power pales in comparison to that of the office of the mayor.]

In addition to the tangible impacts of mayoral policies, students should engage with and care about the mayoral race because it is occurring within a critical time of change for the city. The past few years have been extremely hard on Baltimore, with the uprising last spring and continuing issues surrounding police brutality and race relations. Baltimoreans have experienced turmoil and corruption alike, and this election provides an opportunity to turn over a new leaf. Most students have personally seen and felt the effects of Baltimore’s recent history, and although this should not be the only reason for interest in local politics and policy, it is a significant one. This is a historic time for the city, and at the very least, students should be aware of it. If students feel impassioned about the politics and issues, there are avenues available through which to get more involved. Interested students can advocate both on and off campus for specific issues and candidates or volunteer with local campaigns or policy groups to do so in an institutionalized setting.

Even we at The News-Letter have been guilty of favoring campus news and national elections over local politics, and as we pledge to present more coverage of Baltimorean issues and elections, we hope students will do the same. Regardless of personal relationships with the city, as residents of Baltimore, we students have an obligation to the place in which we live and to the issues that affect it, because they affect us too. For better or for worse, we students affect Baltimore and Baltimore affects us. The so-called Hopkins Bubble should not be mistaken for a quarantine under which students can avoid the issues present throughout the city. We have a responsibility to pay attention to the issues affecting Baltimore and to the opportunities for change and improvement through local politics.