Baltimore City Mayor Rawlings-Blake to Head U.S. Conference of Mayors

The mayors of cities with populations greater than 30,000 are gathering Friday in San Francisco, where Rawlings-Blake will be sworn in Monday. She was elected second vice president of the organization two years ago, putting her in a line of succession to become president.

Rawlings-Blake argues her new position will enhance, not detract from, her work as mayor.

“When I became mayor, nobody was checking for Baltimore as far as national profile for leadership,” Rawlings-Blake said. “When you’re president, you have the opportunity to advocate on a national level. I can’t think of a more important time to have that visibility when we have so many significant needs in our city.”

She said she looks forward to bringing mayors from around the county to Baltimore in September for a conference the organization is planning.

“It’s important that we put the urban agenda on the map,” Rawlings-Blake said. “We have issues that need to be at the forefront, whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. More than 80 percent of the country lives in metro areas.”

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