Young raises $250K as he considers run for mayor

Baltimore Mayor Bernard C. “Jack” Young raised more than $250,000 in one week as he considers running for the city’s top job, his campaign said.

Young’s treasurer, Martin F. Cadogan, said the mayor raised the money last week from business leaders at two events just days apart.

Cadogan said the Democrat raised about $235,000 at a fundraiser Thursday at The Bygone restaurant in Harbor East. Admission to the event, hosted by Northeast Foods President Bill Paterakis and his nephew, restaurateur Alex Smith, was $4,000 per person, according to an invitation.

Among those attending were developers Arthur Adler, Arsh Mirmiran and Steve Sibel of Caves Valley Partners in Towson; Toby Bozzuto, president and CEO of The Bozzuto Group in Greenbelt; developer Mark Sapperstein; lawyer David Irwin; insurance executive Howard Perlow; three other members of the Paterakis family, owners of a baking empire, and former state school superintendent Nancy Grasmick.

“We’re pleased with his support among the business community in Baltimore,” Cadogan said. “It shows he has strong support based on his decades of service.”

Young also raised about $17,000 at an Oct. 14 fundraiser at Martin’s West held by catering company founder Marty Resnick, said Cadogan, an attorney and longtime treasurer for Martin O’Malley, who is a former Democratic mayor and governor.

Young, the former City Council president who became mayor when Democrat Catherine Pugh resigned May 2 amid scandal, said in July he was considering running for the seat. He is expected to announce his decision soon.

Only one current officeholder is in the race so far: Democratic City Council President Brandon Scott. But there are more than a dozen candidates who have said they are running. The Democrats include former state Deputy Attorney General Thiru Vignarajah, Baltimore activist Carlmichael “Stokey” Cannady, and the unofficial “mayor of Hampden” Lou Catelli, who is also named Will Bauer.

Among those still considering whether to run are Young, former Mayor Sheila Dixon, former Baltimore Police Department spokesman T.J. Smith, and state Sen. Mary Washington — all Democrats. Democrats outnumber Republicans10-to-1among registered voters in the city.

The filing deadline is Jan. 24 for the April 28 primary.

Young took over the mayor’s job in May from Pugh after she resigned amid mounting investigations into sales of her “Healthy Holly” books to the University of Maryland Medical System while on its volunteer board and to organizations with business before the city.

As of the most recent campaign filing deadline in January, Young had $599,279 on hand and Scott had $143,039. Candidates do not have to file updated fundraising totals until January 2020.