BALTIMORE — Maryland Senate President Bill Ferguson is making his case for reelection ahead of the June 23 Democratic primary, where he faces a challenge from Bobby Lapin in District 46.
Ferguson sat down for an interview at O'Donnell Square Park in the heart of the district, where he outlined his record, addressed his evolving position on redistricting, and laid out his priorities for a potential new term.
Senate President Bill Ferguson goes 1-1 ahead of the Dem primary
"I've had an unbelievable honor and privilege to represent this incredible district for the last 15 years and over those 15 years I'm really proud of what I've been able to accomplish, from having a record number of schools be constructed in the city of Baltimore, 45 brand new or wholly renovated schools, 14 of which are here in the city in the 46th district. That's more than any other urban district across the entire country," Ferguson said.
As Senate President, Ferguson leads the chamber and holds more influence than a typical member. He pointed to specific examples of how that position has benefited his district.
"It means when there was a notice of the DiPietro ice rink being shut down, I was able to work with my colleagues and secure the additional $500,000 very quickly to make sure that the Baltimore Banners ice hockey team, that's helping young kids be inspired with a sport that DiPietro ice rink, is going to stay open," said Ferguson.
"If you look at Francis Scott Key Elementary Middle School, when they were removed from their building because of environmental issues in the middle of the year, I was able to secure another $1.5 million to make sure that when they came back they didn't just have remediated environmental issues, that they had brand new bathrooms," Ferguson said.
Ferguson's position on redistricting has shifted in recent weeks. The Senate did not approve measures to redraw the state's congressional maps, a decision that contributed to Gov. Wes Moore withholding his endorsement of Ferguson in his first round of endorsements. Ferguson is now open to changing the state constitution and moving forward with redistricting Maryland.
"I think the importance of the issue has just gotten heightened given what we're seeing after the Supreme Court decimated the Voting Rights Act and the Southern states have responded by trying to eliminate black power in the United States. I think that has shifted the game in a significant and real way," Ferguson said.
"This is a heightened level. The stakes are greater, but the problem in Maryland still remains. We have to deal with the constitutional issue first that relates from the 2021 case, and we have to adopt the principles that we now understand from this horrible Supreme Court case to make sure that we can protect Maryland's map with a constitutional amendment. And so that's where we're landing," Ferguson said.
Ferguson stopped short of committing to a special session.
"The primary is in 20 days, so we're going to get through the primary and then immediately following, we're going to pull the caucus together to have serious conversations about how to move forward," Ferguson said.
On his top priorities if reelected, Ferguson focused on Baltimore's economic recovery.
"We have a number of enormous questions ahead, particularly for the city of Baltimore and for the Baltimore region as a whole, the state as well. We have got to find a way to turn around the downtown in the city of Baltimore. It is a crucial economic hub, not just for Baltimore, but for the entire state. But post-COVID we are seeing vacancy levels and disinvestment that is enormously troubling. It cannot continue to be a drain to the coffers of the city and the state. We have to turn the momentum and invest in the amazing assets that we have. That's also going to require a significant transportation investment, and we have about an 18 month window to really come together and put a real vision and plan together with the governor, the mayor, the comptroller, the members of the general assembly to really have a true investment that flips the story for the city of Baltimore," Ferguson said.
An interview with Lapin is also available here.
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