Black Lives Matter Activist Deray Mckesson Earns Only 3 Percent of the Vote in Baltimore Mayoral Race

Baltimore mayoral candidate Deray Mckesson, the Black Lives Matter activist who rose to national prominence as a protest leader following the 2014 death of Michael Brown, was handed a major loss Tuesday night, earning only 3 percent of the vote in the election.

Instead, Democrat Catherine Pugh, an African American woman, will be the next mayor of Baltimore.

CNN

Though his 83-day mayoral bid was incredibly unsuccessful, Mckesson told BuzzFeed that he "raised more money faster than any local race in the country." In addition, the BLM activist tweeted that he "was the first candidate to release a comprehensive platform" on issues facing Baltimoreans.

While I was the last candidate to enter the race, I was the first candidate to release a comprehensive platform. The issues matter.

— deray mckesson (@deray) April 27, 2016

We must be as organized on the inside as we are on the outside. You may be the next candidate to run for office or join a board/commission.

— deray mckesson (@deray)

April 27, 2016

Thank you to all of the supporters, voters & donors who contributed to my campaign. In 83 days, we changed the landscape of the race.

— deray mckesson (@deray) April 27, 2016

Mckesson first launched his bid a mere 30 minutes before the deadline via a Medium blog post published in early February.

But the field was already crowded with candidates. Several people threw their name in the ring for the mayoral spot after Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced she wouldn't be seeking reelection following criticism for the way she handled protests surrounding the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray.

Mckesson was able to raise around $250,000 through online fundraising tool Crowdpac — a notable accomplishment. The majority of the cash came from corporate executives outside Baltimore. He argued that investments from outsiders could help transform the city.

Following the defeat Tuesday, the protester-turned-politician hopes the platform he developed during his short campaign will influence the decisions of the incoming administration.

While I will not be the next Mayor of Baltimore, the ideas & platform our campaign introduced will influence the next administration.

— deray mckesson (@deray) April 27, 2016

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