Baltimore mayoral candidate Rikki Vaughn drops bid for office, endorses Thiru Vignarajah

Baltimore mayoral candidate Rikki Vaughn has ended his bid for office and has endorsed fellow Democratic candidate Thiru Vignarajah.

Vaughn, a business owner, made the announcement last week during a news conference with Vignarajah. Vaughn said Vignarajah’s values as a candidate are the most closely aligned with his.

“I am fully supporting Thiru to be the next mayor of Baltimore because I don’t see him as the mayor for himself. I see him as the mayor for all of us,” Vaughn said.

In a Facebook post Saturday, Vaughn said he had accepted the position of “deputy mayor of economic development/community relations” if Vignarjah wins. He said he had similar discussions with other candidates.

Vaughn represents the best of the city and is the type of leader needed in City Hall to work collectively, Vignarajah said Monday.

“Unlike other campaigns, we seek to build one Baltimore, and these endorsements are a testament to the diverse coalition we are building all across our city, Vignarajah said.

Vaughn is the second candidate to withdraw from the race, which initially included more than 20 Democrats and seven Republicans. State Sen. Mary Washington suspended her campaign in March to focus on Maryland’s coronavirus response. Washington has not endorsed another candidate.

Maryland’s primary is June 2 and is being conducted largely by mail, with limited in-person voting centers. Vaughn and Washington will still appear on the ballots, which are expected to arrive thisweek in city voters’ mailboxes.