No Mayoral Run For Mfume

NAACP President Kweisi Mfume says he won't run for mayor of Baltimore, ending months of speculation.

Mfume left Congress to pursue the fight for civil rights and says isn't ready to give up the cause. "I know that my job is to finish the work that I have begun, to create a more just and humane society for all people, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity or background," he said Monday. "I cannot walk away from that fight at this time."

As a nine-year member of the House, Mfume became head of the Congressional Black Caucus and gained a reputation as an eloquent and charismatic figure. He quit Congress in 1996 to take over the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

About 250 politicians, business leaders and activists signed full-page ads urging Mfume to run for the office held by three-term Mayor Kurt Schmoke, who is not seeking re-election after 12 years.

Mfume, a 50-year-old Baltimore native and former city councilman had until July 6 to file for the September primary. The pre-election race is seen as the true test of a candidate's ability to win in the predominantly Democratic city.

Former City Councilman Carl Stokes has already entered the race, and City Council President Lawrence Bell, who is Mfume's cousin, is also expected to throw his hat into the ring.

Former Gov. William Donald Schaefer, who was mayor of Baltimore for nearly 16 years, had endorsed Mfume but now political observers said he might run himself.