CAMBRIDGE, Md. - Cambridge voters are set to head to the polls as three candidates vie for the position of mayor in the upcoming election. All candidates are familiar figures in the local political landscape, having previously held elected office in the city.
Current Mayor Steve Rideout is not seeking re-election, leaving an open seat at City Hall. Lashon Banks-Foster, a former city commissioner who ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2020, is seeking the top job. "I'm running for mayor because I believe that with my experience and my expertise working within the community, I can truly make a difference. That the community and us together, the Council and Mayor, can truly achieve the goals that we're setting out to achieve," Banks-Foster stated, emphasizing collaboration between the council and mayor.
Former Mayor Andrew Bradshaw is also seeking a return to office after resigning in 2022 following a guilty plea on revenge porn charges. He aims to move past his controversial past and get "Back to Business," as his campaign signs suggest. "I’m running for Mayor to give the people of Cambridge the opportunity to place our city back on the path we had begun taking in 2021. There was a hopefulness and optimism for our community I cannot recall at any other point, and my goal is to return to that. At the same time, I want to be able to provide policy insights and understanding that go beyond that offered by the other candidates in this election," he said.
City Council President Lajan Cephas, who served as interim mayor after Bradshaw's resignation, is in the running as well. "It's extremely important that we have someone in office that understands the direction this City and Council is going so no one new is coming in to try and refocus staff because the City Commission, we have already established some initiatives that are priority for this current fiscal year," Cephas said.
A key issue in the campaign is the contentious Cambridge Harbor development along the waterfront. Candidates are focused on ensuring the project benefits the broader community. "We have to make sure that the project is not for a few. That it is developed and when we think about the drawing plan, we are including the greater majority aspect of Cambridge," Banks-Foster added.
This has been a key issue for Bradshaw saying in part "Cambridge Harbor is the most important economic development program in the region," continuing "This project, when completed properly, will be the gem of Delmarva. To be such, however, strong cooperation between all parties is key, with unified and decisive action moving us forward."
While Cephas says "It would be unforthcoming for any candidate to come forward, for Mayor, to say that they have the answer. The 100 percent answer for this because it’s going to take all the shareholders to come forward, and come together including CWDI to make a project that makes sense and is going to benefit all of our residents."
Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two candidates will advance to a runoff election in December.
Editor's Note: WBOC interviewed Banks-Foster and Cephas. Despite our repeated attempts, Bradshaw was unavailable for an interview. His answers in this article were retrieved via his campaign website or social media, along with responses he e-mailed to us.
