Maryland Morning has been hosting a series of conversationswith people who have announced their intention to run for Mayor of Baltimore.  All told, there will be 13 Democratic candidates on the April 26 primary ballot,  along with five Republicans.  Three Green Party Candidates will compete in their own Green Party primary on May 1. One Libertarian, 2 Independents, and 5 candidates who are not affiliated with any party will appear on the General Election ballot on Tuesday, November, 8.

Tom's guest for this conversation is Democratic mayoral candidate Cindy Walsh, a resident for the past 8 years of Baltimore's Charles Village neighborhood.  The 59-year-old Ms. Walsh, who unsuccessfully for the Maryland governor's office in 2014, has never held public office, but she believes her years of political activism and her experience in the private sector -- including work as an operations manager at United Parcel Service --have prepared her for the mayor's job.  She tells Tom that the most important issue for the city is economic development -- the need to fix Baltimore's  crumbling neighborhoods and spur community economic development.