Baltimore Mayoral Candidate Thiru Vignarajah has endorsed his opponent Sheila Dixon for Baltimore City mayor ahead of this month’s Democratic primary.

The endorsement came during a surprise announcement Wednesday in Fells Point.

“I want an impatient mayor. I want somebody who is ready to deliver now, that is not quite literally learning on the job, and is still learning on the job,” he said, while praising that Dixon can “build a team.”

With his endorsement, Vignarajah is pulling out of the race.

“I've always worked to bring people to the table for the betterment of Baltimore and the citizens of this city. And so we have a lot to do,” said Dixon as she accepted Vignarajah’s endorsement.

Dixon and Vignarajah would not confirm whether a role in Dixon’s administration would be down the road.

“That is a question for the day after Mayor Dixon wins... that is a question for Mayor Dixon and her closest advisors to wrestle with, I want to be helpful… I can be helpful from the outside, I can be helpful from the inside,” said Vignarajah when asked about whether he would have a role in Dixon’s administration.

A representative with Mayor Brandon Scott’s campaign confirmed that Vignarajah asked for a role as police commissioner or CEO of Baltimore City Schools, but Scott would not “cut a backroom deal”.

“One failed corrupt politician endorsing another failed corrupt politician is a prime example of the broken, corrupt politics of the past,” said Brandon Scott’s campaign manager Nicholas Machado in a statement. “Thiru’s endorsement was for sale and Sheila Dixon was more than happy to buy it.”

The campaign said they’d expect “nothing less” from Dixon.

Dixon served as Baltimore City mayor from 2007 through 2010 when she resigned as part of a plea deal over stolen gift cards for the poor. This election marks her third consecutive run for her former office: she ran in the Democratic primaries in 2016 and 2020 but lost to Catherine Pugh and Brandon Scott, respectively.

Vignarajah is also fighting accusations of harassment and creating a hostile workplace when he was a prosecutor fifteen years ago. Katie Dorian went to the Baltimore Sun in 2022 with text messages in which Vignarajah called her a “bitch” and another instance where she was a passenger and he threatened to crash the car he was driving. She declined to comment for this story but said she stands by her earlier statements that he should not be an elected position with “so much trust.”

Vignarajah said during an April interview with WYPR and select other outlets that he was dealing with “demons” at the time and is learning to be better.

Vignarajah used public financing to raise nearly three-quarters of a million dollars for his campaign. It is unclear now where that money will go.

The representative from Scott’s campaign said the campaign is looking into whether Vignarajah’s endorsement is in violation of any laws.

Vignarajah has positioned himself as an “alternative” to the Baltimore political class, including both Dixon and incumbent Mayor Brandon Scott.

The endorsement further solidifies Dixon’s reputation as a candidate who is “hard on crime”; Vignarajah is a former federal and city prosecutor who now works in private practice. Last month, Dixon picked up the endorsement of Baltimore City’s State’s Attorney Ivan Bates and early this week Baltimore City’s Sheriff Sam Cogen threw his support behind Dixon.

Dixon's campaign issued a late-night statement rebuking claims by Scott's campaign by saying he has pushed "a false narrative regarding commitments I have allegedly made to Mr. Vignarajah."

The former mayor's campaign went on to say, "While we had conversations about issues facing the city and his desire to support my team in addressing them, I can say unequivocally that no promises were made regarding future employment with my administration."

The most recent data from a survey conducted by the Baltimore Banner and the Goucher College Poll reports that Vignarajah had support from 11% of surveyed voters compared to 32% for Dixon and 40% for Scott.

Early voting in Maryland begins Thursday and the primary will be held on May 14th.

05/02/2024: This story has been updated with additional statements from the Dixon campaign.