DeRay Mckesson, an activist connected with the Black Lives Matter movement, filed paperwork minutes before the Wednesday deadline to become the 13th candidate for the mayor of Baltimore, according to The Baltimore Sun.
“I have come to realize that the traditional pathway to politics, and the traditional politicians who follow these well-worn paths, will not lead us to the transformational change our city needs,” Mckesson wrote in a blog post announcing his campaign late Wednesday night.
Civil rights activist @deray formally filing to run for mayor of Baltimore at the 9PM deadline pic.twitter.com/usFCjK2b2c
— Luke Broadwater (@lukebroadwater) February 4, 2016
The Democratic primary has historically decided the mayoral contest because about 78 percent of Baltimore voters identify as Democrats, according to The Sun.
The general election is Nov. 8.
Mckesson is a Baltimore native who rose to prominence as a part of the protest movements which began in Ferguson, Mo., following the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown. The same protests came to Baltimore after the death of Freddie Grey.
Mckesson said he will release his platform in the coming week.
