Baltimore Mayoral Candidates Launching New TV Ads

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Candidates for Baltimore's highest office are turning up the heat, launching the first new TV ads. Voters are seeing commercials from two candidates in particular.

Political reporter Pat Warren with more on their messages.

The big breakout of the campaign is David Warnock, who is using the ads to introduce himself to voters.

Democrat David Warnock, a political unknown by way of introduction, is running a TV ad campaign. And with $1.3 million in his budget, he's spending a lot of money to get his name out there.

"Thirty-three years ago, I drove into Baltimore in this old truck. In the front, a dream of a better life; in the back, a load of student loan debt I never thought I'd be able to pay. But Baltimore gave me the one thing we all deserve--opportunity," he says in the ad.

Warnock built a venture captial business and established a foundation dedicated to education and employment.

"I remember sitting in the pew at New Shiloh at Freddie Gray's funeral, and the one thing that just kept coming back to me is that the eyes of the international media are on us and that this election and this time are about us as a city," said Warnock.

Jobs and opportunities are also a theme of Baltimore State Senator Catherine Pugh's ads on cable.

"I'm very inclusive, I work with all communities and I'm going to make this city what it needs to be moving us forward," said Pugh.

"I will launch an all-inclusive economic strategy that gets our city working, growing and building," Pugh says in the ad.

Other mayoral candidates, including Sheila Dixon, Councilman Nick Mosby and Carl Stokes, promise robust campaigns as well.

Political analyst Matthew Crenson expects a lively campaign season.

"This is an election where we have an open mayor's office. There's no incumbent. That tends to blast things wide open," Crenson said.

Early voting for the primary is April 14.

The Democratic primary tends to seal the deal for the winner. That election is April 26.

Ten Democrats and one Republican are registered to run for mayor.