Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott tells Black voters ‘freedom is on the ballot’ in 2026

Scott urged Black voters to turn out, protect hard-won civil rights and stay engaged with elected officials after Election Day.

At the 2026 Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men, Mayor Brandon Scott urged Black voters to protect civil rights through the ballot box. He further called for engagement with elected officials after Election Day, while reflecting on Baltimore’s fight against gun violence and the importance of authentic leadership.

According to  Black Enterprise, Scott was speaking during a fireside chat with Emmy Award-winning journalist Ed Gordon at the 2026 Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men in Orlando. He called on Black voters to participate in the elections and hold elected officials accountable for their decisions. “You might hear some folks that are saying, like, democracy is on the ballot in 2026. No. In my humble opinion, we lost that ballot in 2024. Freedom is on the ballot in 2026,” Scott said.

The 42-year-old mayor received an XCEL Impact Award during the three-day gathering, which brought together more than 500 Black male executives, entrepreneurs and leaders at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress. Brandon Scott connected the importance of voting to the sacrifices previous generations made to secure civil rights and political participation. He cautioned that voters should not assume those protections are permanent. “If you don’t vote, right, there might not be another election. If you don’t vote, more rights are going to be taken away,” he said.

Ed Gordon reinforced the discussion by pointing to the longstanding influence wealthy interests have in American politics, highlighting the unequal access to political power that ordinary voters face. For Scott, however, participation cannot end once ballots are cast. “You can’t walk away after [an] election,” Scott said. “You have to be even more involved now to make sure that you push the policy, that you push the person that you support.”

Reflecting on his leadership philosophy, Scott stressed the importance of remaining authentic and building teams around a shared commitment to public service. After approximately two decades working at Baltimore City Hall, he said his experience helped prepare him for the mayor’s office. He urged Black leaders to resist expectations that they must conform to particular images or behaviors to be effective.

His broader vision for Baltimore centers on creating better opportunities for young people so they do not have to overcome the same barriers he faced. “I want one of those young people at one of those schools to be better than me, but not have to struggle with some of the issues that I did because I’ve already cleared the way for them,” he said.