Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott delivered a pointed message about voting, leadership, and political accountability at the 2026 Black Enterprise XCEL Summit for Men. In conversation with Emmy Award-winning journalist Ed Gordon, Scott urged Black voters to recognize the stakes of the upcoming midterm elections and remain engaged with elected officials after casting their ballots.
Held at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando, Florida, the three-day summit convened more than 500 Black male executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Scott, who received an XCEL Impact Award on Friday, reflected on his political journey, Baltimore’s efforts to reduce violence, and Black leaders’ responsibility to advocate for their communities.
Here are the top five key insights that Scott shared.
1. ‘Freedom Is on the Ballot’
Scott emphasized that the 2026 midterm elections are a consequential moment for civil rights and the future of American democracy.
“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,” said the 42-year-old mayor.
He pointed to the sacrifices previous generations made to secure voting rights and other civil liberties, warning that those gains should not be taken for granted.
“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.
Likewise, Gordon reinforced the urgency, observing that wealthy interests have long maintained access to political power. “Rich folk have always had a pipeline to the White House,” he said.
2. Voting is the Beginning of Change
Scott stressed that civic participation must continue after Election Day. Voters, he said, should treat their relationship with elected officials as an ongoing commitment, pressing them to deliver on campaign promises and represent the broader public.
“You can’t walk away after [an] election. You have to be even more involved now to make sure that you push the policy, that you push the person that you support,” he said.
He also challenged public officials to prioritize effective leadership over political popularity.
“We need elected officials who are going to do the right thing. Not the popular thing, the right thing even if it means that they will not be re-elected.”
3. Baltimore’s Fight Against Gun Violence
Scott, who said he knew he wanted to become mayor at age 7, described reducing gun violence as a defining challenge of his tenure. He recalled setting a goal to reduce homicides by 15% annually through a public health approach despite skepticism.
“People laughed. They said it was impossible. They said it would never work that way,” he said.
Scott said Baltimore subsequently recorded a significant reduction in violence, prompting leaders from other cities to visit and learn from its approach.
He also argued that Black mayors deserve greater recognition for their work on public safety. “We have to understand that when they want to say these things about a place, they’re not gonna tell the good stories. We gotta tell it for ourselves.”
4. Authentic Leadership Creates Paths for Others
Scott discussed the importance of learning from previous generations while allowing younger leaders to develop their own approaches. Having worked at Baltimore City Hall for two decades, he said that experience
helped prepare him for the responsibilities of the mayor’s office. He also emphasized the importance of showing up authentically, rather than conforming to expectations about how Black elected officials should look or behave.“We have to start showing up as our authentic selves every single day,” he said.
5. Build Teams Around Service and Results
Scott said effective leadership depends on surrounding yourself with people who share a commitment to serving the public. When assembling his leadership team, he looks for authenticity, passion, and an understanding of the communities they serve.
“I’m only as successful as a team that I put around me,” he said, explaining that every person must contribute to the collective goal.
Scott closed with a vision for his legacy: making Baltimore safer and stronger while ensuring that future generations don’t face the same obstacles he encountered growing up.
“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.
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