Of the 27 candidates who entered Baltimore's Democratic mayoral primary, six turned out to have arrest records, and three had filed for bankruptcy. One was arrested for burglary after a policeman recognized her during an appearance on a TV news broadcast, and another has been convicted of larceny, shoplifting, and impersonating a police officer. One former city councilman falsely claimed to have a college degree, while the sitting Council president had his car repossessed and was sued by unpaid creditors. When the primary was eventually won by one of the candidates not under some cloud, the Washington Post's headline read, "White Man Gets Mayoral Nomination in Baltimore."

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