Russell Neverdon Sr.’s effort to win a spot on this year’s election ballot would appear to be an uphill proposition – but not without value.
He’s a few months and 1,051 signatures short in his effort to become an independent candidate for Baltimore State’s Attorney. If he really wanted to be the city’s elected state’s attorney, he might have become a candidate a year or so ago, as the Democrat Primary winner Marilyn Mosby did. Now, unhappy with the voters’ choice, Neverdon seeks to become an alternative.
In the matter of the numbers, retired judge Martin P. Welch will decide whether Neverdon’s petition met the requirements of law. He apparently needs at least 1,051 additional valid signatures to reach the 4,016 he needs. About half the signatures were disallowed because they allegedly did not match the name on the voter registration list. Others did not include the date of the signing as required by law.
Neverdon’s lawyer says his client will show Judge Welch that all the signatures should be accepted. We shall see, of course.
But then there is this: if Neverdon succeeds, the difficult part of his run for office will begin.
Ms. Mosby will be a formidable opponent. She gave the political world one of its biggest shocks ever in this year’s primary election. Short of experience, no one gave her much hope of winning. Surprise and commitment made Mosby a winner. Even people who did not vote for her last June must have been impressed. Now she will have a steep learning curve to be ready for the job if she wins in November.
At the moment, she’s in. Republicans didn’t field a candidate. So, if Russell Neverdon somehow qualifies as a candidate, Ms. Mosby will have another opportunity to show what she brings to the table.
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