Baltimore mayor taking look at Senate

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said on Monday she is taking “a hard look” at running for the seat held by retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.).

Appearing on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” the Democrat said it was “flattering” to be considered as a possible successor to Mikulski, the Senate’s longest-serving woman.

{mosads}“I get it, I have a record of bringing people together, for getting difficult things done,” Rawlings-Blake said. “And I know that Washington needs more of that. So I have to take a hard look at it and figure out how I can best serve Baltimore.”

“I have to. I mean, I have to take a look at that,” she added later in the interview. “We call our senator, it’s like having a Baltimore girl in the Senate, and a lot of people think that style — that very aggressive, unapologetic leadership style — is needed in Washington, D.C., and I’m not afraid to tackle big issues.”

Rawlings-Blake became mayor in 2010 and is the secretary of the Democratic National Committee.

Several Maryland Democrats have been considering bids to replace Mikulski since she announced her retirement a week ago. 

Rep. Chris Van Hollen said last week he would run for the seat. He quickly picked up an endorsement from Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and is likely to lead the field in fundraising, with $1.7 million already in his campaign account.

Rep. Donna Edwards is reportedly planning to announce her own campaign on Tuesday after progressive groups spent the last week urging her to run. 

Other possible candidates include Reps. Elijah Cummings and Dutch Ruppersberger.