Hogan Joins Thiru Vignarajah as Baltimore City’s Attorney – CBS Baltimore

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan confirmed Thiru Vignarajah as Baltimore City’s attorney general on Thursday.

It’s the first time Hogan, a Republican, has endorsed a Democratic candidate. The governor has long targeted incumbent Marilyn Mosby, blaming policies like her decision to drop prosecution for certain crimes for Baltimore’s violent crime problem.

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“For too long violent criminals have been allowed to terrorize the streets of Baltimore with impunity,” Hogan said in a statement. “Every single day, the people of Baltimore pay a heavy price for this failure of loved ones lost, families frightened and countless lost potentials. This crisis rises above party politics. It’s not about right or left. It’s about right and wrong.”

Vignarajah, a high-profile attorney who ran unsuccessfully for state attorney in 2018 and mayor in 2020, joined Democrats Ivan Bates and Roya Hanna in running for office last week. Hanna indicated that she will run as an independent.

After gaining his first experience as a federal prosecutor, Vignarajah became the lead investigator for the Baltimore City Attorney’s Office, and in 2015 he was appointed Assistant Attorney General for Maryland. He then went into private practice as a litigant for the law firm DLA Piper.

More recently, Vignarajah has come out publicly to advocate for the rights of bar and strip club owners in The Block, challenging efforts to impose a curfew on the opening hours of those establishments.

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“Tackling violent crime should be the job of local leaders,” Vignarajah said. “For eight years, the governor has done his best to help the city fight violent crime. But governor hogan knows that without local leadership this struggle is infinitely harder than it needs to be. In a moment of crisis like this, public safety must take precedence over partisan politics. I am honored and overwhelmed by the Governor’s endorsement, which follows the best traditions of our city and state.”

Vignarajah’s campaign announcement last week solicited endorsement from Fairfax County, Virginia police chief and former Baltimore Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, who called Vignarajah the “gold standard.” Governor Hogan is by far his best-known support.

It’s unclear whether Mosby will run for another term as state attorney. She has yet to run for re-election, and if she is convicted in the trial of perjury and federal false testimony, she could be unfit for public office.

The application deadline for the office is April 15 for the July 19 primary.

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