Sylvanus B. Jones doesn't have a storefront campaign office. He doesn't have a campaign committee. He doesn't have the money to finance a race for the highest office in the city of Annapolis against two formidable candidates.
His critics call him the "perennial candidate." Some call him the "noncandidate." Some just laugh, never mentioning his name in a growing list of mayoral hopefuls in this election year.
So why does Syl Jones, as he likes to be called, believe with all his heart that he will be the next mayor of Annapolis?
"It's simple: I'm not an insider," says the 68-year-old retired federal fraud investigator for the U.S. State Department.
He was the first African-American to run for mayor in 1993 when Mayor Alfred A. Hopkins beat him in the Democratic primary 1,595 to 639.
"I'm no political neophyte either," he adds. "I just know people want a change."
This year in the Democratic primary, he faces two political powerhouses, former Mayor Dennis M. Callahan and Alderman Carl O. Snowden, who represents Ward 5. Both wield much clout and have an added advantage of name recognition to raise money in this city of about 33,000.
But Jones remains optimistic because "people will know I'm sincere. That's why they'll vote for me."
So what if his campaign office is a small room on the fourth floor of his home on top of a hill on the Parole side of town? So what if his staff consists of his son, Donovan, and wife, Josefina, who help him knock on doors? And so what if almost every dollar spent on the race so far has come from his own pocket?
It's an uphill battle for the North Carolina native who moved to Annapolis more than 20 years ago.
But one would never know it from watching this largely unknown candidate campaigning with the passion and frenzy of a teen-ager.
"I make up for what I haven't got with pure common sense," Jones says. "I'm using my time wisely. I'm using my shoe leather wisely. That will have better results than all the money in the world. Someone else in this city had success with that strategy. Just ask Mayor Hopkins."
Alfred A. Hopkins will tell you that in 1989, he beat the incumbent, Callahan, in a surprising victory and then easily won re-election in 1993 because he knocked on doors and got to know the voters.
On most days, Jones stands by the side of heavily traveled roads like Rowe Boulevard and West Street from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. waving to motorists with his "Vote Syl Jones Mayor" signs. He's waiting, he says, "to work up the nerve" to use a sign that reads "Honk If You Love Me. Syl Jones for Mayor."
Last year, he dressed up as George Washington to do his waving. This year, he's given up the costume in case people vote for "George instead of Syl," he says, punctuating his joke with a staccato laugh.
You can also count on the dapper Jones to visit your home to explain why you should vote for him. "Why?" he innocently asks the voter who informs him he is not planning on voting Jones for mayor.
The people Jones doesn't meet personally may still wind up with his name etched in their minds from hundreds of red and white "Vote Syl Jones Mayor" signs posted everywhere from Parole to Eastport to the historic district.
"I really don't know the gentleman, but I give him high marks for his energy," said Callahan, who could rightly be called the perennial candidate since this is his fourth bid for the job. "I think the fact that he put out his signs as early as he did was a very smart thing to do. He established name recognition.
"We consider him to be a legitimate candidate," Callahan says. "The last thing we want to do is take Mr. Jones lightly."
Another candidate campaigning for the mayor's seat, Alderman M. Theresa DeGraff, who is seeking the Republican nomination, said, "There isn't a house Sylvanus has missed. Everywhere I go, he's been there before me."
So why do some people still smirk at the mention of Jones' candidacy?
Maybe it's because in the last race, he said Annapolis was $50 million in debt. At the time, city officials said the debt was only about half that.
Or maybe because he has promised to reduce the crime rate in the city, but has yet to reveal how.
Political observers in the 1993 race called Jones' candidacy "credible."
This year, Jones again promises to reduce crime, lower taxes and clean up the city's trash.
But Snowden, who calls himself the Democratic front-runner in the race for mayor this year, dismissed Jones.
"Our polls show that Sylvanus is no threat," says Snowden who says he has raised about $80,000 for his campaign. "He's not someone we're worried about. Our focus is Dennis Callahan."
Jones quipped, "Well, my survey says the city of Annapolis will vote for me."
Jones' naysayers are just "underestimating Syl," his supporters say.
"What they don't realize is that he doesn't have the kind of baggage that the other candidates might have either," said Gary H. Toney, a longtime friend who lives in Eastport.
