The sudden rise and fall of the woman who would have been the first elected African-American mayor of Annapolis has opened wounds in the capital city's black community.
Now it's up to a white county councilman to try to heal them.
Josh Cohen lost the mayoral primary last month but became the Democratic nominee after Zina C. Pierre, a charismatic political consultant who eked out a victory in a six-way race, said she was abandoning the contest after embarrassing revelations of debts and other personal financial problems.
Because of his party's voter registration edge, Cohen, a Democrat who represents Annapolis on the Anne Arundel County Council, is the favorite to win the contest. But he still faces a challenge in soothing the emotions of Pierre supporters, some of whom think her financial woes received unwarranted attention.
Cohen has wasted no time in reaching out to African-American voters. Less than 24 hours after his appointment as nominee, he kicked off his campaign at the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial at City Dock, a symbol of the city's ties to the slave trade. He has hired three of Pierre's campaign workers, including Eugene Peterson, an African-American county school board member. And Cohen has made the rounds to community centers and churches in predominantly black neighborhoods.
"There's no question that the African-American vote is a critical vote in city elections," said Cohen. "I am reacdhing out to the African-American community, just like every voter, because this is going to be a very close election. Yes, there's a real feeling of frustration among Zina's strong supporters. But there's also a healing process."
Carl O. Snowden, a prominent civil rights activist and former Annapolis alderman, said although Pierre's backers were disappointed by her exit, Cohen has the ability to make inroads and capture some of Pierre's support.
"No one is more hurt sitting out an election than African-Americans," said Snowden, adding that Cohen received a "warm reception" when he spoke at a recent event honoring civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer. "They would be foolhardly at best and crazy at worst. ... His campaign is making a concerted effort. People are going to go from saying, 'Josh who?' to 'Josh is my candidate.' "
About 30 percent of the city's 36,000 residents are African-American. Some locals refer to the "two cities" of Annapolis, with many blacks concentrated in public housing complexes as affluent whites live in and near the historic downtown and along waterways with room for boats.
