Race For Mayor

In politics, voters' choices often boil down to the lesser of two evils -- or sometimes of three evils. That's the way the race for mayor is shaping up: There's no perfect candidate, no white knight.The Democratic primary so far is strictly a two-person affair. Incumbent Kurt L. Schmoke vs. Council President Mary Pat Clarke.On paper, Mr. Schmoke should be a winner. He has the money and clout of incumbency. He remains popular with older African-Americans who point to him as a sterling role model.

The dramatic redistricting plan pushed through the Baltimore City Council earlier this year was no match for the power of incumbency. Only three incumbents who sought re-election were defeated. And despite early expectations that the new destrict arrangement would increase black representation, the new council will have only one more black member than the current body.Even so, with two council members having declined to seek re-election in order to run for comptroller, there will be enough fresh faces to make a difference.