Baker Kicks Off Campaign, Highlights Business, Safety, Schools

In a brief campaign kickoff speech which dwelt mainly on economic issues, County Executive Rushern Baker pledged to turn Prince George's County into the "economic engine of the Washington region."

Flanked by his family, Baker announced that he would be seeking re-election to his post in a campaign speech delivered before hundreds of supporters at the Newton Mansion in Mitchellville on Thursday evening. 

Baker, who mostly discarded the speech prepared for him and distributed to the media beforehand, focused his remarks on three topics; economic development projects throughout the county, declining crime rates, and the recent reforms to the county school system.

In highlighting economic development, Baker referenced the construction of a regional health care facility, a proposed destination resort casino he wants to bring to National Harbor, the Konterra development and Laurel Mall redevelopment in the northern end of the county, the upcoming relocation of the Department of Housing and Community Development to New Carollton, the Tangier Outlets and the booming Gateway Arts District.

"We could have $4 billion worth of construction going on at the same time," said Baker. "More than any other place in the region."

"We have been able to bring down crime….we were able to tackle health care, with a new regional health care facility, which is an important issue and which has an impact on public safey and education," said Baker. 

Bakers claims on crime are pegged to consecutive annual declines in the county crime rate, especially a dramatic 35 percent drop in homicides in 2012. Overall crime rates last year were down to its lowest levels in 30 years. 

Baker credited these declines to increased collaboration between public safety agencies and the implementation of the Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative, which focuses county resources on six neighborhoods with high crime rates.

Touching on education, Baker promised to use his increased control over the school system to make it "the best school system, not only in the state of Maryland, but in the nation."

Baker and the Prince George's County Council recently made the last of their appointments to the Prince George's County Board of Education. Baker is still has to choose a new CEO for the school system.