As gubernatorial candidates vie for votes in Baltimore, city residents and leaders are hopeful for a fresh start

For the past eight years, Baltimoreans have watched as their governor, more often than not, criticized the city more than he praised the city. Gov. Larry Hogan, like most politicians, professed to love Baltimore. But he axed a major transit project, engaged in pitched battles with city leaders, and counts bringing in the National Guard following civil unrest and rioting in 2015 as one of his greatest successes. Now, with Hogan moving on after two terms, there’s an opportunity for a different relationship between the leader of the state and the state’s largest city. Arguably, a new executive could matter more to Baltimore than any other Maryland jurisdiction.