Baltimore City Sheriff Sam Cogen is not treating Mayor Brandon Scott's endorsement of his opponent as a five-alarm political fire. Speaking Friday, Cogen played down the mayor's move to back a challenger in the Democratic primary and said the pick will not interfere with how he runs the sheriff's office. He added that he plans to keep working with City Hall and the police commissioner on public safety, even as the normally low profile office gets pulled into campaign season drama ahead of the June primary.
As reported by WBAL NewsRadio 1090 and FM 101.5, Scott announced Thursday that he is backing Sabrina Tapp-Harper, a retired Baltimore Police commander who also served as an assistant sheriff before leaving that post in 2022. Cogen told the station the endorsement would not affect his work and stressed that he will continue partnering with the mayor and police commissioner on citywide safety initiatives, regardless of what happens at the ballot box.
Sheriff's Office Duties And The Political Line
The Baltimore City Sheriff's Office handles courthouse security, serves civil and criminal process, including warrants and evictions, and carries out other court ordered work spelled out in city law. Under the Baltimore City Code, the sheriff oversees the city's court security officers and related operations, a portfolio that sits apart from the Baltimore Police Department's patrol and investigative responsibilities.
That division of labor often leaves the sheriff's job cast as more administrative than political. Scott's decision to wade into the race, and Cogen's decision to publicly respond, blur that line and give voters a little more to chew on than the usual courthouse housekeeping.
Who Is Sabrina Tapp-Harper?
Tapp-Harper is a retired Baltimore Police commander and former assistant sheriff who formally jumped into the sheriff's race earlier this year. Local reporting from Tapp-Harper Launches Bid and from WMAR-2 News notes that she brings a decades long law enforcement career to the contest and that she exited the assistant sheriff role in 2022.
Her background gives Scott a challenger who can argue she knows both sides of Calvert Street, from police headquarters to the courthouse hallways, as she pitches herself to voters looking for a change in how the office is run.
Endorsements, Counters And City Hall Tension
Cogen, for his part, has been quick to point out that the mayor is not the only political player in town. He told reporters he has lined up support from a roster of prominent backers that includes Kweisi Mfume, Angela Alsobrooks, the state attorney general and State's Attorney Ivan Bates, according to WBAL NewsRadio.
The current standoff does not come out of nowhere. Cogen previously backed former Mayor Sheila Dixon in an earlier mayoral cycle and has clashed with the Scott administration over evictions and other policy questions, reporting by The Baltimore Banner shows. The mayor's endorsement of Tapp-Harper adds a fresh chapter to that tension, even as both sides insist the day to day work of keeping courts running and orders served will go on.
What To Watch Before The Primary
Early voting runs June 11–18 and Primary Day is June 23, according to election calendars. The open question is whether Scott's public backing will move the needle in a contest that usually sits near the bottom of the ballot and often draws relatively low turnout.
Cogen insists it will not change how he does the job. Voters will decide whether that confidence, and his list of endorsers, can stand up to a mayoral stamp of approval for an ex top cop looking to reclaim a senior spot in the courthouse orbit.
