Baltimore City Wire

Gov. Larry Hogan has opened a campaign office in Baltimore.

Hogan's new office is on North Avenue. There is a billboard overhead with Hogan and Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, along with their wives, that says, "Hogan Rutherford Stands With Baltimore," according to The Baltimore Sun.

There are about 250 active volunteers in the city, according to Doug Mayer, Hogan's campaign spokesman.

When Hogan officially opened the new office, there were more than 100 supporters at the door chanting, "Four more years!" Hogan called Baltimore the "heart and soul" of Maryland at the event.

"Don’t let anybody tell you you have to vote a certain way because you happen to be black or you happen to live in Baltimore City,” The Baltimore Sun quoted Hogan as saying at the event. “You get to make those decisions for yourself. And guess what, some people have not been delivering for you for decades. But we have been for four straight years.”

Hogan also noted that his administration had brought $5.5 billion in aid to Baltimore, which was more than any other one-term governor in the history of the state.

There were several Democrats at the event supporting Hogan, including former Baltimore City Councilman Keiffer Mitchell and former City Councilwoman Rochelle "Rikki" Spector. Spector told The Baltimore Sun she felt Ben Jealous, the Democratic candidate for governor, leans too far to the left.

When Hogan ran for governor in 2014, he only received 22 percent of the vote in Baltimore City, Montgomery, Prince George's and Charles counties. Seventy-five percent of Baltimore City voted for Anthony Brown, who also gained 51 percent in Charles County, 61 percent in Montgomery and 84 percent in Prince George's, according to election data.

The building where Hogan opened his campaign office was previously a vacant bank building.

Several Baltimore Democratic officials do not support Hogan, citing his decision to nix the Red Line light rail project and the decision to stall development at the State Center complex as reasons why they support Jealous instead of Hogan.