CAMBRIDGE, Md. - Cambridge will hold its run-off election for mayor on Wednesday, Sept. 20.
Last month, the city held a special election with six candidates. None of the candidates received 50 percent of the votes. This lead the city to hold a run-off election for the top two finalists: state Sen. Addie Eckardt and opponent Steve Rideout.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. at the Chesapeake College Cambridge Center.
The candidates will fill the empty spot that former Mayor Andrew Bradshaw stepped down from after ultimately pleading guilty to posting revenge porn.
Eckardt and Rideout both say they've used this extra campaign time wisely.
"We have been out to virtually the whole city, again, to try and connect with the voters. I have gone out with door hangers reminding people to vote. We've have been talking to voters wherever I see them and they see me," says Rideout.
"Right now it's looking positive for me," Eckardt said. "I made a goal to be able to knock on as many doors as I can to get to know all five wards."
Last month's special election voter turnout was around 15 percent. Candidates Eckardt and Rideout say they would like to see a larger percentage.
"I have asked everybody 'please come and vote' because I would like to see more voter turnout. It's amazing to me, you can go down the street and everybody is registered to vote, but you might only gather 10 people. Like I said, you could get two or three people at home. But you want everybody to participate," says Eckardt.
"Whoever they're going to vote for, it's important that this community starts speaking for itself about what it wants," Rideout says. "One way to do that is to vote on election day. Failing to do that means, to me, is that we have a community that does not trust government, does not trust police, and we need to turn that around."
But according to both candidates, one of the most important things is reaching out to the community, listening to the community, and making sure they feel heard.