Baltimore State's Attorney Ivan Bates Launches Re-Election Bid for Second Term

Ivan Bates kicked off his re-election campaign at Sammy's Trattoria Sunday, running effectively unopposed for a second term as Baltimore City State's Attorney with his current term set to expire in January 2027.

Bates, who took office in January 2023, built his first-term record around prosecuting violent repeat offenders, expanding staff capacity at the State's Attorney's Office, and pushing community-engagement strategies he argues are directly tied to reducing violent crime. At the kickoff event, he told supporters the job isn't finished: "We have more work to do."

The State's Attorney's office sits at the center of nearly every consequential public-safety decision in the city, from charging violent crime cases and negotiating plea agreements to determining which defendants enter diversion programs. Whoever holds the seat shapes prosecutorial hiring, office budgets, and enforcement priorities for years beyond any single election cycle.

With no declared opponents at this stage, Bates' primary campaign is shaping up as a referendum on his record rather than a conventional contested race. Challengers could still emerge before official filing deadlines, and the 2026 primary cycle will ultimately determine whether he faces a competitive general election in November.

For now, Bates is directing campaign energy toward voter outreach and fundraising, pressing the case that his enforcement strategies, centered on holding repeat violent offenders accountable while rebuilding the institutional capacity of a previously understaffed office, have positioned Baltimore's prosecution system for measurable long-term gains.