Hyojin Choi | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 54th & 58th Mayor of Baltimore | |
| 54th & 58th Ambassador to | |
Incumbent | |
| Template:Str rep January 3, 2024 | |
| Deputy | Elizabeth Reid |
| Preceded by | J.J Mathieu |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Labor Party |
| Other political affiliations | Democratic Unity Party |
Hyojin Choi (born 2000) is an American politician serving as the Mayor of Baltimore. A member of the Labor Party, they served as the member of the United States House of Representatives for Cascade's 2nd Congressional district; as well as the Chair of the Labor Party and the Mayor of Baltimore. They previously served as the mayor of Baltimore from 2018 to 2022.
Early life and education[]
Choi was born in Suwon, South Korea and raised in the Hillen neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. They attended Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School, where they graduated in 2005. They went on to graduate summa cum laude, and obtained a bachelors of arts degree in Social Work from the Morgan State University in 2008 and then obtained a PhD from Rosewood State University in Union City, Maryland in 2011.
Political career[]
Baltimore City Council (2012–2016)[]
Choi was elected to the Baltimore City Council on August 10, 2012, at the age of 25, they were the youngest person elected to the position. They served on the city council until 2016, and served as President of the council from 2014 to 2016.
Mayor of Baltimore (2018–2022)[]
Choi was the first person to announce their candidacy for Mayor of Baltimore on March 28, 2015 at Hughes Memorial Stadium located at Choi's alma mater Morgan State University.
2024 United States House of Representatives elections[]
Choi lost the 2024 United States House of Representatives elections for Cascade's 2nd district, despite having an early lead.
Mayor of Baltimore (2024–present)[]
Choi returned to Baltimore politics, running for mayor of the city in 2024, and unseating longtime ally Elizabeth Reid, who served as the Deputy Mayor during Choi's first tenure as mayor. They would win the primary election, and easily secured a second term, becoming the 54th Mayor of Baltimore on December 8, 2024.
On June 1, 2024, Choi signed a law that new affordable housing projects near the inner harbor.
On June 2, 2024, Choi signed into law legislation that increased the number of social workers assigned to the police departments, as well as signing into law a bill that provided additional funding needle exchange programs in the city.
Political positions[]
Economic policies[]
Choi is on the left economically. They identify as a social democrat. They believe in increasing taxes on the rich, and closing tax loopholes for the rich. They are also in favor of inherentence tax and luxury taxes for those with more than one house.They support the right of workers to unionize, and opposes Starbucks and Amazon's unionbusting practices. They are a prononent of the the idea of systemic racism creating income inequality. Choi favors resdistrubuting wealth, and adovcates for reparations for African-American descendants of slaves; aswell as the descendants of the Chinese railroad workers.
Choi supports increasing regulations on corporations, and breaking up large corporate and tech monopolies. As mayor of Baltimore, Choi signed the Right to Eat law, which states that the right for children to recieve healthy meals free of charge.
In 2018, they signed an ordinance which raised minimum wage to $12 per hour, and then to $13.50 in 2019. They also signed into law an ordinance that aimed to increasing housing and employment in the city. The ordinance banned the police from sweeping tent housing in the city.
Choi is opposed to the gentrification of Baltimore, and has advocated for and signed legislation that aims to increase community involvement from local communities to improve the quality of life in the city.
They oppose the privatization of prisons, and has worked to derivatize prisons in Baltimore. They also advocate for infrastructure reform.
Social policies[]
Choi is also on the progressive on social issues. They are a vocal supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement. Choi renamed North Mount Street in West Baltimore, Freddie Gray Memorial Street. They signed into law in 2019, an ordinance that required a social worker to present in certain police calls. Choi signed into law an ordinance which created a needle-exchange program in Baltimore.
Choi is also in favor of the movement to increase social workers involvement in police calls.
Choi favors the legalization of marijuana, and the decriminalization of some illicit drugs such as LSD and Psilocybin. They also support an end to mandatory minimums and advocates for the release of non-violent offenders from prisons. Choi supports the right of women to make their own medical decisions regarding their health.
Choi supports stricter gun control, such as increased background checks and closing loopholes and ending buybacks.
Electoral history[]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labour | Hyojin Choi | 155,304 | 70.0% | |
| Democratic | Jane Smith | 34,591 | 16.0% | |
Personal life[]
Choi lives in the Ednor Gardens–Lakeside neighborhood. They have a 1-year-old cat named Kiki.