WASHINGTON — A source close to Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake on Monday told BuzzFeed News she would not rule out a run at Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski's soon-to-be vacated Senate seat and that she will make a decision whether to run in the next few weeks.
The source also said that Rawlings-Blake was caught off guard by Mikulski's announcement. Rawlings-Blake, who is secretary of the Democratic National Committee, is considered a rising party star.
"It's clear to most most folks around the country that Washington isn't working," the source said, "and what she has demonstrated is an ability to bring people together and get things done in a way that would be difficult for other potential candidates to match."
Reached for comment, her office said she was only committed to her current role.
"The mayor is fully focused on serving the citizens of Baltimore and thanks Senator Mikulski for her decades of tireless service," spokesman Kevin Harris said.
The news that Mikulski, the longest-serving woman in the history of Congress, would not run for reelection in 2016 sent Democrats scrambling Monday in Maryland and inside the Beltway. Though the state elected a Republican governor in 2014, the Mikulski seat is seen as likely to be retained in a presidential election year, especially with the potential Democratic candidate crop. That list of potential candidates includes former Gov. Martin O'Malley and House members such as Reps. Chris Van Hollen, Andy Harris, Elijah Cummings, and Donna Edwards.
"I think she saw Sen. Mikulski running for re-election so there were no active plans underway in terms what to do," should Mikulski step down, the source said.
Rawlings-Blake would likely tout her handling of Baltimore's budget deficit and focus on improving the city's schools and public safety, and lowering property taxes, the source said.
Rawlings-Blake makes for an attractive candidate for Democrats, particular with Hillary Clinton's likely presidential candidacy in 2016 and the expected emphasis on the potential to elect a female president. It is not lost on her nor her closest aides in Baltimore that there will likely be pressure to replace Mikulski with a female senator.
"It is something we've all thought about — with Secretary Clinton being the top of the ticket, and the fact there's very few people in Maryland that don't believe Sen. Mikulski's leadership has been anything but positive leadership for Maryland," the source said. "There are a lot people who would like to see a woman succeed her. There's a real ... acknowledgement that women have been getting things done."