Will allegations curtail Dixon’s political future?

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon: Campaign photoIn the midst of investigations and allegations of public corruption surrounding Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon (D), it remains unclear what effect the fiasco will have on her public image and political future.

Solid facts surrounding her relationship with Ronald H. Lipscomb remain unclear, but Dixon acknowledged Monday that she had a personal relationship with the prominent developer in 2003 and 2004, according the Baltimore Sun.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Dixon vowed: “I’m gonna survive this, because I only take this business of what I do one day at a time.”

Even if Dixon does survive, and isn’t forced to resign, the political damage could be extensive. According to Byron Warnken, a law professor at the University of Baltimore, Dixon faces “absolute, absolute political problems.”

“I think that if she had higher political office aspirations” then they are in “serious jeopardy,” he told PolitickerMD.com.

Warnken also noted that he had read the entire affidavit and saw “real potential criminal liability.” He suggested it was very plausible that the case could end up in court. “I do see misconduct in office,” he said.

Justin Ready, the state GOP executive director didn’t see much good in Dixon’s political future either, but wouldn’t go as far to say that Dixon would probably end up resigning.

“It definitely casts a bit of a shadow right now over her career,” he told PolitickerMD.com. “It hurts her ability to govern the city.”

Not everyone has said that Dixon couldn’t leap over this political obstacle.

“This public replay of an old controversy may be grabbing the kind of salacious headlines that would melt a lesser leader. That’s not Sheila Dixon. She’s going to get through this stronger than ever. That’s been her history and that’s what everyone can expect,” wrote Quincey Gamble, executive director of the Maryland Democratic Party, in an email to PolitickerMD.com.

However, Gamble’s optimism may not be enough to point public opinion in a positive direction, even if the Mayor isn’t indicted.

“It’s very difficult to defend rhetorically,” said Michael Cain, the chairman of the political science department at St. Mary's College of Maryland. “It looks like she’s in trouble, if only by the appearance of impropriety.”

Cain said the fate of Dixon’s public image would become clearer within the next weeks as the case developed further. But all can agree that one thing is certain, as Cain puts it, Dixon is going to continue to have one big “political headache.”