Ryan Dorsey

This page was last updated during the official's most recent election or appointment. Please contact us with any updates.

Ryan Dorsey

Democratic Party

Baltimore City Council District 3

Tenure

2016 - Present

Term ends

2028

Years in position

9

Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, 2007

Personal

Birthplace

Baltimore, Md.

Religion

Unaffiliated

Profession

Politician

Contact

Official website

Campaign website

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal YouTube

Ryan Dorsey (Democratic Party) is a member of the Baltimore City Council in Maryland, representing District 3. He assumed office in 2016. His current term ends on December 7, 2028.

Dorsey (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Baltimore City Council to represent District 3 in Maryland. He won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Dorsey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Ryan Dorsey was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended The Catholic University of America earned a bachelor's degree from the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University in 2007. His career experience includes working as a politician.

Elections

2024

See also: City elections in Baltimore, Maryland (2024)

General election

General election for Baltimore City Council District 3

Incumbent Ryan Dorsey won election in the general election for Baltimore City Council District 3 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Dorsey (D)	96.1	15,691
		Other/Write-in votes	3.9	631

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 16,322
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Baltimore City Council District 3

Incumbent Ryan Dorsey defeated Margo Bruner-Settles and Marques Dent in the Democratic primary for Baltimore City Council District 3 on May 14, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Dorsey	64.9	5,296
		Margo Bruner-Settles	25.6	2,089
		Marques Dent	9.5	775

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 8,160
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Dorsey in this election.

2020

See also: City elections in Baltimore, Maryland (2020)

General election

General election for Baltimore City Council District 3

Incumbent Ryan Dorsey defeated David Marshall Wright in the general election for Baltimore City Council District 3 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Dorsey (D)	83.4	14,802
	Submit photo	David Marshall Wright (R)	15.8	2,801
		Other/Write-in votes	0.9	155

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 17,758
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Baltimore City Council District 3

Incumbent Ryan Dorsey defeated Rain Pryor and Mel Munk in the Democratic primary for Baltimore City Council District 3 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Ryan Dorsey	58.4	6,704
	Submit photo	Rain Pryor	36.1	4,149
	Submit photo	Mel Munk	5.5	629

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,482
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Baltimore City Council District 3

David Marshall Wright advanced from the Republican primary for Baltimore City Council District 3 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	David Marshall Wright	100.0	551

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 551
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2016

Ryan Dorsey defeated Andreas Spiliadis in the Baltimore City Council election for District 3.

Baltimore City Council Election (2016), District 3, General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Ryan Dorsey	85.78%	14,190
	Green	Andreas Spiliadis	13.69%	2,265
		Write-in votes	0.53%	88
Total Votes				16,543
Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2016 Presidential General Election results for Baltimore City," accessed December 11, 2016

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary of the Baltimore City Council election for District 3.

Baltimore City Council Election (2016), District 3, Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Ryan Dorsey	40.33%	3,988
	Democratic	Jermaine Jones	29.82%	2,949
	Democratic	George VanHook, Sr.	9.11%	901
	Democratic	Marques Dent	8.32%	823
	Democratic	Beatrice Brown	6.06%	599
	Democratic	Alicia Joynes	3.66%	362
	Democratic	Steven Mitchell	1.69%	167
	Democratic	Riha Richard	1.01%	100
Total Votes				9,889
Source: Maryland State Board of Elections, "Official 2016 Presidential Primary Election results for Baltimore City," May 31, 2016

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Ryan Dorsey completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Dorsey's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a lifelong resident of my district, a recovered alcoholic, former drug user, 42 years old, 21 years sober. I got through high school and college not knowing what I wanted to do, got a degree in music, worked in a family business for 10 years dealing with customers who generally have more money than most, and then one day decided I could and should be of service to way more people in ways that matter a lot more. I ran for office, won, and became a successful legislator. I learned how the City government functions and dysfunctions and I've handled thousands of cases helping constituents and worked like crazy to get agencies to do better. I've been a loud-mouthed truth-teller, and I've learned to be a little quieter sometimes. I'm plain-spoken and occasionally rough around the edges, but mostly keep to myself and just work long and hard. I love talking to constituents and miss having a social life. I have the same conversations over and over again with constituents, and then have a hard time talking about much else with anybody else. I love what I do and I'm good at it, but I look forward to doing something a little different at some point, even though I have no idea what that will be. I love my wife.

I love Baltimore and it sucks, and everybody I know knows exactly what that means and feels the same way.

"There are only two things people hate: change, and the way things are." -Julie Day.

Music, Deerhoof. Art, DuChamp.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I work hard. I'm good at my job. I want to keep doing it. I do a lot for a lot of people, and have been successful at making a lot of good and needed change. But there's a lot that needs to be done, and change takes time, so I'd like more time to keep doing what I'm doing, not forever, but long enough to see a few more big things through to completion. I have big priority bills and a laundry list of little bills that aren't going to get passed this term, but that I think I can get done next term. I have major projects underway in my district that I'd like to keep stewarding along.
• Building housing - lots of it, densely, and in every neighborhood - is fundamental to addressing virtually every problem we face as a city. We prohibit increasing our housing supply on roughly 70% of the city's residential zoned land, and that's just crazy. People want to live here and we have laws that are making it basically impossible to meet that demand, so everybody's cost of housing - rents, home prices, property tax assessments (and therefore tax bills) - is going up along with basically everything else, and we can fix this by just building more housing. We don't do this because we're governed by fear and vibes instead of optimism and logic.
• It's completely insane that we elect a City Council president at large. Baltimore is abnormal in so many ways. This should not be one of them.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Housing, land use, transportation, consumer protection, business licensing and regulation, public administration.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

Local government is the most impactful level of democratic representation, the one that most directly effects people's everyday experiences.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

1. The Death and Life of Great American Cities, by Jane Jacobs.

2. Rules for Radicals, by Saul Alinsky.
3. The Color of Law, by Richard Rothstein.
4. The High Cost of Free Parking, by Donald Shoup
5. The 2nd, 3rd, and 4th albums by Bob Dylan
6. The entire Deerhoof catalog
7. I Got A Monster, by Brandon Soderberg and Baynard Woods
8. Hometown Boy, by Rafael Alvarez
9. Marcel Duchamp: Étant Donnés, by Julian Jason Haladyn
10. Live at the It Club, Thelonius Monk
11. Oh Yeah, Charles Mingus
12. Caché, by Michael Haneke
13. The Hunt, by Thomas Vinterberg
14. Dogville, by Lars Von Trier
15. The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg
16. Fratres, by Arvo Pärt (Kronos Quartet recording)

17. Quadrophenia, by The Who

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

I think just having character and principles is the most important thing to me. Being willing to find a viewpoint that you believe in, speak to it, and advance it in the face of opposition. There are plenty of elected officials who don't really try very hard, and don't try to do very hard things, and I think that we deserve - and could have - a lot better. Sure there are plenty of easier things to be done too, but the hardest work yields the biggest returns. A lot of people will pander to constituents in lieu of having to defend a perspective and the possibility of change that makes a lot of them uncomfortable, but I think we can't comfort the disturbed without disturbing the comfortable.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To fight like hell for something that nobody else is willing to fight for, and to convince others that what you're fighting for is worthwhile.

To perform constituent service the best possible.

To help public money make its way into the communities one represents.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Zoning reform.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Rodney King Incident. I was nine years old.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Washing dishes and cooking all the food except the steamed crabs at Bo Brooks, in their original location on Belair Road at Frankford. Summer after 9th grade, 1997.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Flower, from Apple O', by Deerhoof

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

I spent so much time in my adolescence thinking I'd be better off dead that when I did a phycological intake for a therapist when I was in college and the question asked if I had ever had suicidal thoughts, I read it and answered as if it asked, "Did you think you could ever go through with it?" The thought of suicide was that completely normalized in my mind. It was inconceivable to me that others didn't have the same experience. It was another three years before I got sober and realized that the way I had been living was in no way normal.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

Not really. There are probably just way more things that people should know and accept that the office is not able to do. If people cared more about a comprehensive view of the systemic barriers to the outcomes they want, we'd probably have a lot better chance of changing those systems.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I believe I've benefitted most from having an interest in doing the job well, and a commitment to do only this job, no other, and taking it very seriously. I didn't have any experience in government or politics, but I learned a lot, fast in order to campaign on a deep and meaningful message, backed up by a serious platform. The learning curve was steep, but I gave it everything, so that by the time I was actually on the job I was able to hit the ground running, and it no longer felt like drinking from a fire hose.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

Three dimensional spatial reasoning. I think it correlates closely to the ability to comprehend the interrelatedness of systems.

Strong writing and communication skills. You have to explain a lot to a lot of people, and almost none of them work for you or are truly obligated to do, say, or think what you want them to.

Patience. Tenacity. Inventiveness. Empathy. Equanimity.

Tell us your favorite joke.

A skeleton walks into a bar and orders a beer and a towel.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Metro Baltimore AFL-CIO, AFSCME Council 3, Unite Here Local 7, 1199SEIU, 32BJ, EAS Carpenters, UA Local 486, Baltimore City Firefighters and Fire Officers IAFF, Casa In Action, Jews United for Justice Campaign Fund, Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, Bikemore In Action, Mayor Brandon Scott, Comptroller Bill Henry, Senator Cory McCray, Senator Mary Washington, Senator Jill Carter, Senator Antonio Hayes, Senator Will Smith.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Be transparent. Be accountable. When people can't be trusted, or when the public should feel reassured, create laws. Disclose everything that's reasonable and feasible. Create systems to make it easy.

I created Baltimore's Office of the Inspector General, gave our Ethics Board independence, funding, and actual staffing, and re wrote our financial disclosure laws, including creating heightened standards for elected officials.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2020

Ryan Dorsey did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

Dorsey's campaign website listed the following themes for 2016:

“	Ryan Dorsey will: Open an office in the 3rd District within the first year of taking office Host regular town hall meetings that bring neighborhoods from across the district together Have one job—Councilman Push for redevelopment of the North Harford Playfield site into a community asset for the tens thousands of people who live within walking distance Help develop a more walkable, bikeable and livable community along Harford Road to attract and retain residents and businesses Continue to grow opportunities for engagement among Morgan State University and nearby neighbors so that this historic and important institution can benefit both students and neighbors Ensure that the schools in the 3rd District are places where parents are proud to send their kids - that parents, teachers, principals, and students have an advocate in City Hall Work with community leaders, law enforcement, and non-profits to monitor vacant houses, troublesome properties, and public spaces - expediting remedies to problems as necessary	”
—Ryan Dorsey (2016)

See also

2024 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Baltimore City Council District 3

Website

Twitter

Instagram

Officeholder

Baltimore City Council District 3

Website

Personal

Facebook

YouTube

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by -	Baltimore City Council District 3 2016-Present	Succeeded by -