By Adam Pagnucco.
Baltimore City Council Member Zeke Cohen was riding high. A first term incumbent in District 1 (Southeast Baltimore/Canton/Fells Point), Cohen was running for reelection and was endorsed by most of the major progressive institutional players in city politics.
![](http://www.theseventhstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Zeke-Cohen-Endorsements-1024x582.png)
Cohen’s challenger, Paris Bienert, was a credible candidate but her endorsement list was no match for the incumbent.
![](http://www.theseventhstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Bienert-Endorsements-1.png)
For the cycle, Cohen outraised Bienert by $322,837 vs $170,795 through May 17, a nearly 2-1 edge. Cohen also outspent Bienert by $194,015 vs $124,069. Cohen was so confident of victory that he reported a cash balance of $206,174 on May 17.
So this looks like a big win for the incumbent, yeah?
Not exactly.
Last night, Cohen tweeted the following after seeing early results showing Bienert getting 98% of the vote.
![](http://www.theseventhstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Zeke-Cohen-Tweet-1.png)
Cohen called out the county board of elections and the results came down.
![](http://www.theseventhstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Zeke-Cohen-Tweet-2.png)
Another person caught this aberrant result. (I redacted the person’s identity from the tweet.)
![](http://www.theseventhstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Zeke-Cohen-Tweet-3.png)
Even Bienert didn’t believe it. She told the Baltimore Sun, “I’m very excited by these numbers, but I do think there’s been a misreporting.”
All of this will remind folks of the botched city election of four years ago, when activists alleged “irregularities, including late-opening polling stations; alleged conflicts of interest among campaign staffers who worked as election judges; polling-machine memory sticks that were missing for about 24 hours; and problems with resources, including shortages of ballots and ballpoint pens at some centers.” Future federal convict Catherine Pugh wound up winning the race for Mayor.
I am hearing that the State Board of Elections will address the matter today. For now, this tweet on Cohen’s thread says it all.
![](http://www.theseventhstate.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Zeke-Cohen-Tweet-4.png)