Preview: WMDT meets the three candidates vying for mayor’s seat in Cambridge

CAMBRIDGE, Md. – In October, Cambridge voters will choose their new mayor. Each of the three candidates has served as a public official in the past, as well as a whole host of combined community leadership experience.

WMDT is learning more about the priorities of each of the candidates—(in alphabetical order) Former Mayor Andrew Bradshaw, current Cambridge Commissioners President Lajan Cephas, and two-time past Commissioner LaShon Foster.

Andrew Bradshaw

Andrew Bradshaw served as mayor of Cambridge between 2020 and 2022. Bradshaw is also a local businessman, and currently a member of Rescue Fire Company, is the Train Garden’s co-chairman, and is a Vestryman at Old Trinity Church.

In January of 2022, Bradshaw stepped down as mayor after being arrested on revenge porn charges. He pleaded guilty to five counts of distributing revenge porn, of the 50 that he was charged with. Bradshaw did not serve jail time but was required to pay more than $5,000 in fines and perform community service.

Bradshaw says he has learned major personal lessons since then and is ready to return to the mayoral seat and make positive changes in the city.

“I think that moving forward, by goal as much about setting policy and developing policy, as it’s going to be about working with the rest of the council,” Bradshaw said. “It’s about where we’re going to go together in the future and it’s about being able to implement those things and move forward.”

Lajan Cephas

Lajan Cephas is the current President of the Cambridge Commissioners. She also served as interim mayor following Bradshaw’s departure, and before current Mayor Steve Rideout’s tenure. Cephas once owned a small transportation company in Cambridge, which she later sold. She is also a graduate of the Eastern Shor Criminal Justice Academy and served as a correctional officer drill instructor at Wor-Wic Community College, and as a correctional officer at Dorchester County Detention Center.

Cephas has also faced challenges in the courts. In 2022, Cephas was charged with second-degree assault following a domestic violence incident at her home. The court dismissed those charges in January 2023.

Cephas says she is looking forward to running a positive campaign and connecting with constituents on various issues in the next several weeks.

“In spite of life’s challenges, I still showed up. People need people to show up,” Cephas said. “I’m all about the community and I’m all about engaging. I was born and raised in Cambridge… They should vote for a Mayor Cephas because I’m here, and I’ve been here.”

LaShon Foster

LaShon Foster served as a Commissioner from 2004 to 2008, and again from 2016 to 2020. She is a current member of the Cambridge Police Board and a housing advocate. Foster is also a psychotherapist who works with children and has been a social worker since 1987. She says she has worked with both adult and child protective services.

Foster says that if elected as mayor, she would remain dedicated, committed, and motivated to serve the community in an active way. She says staying united is key to achieving the city’s goals.

Transparency is one of Foster’s biggest goals, she says

“I’m committed to listening to everyone, and being transparent, and valuing every individual—from the babies to the elderly,” said Foster. “We need to look at the issues head-on, and that includes every single city employee. They are valued, and they need to be listened to because they are the backbone of how we run every day.”

Looking Ahead

The Cambridge mayoral election will take place Saturday, October 19th, 2024. Next week, WMDT will air an individual segment for each candidate. Tune into the News Hour Tuesday through Thursday for those stories.