Martin O'Malley, the winner of the previous mayoral election, was elected governor of Maryland in 2006. Therefore, city council president Sheila Dixon became mayor for the final year of what had been O'Malley's term, and subsequently ran for reelection to a full term.
Martin O'Malley, who triumphed in the previous mayoral race, became the governor of Maryland in 2006. As a result, city council president Sheila Dixon assumed the role of mayor until the end of O'Malley's term and then ran for re-election to complete it.