On January 19, 2007, Mitchell returned to the corner of Pennsylvania Avenue and Laurens Street, one of the initial sites of his "Take Back the Streets" campaign, to announce his candidacy for mayor. His campaign has focused on criticism of interim Mayor Sheila Dixon's leadership especially in dealing with escalating crime. In a poll of likely Democratic voters released by "The Baltimore Sun" on July 16, 2007, Mitchell trailed Dixon by 32% with less than 2 months remaining in the election. It seems that crime is the main issue in Baltimore City, and Mitchell has been identified by many as being the only candidate able to quell the rising murder rate. Accordingly, he was endorsed by the Firefighters Union, the Police Union (FOP), the Sheriffs Union, and Attorney General Doug Gansler.