Councilwoman Sharon Green Middleton is seeking re-election against two challengers in Baltimore's diverse District 6, which runs from prosperous Roland Park to challenged Central Park Heights.

Campaigning to revitalize the troubled Northwest Baltimore neighborhoods are three Democrats: Middleton, 61, the incumbent; Mark E. Hughes, a 43-year-old educator; and Timothy Mercer, 61, a contractor. No Republicans are running.

Middleton was appointed to the council in 2007 to finish the term of Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, who had become council president and later would be mayor. Seven months later, Middleton won re-election. A former high school teacher and administrator, Middleton is married, lives in Coldspring and has a grown son.

“The main job of a council person is taking care of your constituents. That's always No. 1, and you never lose sight of that,” she said.

Hughes taught Spanish at Sojourner Douglass College before the school was closed after losing accreditation. He has also worked at the Community Law Center, a nonprofit that provides legal assistance to families and neighborhood associations.

The Parklane resident first ran for City Council in 2011, receiving about 20 percent of the vote and losing to Middleton.

“Things are no better than they were then,” he said. “What I see in the community is the conditions of neighborhoods. It's almost like wholesale neglect.”

Mercer lives in Park Heights, his home since the 1970s. The general contractor says his campaign is based in grass-roots activism. “You can't reform from the top down.”

While on the council, Middleton has worked to address the district's “food deserts,” areas without a nearby supermarket, and to reduce the number of neighborhood liquor stores. She wants more homes for seniors, and affordable rental and family housing. She wants to expand citizen patrols and the Safe Streets program, which offers conflict mediation, in Park Heights.

Middleton said she has saved recreation centers from closing. “As soon as I hear of something happening that's going to be detrimental, I'm on it and start working to try and resolve the problem,” she said.

Hughes said the district suffers from “row upon row of vacant, abandoned, dilapidated houses.” And while programs exist to restore the homes, he said, most families are unaware of them. He said he would explain the programs to families. He also wants to increase funding for youth programs and to strengthen the police civilian review board.

Mercer said he would rely on his skills as a contractor to restore vacant homes, then work to make them affordable for families.

“One-third of our community is in deterioration and boarded up, and most of the houses are owned by banks,” he said. “Let's start renovating the houses. And when we renovate them, let's buy them to help families own their own homes.”

He said he would work to reform the city school system and backs state laws allowing the expungement of some court records.

Green Party candidate Richard Thomas White Jr., 47, a life skills coach and counselor, is also running.

tprudente@baltsun.com