Former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, who resigned from office in 2010 after an embezzlement conviction, announced Thursday (Sep. 7) that she’s running again for mayor in 2024, marking her third bid to regain the office of mayor, the Associated Press reports.

At a news conference, Dixon said she has learned from her past errors and has the ability to improve living conditions in the city that is currently plagued by violent crime.

"I made a mistake, I've learned from that mistake. I try to be in my walk every day, one, true to God, two, to be transparent and honest - and I would ask people to give me a second chance," Baltimore’s first female mayor told CBS News Baltimore, adding, “know that I can do it again. Maybe not the same way that I did, but with accountability, with focus and being able to lead this city."

Dixon’s political downfall stems from the revelation that she stole from the poor. A jury in 2009 found her guilty of misusing gift cards that were donated to City Hall for charity. She used the cards to purchase about $500 of items for her family and staff. She served probation and was barred for two years from running for public office.

The upcoming Democratic primary is shaping up to be a rematch against current Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott. Dixon, 69, lost to Scott by a slim margin in the 2020 primary, in which he promoted himself as a new generation of leadership for the city. Scott, now 39, is running for a second term as mayor.

Dixon, who also lost a bid for mayor in 2016, criticized Scott’s leadership over key vacancies among city departments.

"This is the first time that I can recall that we've had a revolving door of department heads and agency people, and you need consistency in that respect...there is a lot of talent even in this region that we can pull on," Dixon told CBS News Baltimore.

WBFF reported in June that almost a dozen city agencies were without permanent leaders, including the police, fire, transportation and health departments.

Scott also appears vulnerable on the issue of violent crime. He vowed in his first campaign for mayor to reduce homicides by 15 percent each year and promised that the number of homicides would decline below 300 in his first year as mayor.

But the city’s homicide count surpassed 300 for the eighth consecutive year in 2022, and Baltimore ranks second, behind Atlanta, on the list of cities with the highest homicides per capita.

Baltimore’s primary election is slated for May 14, and the general election will be on Nov. 5.