I had a chance yesterday to interview Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon, who will be in town Monday for a speech to the local Urban League.

Where ever she goes, Dixon says, she is asked about “The Wire,” the gritty HBO drama that focuses a critical lens on Baltimore civic institutions – the police, the streets, City Hall and, yes, even the newspaper.

While Dixon offers that the show aims to provide a snapshot of urban problems everywhere rather than a realistic portrayal of life in the Charm City, there are some comparisons between the show and Baltimore politics that are hard to deny.

For instance: In the show, fictional Mayor Tommy Carcetti has his eyes on the governor’s mansion while the make-believe Council President Nerese Campbell maneuvers to replace him.

In real life, Dixon served as council president before taking over for predecessor Martin O’Malley, who became governor last year.

“There is some basis on her character in mine because I was city council president,” Dixon told me. “We don’t have the same style. Maybe clothes wise, but, beyond that … I don’t determine decisions based on politics.”

Any other differences?

“I don’t curse in meetings,” Dixon said.

Look for more of my interview with Dixon in Sunday’s ink edition.

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon

Dixon’s on-screen doppelgänger, Nerese Campbell