The candidate lists are set for Cleveland City Council primaries in September and there could be some competitive races this year. The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections certified the list of candidates at their board meeting Wednesday and all 17 seats are contested.
The races are dominated by incumbents, except for wards 2 and 10, where councilmen Zack Reed and Jeffrey Johnson are running for mayor.
Out of the other 15 contests, one includes a relative newcomer – Blaine Griffin in Ward 6 – who was appointed to the seat after Mamie Mitchell resigned in May. Before moving to council, Griffin was executive director of the mayor’s Community Relations Board.
The county’s Democratic Party issued its endorsements this week. It picked incumbents in 14 of the 15 seats that included current councilmembers. In the one exception, Ward 14, the party picked Jasmin Santana, of Hispanic Alliance, over Brian Cummins who had previously been a member of the Green Party.
