It’s an election year in Cleveland, and all city council members and the mayor are on the ballot.
The June 11 filing deadline has passed, which means no new candidates may enter the race, although some may drop out ahead of the Sept. 9 primary. That primary will pare down races to two candidates in each race, narrowing the field for residents to vote in the Nov. 4 general election. The winning candidates will take office in January.
Who’s running for mayor?
Mayor Justin Bibb is running for a second term.
Republican Laverne Jones Gore has filed to challenge Bibb, the incumbent Democrat who was elected after long-time former Mayor Frank Jackson chose not to seek another term.
Gore previously ran for several offices, including City Council, Cuyahoga County Council, and the U.S. House of Representatives. She was born and raised in Cleveland’s Hough neighborhood and has not yet held elected office.
For more than three decades, Democrats have had a stronghold on the mayor’s office. George Voinovich, who served three terms as mayor, then went onto become Ohio governor and a U.S. senator, was the last Republican to be Cleveland’s mayor.
In his first term, Bibb has focused on public safety, housing and economic development. In his most recent State of the City address, he took a victory lap on his administration’s new policies and a "modern and responsive City Hall." He also took aim at the Cleveland Browns’ owners, who plan to move the team out of Downtown Cleveland, and President Donald Trump’s administration, which threatens federal cuts that he says will be devastating to the city.
Who’s running for City Council?
With fewer wards this year, competition for Cleveland City Council seats will be stiffer. A recent redistricting process reduced the city's 17 wards by two due to population loss.
Fifteen incumbents will run for re-election, but the changed boundaries means that some will face each other.
In the redrawn Ward 5, incumbent Richard Starr will face current Ward 12 council member Rebecca Maurer. Her current ward was split into multiple pieces, and her home address now sits the new Ward 5, which includes Central, Kinsman, Midtown and parts of Downtown and Slavic Village. Both are first-term council members.
Incumbents Anthony Hairston and Mike Polensek have both filed to run in the new Ward 10, which includes the Collinwood neighborhood. Hairston has represented Ward 10 since 2018 after a term serving on Cuyahoga County Council. Polensek, who has been a member of City Council since 1978, has hinted that he may not run, but he said he would make a final decision later this summer.
Council Members Kerry McCormack and Jenny Spencer will not run for re-election, leaving the field wide open for newly drawn Ward 7 and 11 on Cleveland’s West side.
You can find out which ward your home is located in, on the Cleveland City Council website. Residents are only eligible to vote for candidates in their own ward.
Ward 1
Incumbent Joe Jones, who has been in office since 2018, will face four challengers, including State Rep. Juanita O. Brent. Brent, a Democrat who previously sat on board of the the Lee-Harvard Community Development Corporation on Cleveland's East Side, is currently serving a fourth term in the Ohio House of Representatives.
While incumbents typically have the advantage, Jones's recent controversy at City Hall may be an obstacle in his re-election.
The Ward 1 candidates:
- Aylwin Bridges
- Marc Crosby
- Joe Jones (incumbent)
- Lesa Jones Dollar
- Juanita O. Brent
Ward 2
Incumbent Kevin Bishop is running unopposed.
Ward 3
Candidates:
- LaShorn Caldwell
- Deborah Gray (incumbent)
- Ras Olugbenga
- Sharon Spruill
- Erch Stubbs
Ward 4
Candidates:
- Kris Harsh (incumbent)
- Rehan Waheed
Ward 5
Candidates:
- Rebecca Maurer (incumbent)
- Beverly Owens-Jackson
- Richard Starr (incumbent)
Ward 6
Council President Blaine Griffin is running unopposed.
Ward 7
Kerry McCormack, who represents the current Ward 3 which closely resembles the new Ward 7, will not seek re-election. That ward includes parts of Downtown, Ohio City, Tremont and other parts of the near West Side. Austin Davis, a lawyer, currently serves as Bibb's senior advisor. Mohammad Faraj, also an attorney, is a first generation Arab American and Palestinian who says he wants to bring a new voice to City Hall.
Candidates:
- Michael Africa
- Austin Davis
- Mohammad Faraj
- Mike Rogalski
Ward 8
Candidates:
- Stephanie Howse-Jones (incumbent)
- Leon Meredith
- Charlotte Perkins
- Tony Perry (write-in)
- Teri Ying-Liang Wang
Ward 9
Candidates:
- Alana Belle
- Kevin Conwell (incumbent)
- Tony Evans Jr.
Ward 10
Candidates:
- Anthony Hairston (incumbent)
- Keith Hemphill
- Michael Polensek (incumbent)
Ward 11
Jenny Spencer, who currently represents Ward 15 which closely resembles the new Ward 11, is not seeking re-election. Attorney Andrew Fontanarosa, who currently serves as the head of legal operations at Lisinski Law Firm, will face off against Edgewater resident and community activist Nikki Hudson.
Candidates:
- Andrew Fontanarosa
- Nikki Hudson
Ward 12
Candidates:
- Andrew Defratis
- Danny Kelly (incumbent)
- Tanmay Shah
Ward 13
Incumbent Brian Kazy is running unopposed.
Ward 14
Incumbent Jasmin Santana is running unopposed.
Ward 15
Incumbent Charles Slife is running unopposed.
