Community activist Nikki Hudson now has a clear path to a seat on Cleveland City Council after her opponent, Andrew Fontanarosa, announced he was dropping out of the race for Ward 11.
Hudson and Fontanarosa were campaigning in one of two council races without an incumbent after Jenny Spencer announced last fall she would not seek re-election. They were the only two candidates filed to run in the ward, which includes the West Side neighborhoods of Cudell, Detroit-Shoreway, Edgewater and parts of Old Brooklyn.
Fontanarosa's name will still appear on the ballot. He announced last week he was taking a job at KeyBank.
His withdrawal is not stopping Hudson's campaign.
"I am going to take this time to help prepare myself for what lies ahead," Hudson said. "I want to continue to listen to the concerns and the issues that residents have. That has been a great experience that I had knocking on doors, in addition to meeting people, but also hearing their experiences and hearing about the things that matter to them in city government."
Hudson, a 50-year-old mother of two and Cudell homeowner, said she was inspired to get involved in local politics after grassroots organizing, like her participation in a successful campaign to save her neighborhood park.
"The efforts that I've been involved in, it made me realize how much effort it takes for ordinary residents to get their voices heard at City Hall," Hudson said. "And so it is my intention to do everything I can to be part of changing that."
Hudson has lived in Cleveland for nearly three decades. After graduating from law school, Hudson and her husband started a business at the West Side Market selling freshly squeezed juices and smoothies. She's been active in her community throughout the years: volunteering, serving on the board of a local community development corporation and chairing her neighborhood block club.
"I am a coalition builder," Hudson said. "The reason why we were successful in saving Cudell Park is because there were so many different types of people, different people with different political views who were able to come together because they all knew how important Cudell Park was for the neighborhood. That is the type of coalition building that I hope to bring to City Council."
Hudson said her top priorities are safety: not just addressing crime, but safety for bikes and pedestrians. She also said she plans to build on Spencer's work on affordable housing and addressing vacancy in the neighborhoods.
Election Day is Nov. 4.
