November 1, 2021 | Written By - Sophia Casa '23
“This is the most critical election of our lifetimes”
This statement, uttered by Cleveland Council President Kevin Kelley in the closing minutes of October 11th’s debate, may sound extreme given the context that the race is for mayor of Cleveland, and not a national position. However, upon further inspection, Kelley’s words, a sentiment that’s been echoed throughout the candidates’ campaign trail, ring true for many people in the city. This is due in part to the fact that current Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson’s retirement after his fourth term will present the city with the opportunity to elect a new leader for the first time in sixteen years. This also comes at a time when socio-economic, racial, and educational inequalities are being highlighted even more due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite being the country’s 53rd largest city, Cleveland is the 6th most segregated and 2nd poorest city in the country. The option to be a part of the change for the city was enticing enough to drive seven candidates into the fray in the September 14th primary. Candidates like former mayor Dennis Kucinich, State Senator Sandra Williams, and City councilman Basheer Jones, were beaten out by Kelley and non profit executive Justin Bibb with a collective 46.4% of the vote.
Both Cleveland natives, Bibb and Kelley have made it clear that they want to improve the city they love, although with differing methods. Kevin Kelley, a stalwart in Cleveland politics, has spent the last sixteen years on city council, being elected council president in 2013. Kelley looks to stress his Cleveland roots and his tenure in city council, which would set up the city with a familiar and experienced leader from Day. Justin Bibb is in many ways Kelley’s polar opposite. A 34-year-old political newcomer, Bibb has made a strong showing garnering endorsements from influential figures and institutions, like Sherrod Brown, Nina Turner, Crain’s Cleveland Business, and The Plain Dealer. He believes that the city needs to pursue a new direction, instead of modifying the current measures, which Kelley is more in favor of.
In the previously mentioned mayoral debate, both candidates had time to show their vision for the future of the city. With the six categories of Crime and Safety, Inclusion, Economic Development, The Intersection of Health and Poverty, Infrastructure, and Government Engagement, voters were able to get a taste for the various aspects of Kelley and Bibb’s plans. Bibb laid out his plans to invest heavily in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and after school programs in the area and to create a youth council to give the young people of the city a voice in government, while also fostering an interest in entering the Civil Service. He proposed the idea of appointing a chief racial equity officer to look through every piece of legislation through this specific lens. To deal with the more than half a billion dollars given to the city through the American Rescue Plan, Bibb hopes to create an office of economic recovery, with a portion going to aid and revitalize the neighborhoods on the east side of the city. Kelley looks to continue his work on improving conditions and accessibility for immigrants within the city, shown through his previous endeavors in measures like The Language Access Plan. In order to deal with problems related to lead paint in Cleveland homes, he plans to train and hire more inspectors and include members of this workforce in city hall. The support of arts and small business will be integral to Kelley’s economic plans as both sectors were incredibly hard hit by the pandemic.
Despite being united on topics like widening broadband access and raising the quality of public spaces, the two candidates were starkly divided on many issues, chiefly Issue 24. Issue 24 is a charter amendment which would help create a Community Police Commission to investigate, report, and help discipline police officers while providing insights into the police-community relations. The initiative has drawn opposition from many in law enforcement and Kelley himself. Believing Issue 24 would slow response times, make neighborhoods more dangerous, and lead to many officers quitting their jobs, Kelley remained firm on his vehement resistance, instead favoring the already passed consent decree. Bibb, meanwhile, is in favor, believing the bill will finally provide some accountability and trust between the citizens of Cleveland and those tasked with protecting them. Moments like these were common within the debate and existed to intensify the true choices of this race: the old guard and the reformation of existing systems versus a new path forward.
Every political race, no matter how big or how small, will have an impact. The city of Cleveland has numerous issues in its economy, equality, and transparency, many of which have only been exacerbated by the pandemic. Yet, given how important this election can be in determining the outcome of the city’s education, investments, and safety, only 10% of Cleveland residents voted in the mayoral primary. With such a small sample size and the 53.6% of now undecided voters taken from the fallen primary candidates, it truly is a tossup over who the next mayor of the city will be. Kevin Kelley wants to retain what is good about the city, while making alterations to the issues with the city’s economy and inclusion. Justin Bibb looks to put the city on a new path, incorporating new voices and new systems to keep up with a changing world. Despite facing criticism about being a political newcomer, Bibb has more than held his own, such as in the October 11th debate, when he proclaimed that “Senator Sherrod Brown believes I know how government works, Reverend Otis Moss believes I know how government works, and The Plain Dealer and Crain’s Cleveland also believe I know how government works. The voters will decide come November 2nd.” The city will wait with bated breath.
The Cleveland Mayoral Election is Tuesday, November 2nd
Any voter registered with the city of Cleveland will be able to vote
You can register to vote in person, online, or by mail!
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