CLEVELAND (AP) — A nonprofit executive and the City Council president will face off in November to determine who will succeed Cleveland’s longtime mayor.
According to unofficial results, Justin Bibb received 27% of the vote and Council President Kevin Kelley 19% on Tuesday in a nonpartisan primary field that featured seven Democratic candidates.
Dennis Kucinich, who was elected as the country’s youngest big-city mayor in 1977 and subsequently served eight terms in Congress, finished third, receiving nearly 17% of the vote. Kucinich conceded on Tuesday night.
Frank Jackson, the longest serving mayor in city history, is stepping down in January after choosing not to seek a fifth four-year term in office.
Bibb, 34, is the chief strategy officer for Urbanova, a public-private partnership that focuses on mid-sized cities. Kelley, 53, was first elected to City Council in 2005 and became council president in 2013. Both are attorneys.