The general election to decide who will lead Cleveland is underway. While voters all have to make a decision, many said they did not entirely trust the candidate they chose.
A historic parade returned from a year’s hiatus this Labor Day, drawing political candidates from as far away as Cincinnati and as far back as 1997 for elections as far ahead as 14 months.
In the multifaceted race to replace Cleveland’s status-quo mayor Frank Jackson, there may be no other candidate as passionate as Basheer Jones. The second youngest candidate after 34-year-old Justin Bibb, Jones has garnered a dedicated base of the majority Black Ward 7 with fervent religiosity and a youthful ambition. Such energy has spurred numerous development badges just as it has doubts from his critics.
Dennis Kucinich, once the youngest mayor ever of a big U.S. city, is bidding to become Cleveland’s oldest. “Time is an illusion to me,” the former mayor, state senator, and congressman said in a recent interview. “I don’t give it any thought at all.”
Lines were minimal at some Cuyahoga County polls and up to an hour long at others, but voting activists report no malfunctions or harassment here on the climactic day of a contentious, confusing election season.
There’s still plenty of time for a crazy election season to grow even crazier. But, with a week of voting to go, officials and activists are feeling more confident about a big turnout handled pretty smoothly under the circumstances.
“Morning, morning!” Regina Adams exclaimed to two guards about 7:20 a.m. while becoming about the 55th person in line outside the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. “It’s a wonderful morning to vote!”
On a hot Saturday last month outside Garfield Heights High School, a few people in masks were trying to save democracy.
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