2021 Cleveland City Council election
← 2017 November 2, 2021 2025 →
17 seats on the Cleveland City Council
9 seats needed for a majority
  Majority party
 
Party Democratic
Last election 17
Seats won 17
Seat change Steady
Composition of the Cleveland City Council by political party[a]
President before election

Kevin Kelley
Democratic

Elected President

Blaine Griffin
Democratic

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The 2021 Cleveland City Council election was held on November 2, 2021. The primary elections were held on September 14, 2021. All 17 seats on Cleveland City Council were up for election for four-year terms. Elections in Cleveland are officially nonpartisan, with the top two candidates from the primary election advancing to the general election, regardless of party.[1]

Incumbent status

Two council members, Basheer Jones of Ward 7 and Council President Kevin Kelley of Ward 13, retired to run unsuccessfully for Mayor of Cleveland in the concurrent mayoral election.[2]

Ward Name Entered office Running
1 Joe Jones January 2018 Yes
2 Kevin L. Bishop January 2018 Yes
3 Kerry McCormack April 2016 Yes
4 Marion Anita Gardner June 2021 No
5 Delores Gray May 2021 Yes
6 Blaine A. Griffin May 2017 Yes
7 Basheer Jones January 2018 No
8 Michael Polensek January 1978 Yes
9 Kevin Conwell November 2001 Yes
10 Anthony Hairston January 2018 Yes
11 Brian Mooney February 2020 Yes
12 Anthony Brancatelli May 2005 Yes
13 Kevin J. Kelley January 2005 No
14 Jasmin Santana January 2018 Yes
15 Jenny Spencer November 2020 Yes
16 Brian Kazy January 2015 Yes
17 Charles J. Slife January 2021 Yes

East Side

Ward 1

Councilman Joe Jones successfully ran for reelection.

Primary election results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Joe Jones 2,118 65.76%
Nonpartisan Kimberly F. Brown 868 26.96%
Nonpartisan Aylwin S. Bridges 142 4.41%
Nonpartisan Marc Crosby 93 2.89%
Total votes 3,221 100.00
General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Joe Jones 2,809 67.97%
Nonpartisan Kimberly F. Brown 1,324 32.03%
Total votes 4,133 100.00

Ward 2

Councilman Kevin Bishop successfully ran for reelection.

Primary election results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Kevin L. Bishop 1,520 73.75%
Nonpartisan Monique Moore 278 13.49%
Nonpartisan Azel Bolden 216 10.48%
Nonpartisan Bill Berry 47 2.28%
Total votes 2,061 100.00
General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Kevin L. Bishop 1,952 72.59%
Nonpartisan Monique Moore 737 27.41%
Total votes 2,689 100.00

Ward 3

Councilman Kerry McCormack successfully ran for reelection.

Primary election results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Kerry McCormack 2,215 73.56%
Nonpartisan Ayat Amin 615 20.43%
Nonpartisan Mike Rogalski 181 6.01%
Total votes 3,011 100.00
General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Kerry McCormack 2,951 74.92%
Nonpartisan Ayat Amin 988 25.08%
Total votes 3,939 100.00

Ward 4

Campaign signs for City Council and Mayoral candidates in Buckeye–Shaker

Councilwoman Marion Anita Gardner was appointed by Cuyahoga County Probate Judge Anthony Russo to fill the seat of indicted Councilman Ken Johnson. Gardner chose not to run for election to a full term.[5] Although he was legally barred from holding office, Johnson ran a campaign to regain his seat, though he would be eliminated in the primary.[6]

Ward 4 would elect Democratic precinct committeewoman Deborah Gray, the twin sister of councilwoman Delores Gray, who unsuccessfully ran for election to a full term in Ward 5.[7]

Primary election results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Deborah A. Gray 670 26.70%
Nonpartisan Erick B. Walker 478 19.05%
Nonpartisan Craig E. Willis 320 12.75%
Nonpartisan Ashley R. Evans 243 9.69%
Nonpartisan Kenneth L. Johnson 190 7.57%
Nonpartisan Mario Snowden 149 5.94%
Nonpartisan Cecil Ekechukwu 141 5.62%
Nonpartisan Mike Shomo 95 3.79%
Nonpartisan Arnold Shurn 92 3.67%
Nonpartisan Vanessa Crumb 72 2.87%
Nonpartisan Rowland Mitchell 59 2.35%
Total votes 2,509 100.00
General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Deborah A. Gray 1,953 62.10%
Nonpartisan Erick B. Walker 1,140 36.25%
Write-in 52 1.65%
Total votes 3,145 100.00

Ward 5

Councilwoman Delores Gray ran unsuccessfully for a full term after being appointed to fill the seat of retiring councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland. Gray would be unseated by Richard A. Starr, the director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland.[8]

Primary election results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Delores Gray 534 47.72%
Nonpartisan Richard A. Starr 504 45.04%
Nonpartisan Dyrone W. Smith 81 7.24%
Total votes 1,119 100.00
General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Richard A. Starr 883 55.57%
Nonpartisan Delores Gray 702 44.18%
Write-in 4 0.25%
Total votes 1,589 100.00

Ward 6

Councilman Blaine Griffin ran unopposed.

General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Blaine Griffin 2,202 97.09%
Write-in 66 2.91%
Total votes 2,268 100.00

Ward 7

Incumbent Councilman Basheer Jones gave up his seat to run unsuccessfully for Mayor of Cleveland in the concurrent mayoral election.[2] Jones would be succeeded by State Representative Stephanie Howse.[7]

Primary election results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Stephanie Howse 545 28.70%
Nonpartisan TJ Dow 474 24.96%
Nonpartisan Shana V. Roberts 329 17.32%
Nonpartisan Daniel Graves 250 13.16%
Nonpartisan Charlotte Perkins 126 6.64%
Nonpartisan Isiah X. Thomas 49 2.58%
Nonpartisan Antoinette M. Carter 47 2.47%
Nonpartisan Jeff Mixon 39 2.05%
Nonpartisan Mike Seals 20 1.05%
Nonpartisan Russ Gates 12 0.63%
Nonpartisan Nathaniel Cory Hartfield 8 0.42%
Total votes 1,899 100.00
General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Stephanie Howse 1,486 61.84%
Nonpartisan TJ Dow 917 38.16%
Total votes 2,403 100.00

Ward 8

Councilman Michael Polensek successfully ran for reelection.

Primary election results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Michael Polensek 1,944 76.72%
Nonpartisan Aisia A. Jones 433 17.09%
Nonpartisan Donald E. Boyd 157 6.20%
Total votes 2,534 100.00
General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Michael Polensek 2,866 77.61%
Nonpartisan Aisia A. Jones 827 22.39%
Total votes 3,693 100.00

Ward 9

Councilman Kevin Conwell ran unopposed.

General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Kevin Conwell 2,039 100.00%
Total votes 2,039 100.00

Ward 10

Councilman Anthony Hairston ran unopposed.

General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Anthony T. Hairston 1,834 100.00%
Total votes 1,834 100.00

West Side

Ward 11

Councilman Brian Mooney successfully won election to a full term.

Primary election results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Brian Mooney 777 45.87%
Nonpartisan Michael Hardy 493 29.10%
Nonpartisan Donna Woods 424 25.03%
Total votes 1,694 100.00
General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Brian Mooney 1,362 55.39%
Nonpartisan Michael Hardy 1,097 44.61%
Total votes 2,459 100.00

Ward 12

Councilman Anthony Brancatelli was unseated by lawyer Rebecca Maurer. Brancatelli was the only elected Councilmember to lose reelection.[8]

Primary election results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Anthony Brancatelli 974 45.79%
Nonpartisan Rebecca Maurer 895 42.08%
Nonpartisan Shalira Taylor 189 8.89%
Nonpartisan Tawayne McGee 69 3.24%
Total votes 2,127 100.00
General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Rebecca Maurer 1,558 51.18%
Nonpartisan Anthony Brancatelli 1,486 48.82%
Total votes 3,044 100.00

Ward 13

City Council President Kevin Kelley gave up his seat to run unsuccessfully for Mayor of Cleveland in the concurrent mayoral election.[2] Voters replaced Kelley with community organizer and housing advocate Kris Harsh.[1]

General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Kris Harsh 2,745 62.70%
Nonpartisan Kate Warren 1,633 37.30%
Total votes 4,378 100.00

Ward 14

Councilwoman Jasmine Santana successfully ran for reelection.

General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Jasmin Santana 1,042 65.45%
Nonpartisan Nelson Cintron Jr. 550 34.55%
Total votes 1,592 100.00

Ward 15

Councilwoman Jenny Spencer successfully won election to a full term.

General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Jenny Spencer 2,796 84.45%
Nonpartisan Chris Murray 515 15.55%
Total votes 3,311 100.00

Ward 16

Councilman Brian Kazy ran unopposed.

General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Brian Kazy 2,616 100.00%
Total votes 2,616 100.00

Ward 17

Councilman Charles J. Slife successfully won election to a full term.

Primary election results[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Charles J. Slife 2,704 57.05%
Nonpartisan Mary Kathleen O'Malley 1,367 28.84%
Nonpartisan Kenneth S. Trump 669 14.11%
Total votes 4,740 100.00
General election results[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Nonpartisan Charles J. Slife 4,316 62.89%
Nonpartisan Mary Kathleen O'Malley 2,547 37.11%
Total votes 6,863 100.00

Notes

  1. ^ Officially nonpartisan

References

  1. ^ a b Axelrod, Ben; Carey, Tyler (November 2, 2021). "5 new members elected to Cleveland City Council, with 2 incumbents losing their seats". WKYC. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Richardson, Seth A. (June 16, 2021). "Eight file to run to succeed Mayor Frank Jackson in first open mayor's race since 2001". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "September 14, 2021 Primary Election Official Results". Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. September 29, 2021. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q "November 2, 2021 General Election UNOFFICIAL ELECTION RESULTS". Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. November 2, 2021. Archived from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2021.
  5. ^ Higgs, Robert (June 7, 2021). "Cleveland City Council swears in Marion Anita Gardner to replace indicted Councilman Ken Johnson". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  6. ^ Higgs, Robert (August 23, 2021). "Ken Johnson's felonies bar him from office, but he could still win the Cleveland Ward 4 election". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  7. ^ a b Astolfi, Courtney (November 3, 2021). "Three women among Cleveland City Council's five new members". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Hlavaty, Kaylyn (November 3, 2021). "Rebecca Maurer and Richard Starr beat incumbents in Cleveland City Council races". WEWS-TV. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
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