Zack Reed leaves job with Ohio's secretary of state for a possible second run for Cleveland mayor....Reed is a former Cleveland councilman who lost a 2017 non-partisan runoff to current four-term Black mayor Frank Jackson....By editor Kathy Wray Coleman of Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's Black digital news leaders

 

Zack Reed

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper in Ohio and in the Midwest 

By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor

CLEVELAND, Ohio-Former Cleveland City Councilman Zack Reed's final day working for Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose was March 12, the former Cleveland councilman who lost to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson in a non-partisan mayoral runoff in 2017  setting a stage for an apparent second run for mayor this year.

 A Black Democrat, Reed has worked as a minority affairs coordinator for LaRose since 2019 after foregoing a reelection bid for his Ward 2 city council seat in 2017 in hopes of unseating Jackson, a four- term Black mayor whom sources say is not seeking reelection. 

"We’ll miss having him out in the field where he helped boost voter engagement and strengthen minority businesses," Frank LaRose said in a farewell statement, "but I know his heart is in Cleveland and I wish him nothing but the best.”

Reed has not formally announced a run for mayor, but sources said an announcement is forthcoming. 

He  served for 16 years on city council, representing Ward 2 prior to his run for mayor four years ago, a largely Black east side ward that includes the Mount Pleasant, Union-Miles and Mill Creek Falls neighborhoods.

During his first bid for mayor his campaign theme was "Safety First," where he pushed a progressive agenda, including more police on the streets to deal with heightened crime in inner city neighborhoods, improvements to Cleveland schools that the city mayor controls per state law, economic development, and better city services.

Others purportedly running for mayor include state Sen. Sandra Williams, former congressman Dennis Kucinich, Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley, Robert Kilo, newcomer Justin Bibb, and Edwin's entrepreneur Brandon Chrostowski.

All of them are Democrats but Kilo, a Republican. 

The top two primary winners will advance to the Nov. 2  general election.

Currently, all 17  city council seats, which are also up for grabs in 2021, and the office of the mayor are held by Democrats. 

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper in Ohio and in the Midwest, and the most read independent digital news in Ohio. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. We interviewed former president Barack Obama one-on-one when he was campaigning for president. As to the Obama interview. CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.