Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio - The newly elected members of Cleveland City Council met in caucus on Friday and voted to recommend the reelection of Blaine A. Griffin as council president for another four-year term beginning in January of 2026. Griffin is the elected councilman for Ward 6 on the city's largely Black east side. All council members-elect participated in the caucus meeting on Friday, and Griffin received 15 votes in favor of his reelection.

The formal election for council president will occur during the council's Jan. 5, 2026 meeting, following the swearing-in ceremony for all council members-elect. Receiving the caucus's support on Friday allows Griffin to organize council leadership and staff before next year's session begins.

Following Friday's caucus vote, Griffin told members-elect that he is thankful and humbled by their vote of confidence and encouraged them to work as a unified body to address the many headwinds Cleveland will face during the next term.

The Cleveland City Council, reduced from 17 to 15 members beginning in 2026 due to population decline and redistricting as required by the city charter, had its nonpartisan election on Nov. 4, which coincided with Ohio's general election.

A protege of former mayor Frank Jackson, Griifin was Jackson's community relations board director. He succeeded the late Ward 6 Councilwoman Mami Mitchell in office after Mitchell stepped down due to a then-pending illness.

With Griffin's impending reelection as council president, Cleveland has a Black council president in Griffin and a Black mayor in Mayor Justin Bibb, a Democrat who won reelection by a landslide in November over his opponent, Lavern Gore, a Republican-turned Independent.

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