Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin is apparently testing the waters for a mayoral run, potentially challenging first-term incumbent Justin Bibb this fall.
In a citywide poll, Griffin is asking potential voters who they would vote for as mayor: himself, Bibb or former State Senator Nina Turner.
But Griffin said he has not yet made up his mind on if he’ll run to protect his Ward 6 seat or make a mayoral bid.
"Every four years, I go into reflection: I pray, I talk to my family, but then I also take the time to really understand what the public wants to hear to see where I can best serve if I'm effective or if it might be time to do other things," Griffin said.
Griffin and Turner have not officially entered the race. So far, the only official candidates filed with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections include Republican Laverne Gore and newcomers Maurice Sledge and Latorya Witcher. The deadline to file is June 11.
A September primary will pare down the race to two candidates for the November election.
Griffin said the results of the poll will help inform his decision for his political future.
"I don't see this just as... me looking at this as a poll between me and Mayor Bibb," Griffin said. "I look at this more as me trying to understand what the public's thoughts are, and I think I owe it to the public and myself to do that.
Griffin is the the incumbent Ward 6 council representative, which currently includes the Fairfax, Larchmere, Little Italy, Woodland Hills neighborhoods, as well as parts of Buckeye-Shaker, University Circle, North Broadway, Slavic Village and Union-Miles.
City Council recently went through a ward redistricting process and approved new maps for the upcoming election, so those current ward boundaries will shift. No one aside from Griffin has filed to run in the new Ward 6.
The poll also takes a pulse on approval ratings for Griffin and Bibb in their roles as council president and mayor, respectively.
It also asks questions of City Council members' responsiveness and other city services. Griffin said he will share those results with the rest of council.
