Yesterday’s announcement that popular Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson will seek a fourth term hasn’t stopped Councilman Zack Reed from weighing a bid for the office. Reed says he will continue raising money and finding out if voters will support him.
“We think we put ourselves in a position to at least be a viable candidate. But are we a viable winning candidate? ... Willie Brown always taught me not to run a race you can’t win. He’s my mentor out in San Francisco and he said don’t run a race you can’t win. So we want to look at and evaluate the race from start to finish.”
Reed says he would challenge Jackson’s focus on improving downtown and accuses him of not spending enough on other neighborhoods and on services.
With Jackson , there are eight announced candidates, including Councilman Jeff Johnson, a harsh critic of the mayor. The candidates must file their petitions by June 29th to qualify for September’s non-partisan primary. The top two primary finishers compete in November’s general election.
