CLEVELAND — Blaine Griffin, who has
been a Frank Jackson loyalist since his appointment as Cleveland’s Director of
Community Relations in 2006 — he ran the mayor’s re-election campaigns in 2009
and 2013 — will be appointed tonight as the new Ward 6 Councilman, after
winning pro forma approval from Council’s Democratic Caucus earlier
today.
Griffin will replace Mamie Mitchell,
who is stepping aside for health reasons. Mitchell was appointed to the seat in
2008 and won elections in 2009 and 2013 to keep it.
Griffin’s appointment has been in the
works for some time. It likely would have come sooner but Mitchell’s vote was
needed for the controversial Q deal. It would not have been seemly for Griffin
to come from the executive side of City Hall and immediately cast a vote for
the deal.
Ward 6 is one of Cleveland’s most diverse wards,
encompassing the East Side neighborhoods of Fairfax, Larchmere, Little Italy,
Woodland Hills, Buckeye-Shaker and parts of University Circle, North Broadway,
Slavic Village and Union-Miles.
All council seats and the mayoralty
will be on the ballot this fall. A sizable number of challengers are eager to
take on virtually every incumbent. Griffin’s most formidable challengers are
likely to be John A. Boyd and Josh Perkins McHamm. At least five others had
pulled petitions to run for the seat as of last Friday. Boyd, who lost to Mitchell in 2013 by about 750 votes, has already taken
aim in social media posts at “outsiders” controlling the seat via appointment. McHamm, who has a construction background, is likely to be the best financed candidate in the race.
Griffin bought a home in the ward in
1999 and has long desired to serve on council. He takes a sizable pay cut to do
so now. He ran for the seat in 2001 but was soundly defeated by Pat Britt. He
has since become a seasoned public official and politician, running numerous
campaigns. He currently serves as vice chairman of the County Democratic Party.
You can read his official
bio here as posted on the city’s webpage.
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