Kucinich fails in bid to return to Cleveland mayor’s office

Former Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) has fallen short in his bid to return to his old job as Cleveland’s mayor.

Kucinich, who became the youngest mayor of a major U.S. city when he was first elected to the job in 1977, placed third on Tuesday in a seven-way primary to replace longtime Mayor Frank Jackson. 

Nonprofit executive Justin Bibb emerged as the first-place finisher in the primary, winning about 27 percent of the vote. Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley came in second, beating out Kucinich by just more than 1,100 votes.

That means that Bibb and Kelley will go head-to-head in the November general election.  

Kucinich congratulated Bibb on Tuesday after it became clear that he wouldn’t be returning to his old job in City Hall. 

“I want everyone to know how proud I am of the campaign you have worked on,” Kucinich told his supporters. “I think we can be proud of the campaign Justin Bibb has run.”

Kucinich has had a long career in politics that began in 1969 when he was elected to the Cleveland City Council at 23. He was elected mayor in 1977, but his tenure was rocky at times. The city went into default in 1978 after Kucinich refused to sell Cleveland’s publicly owned electric utility. 

He lost reelection in 1979 before eventually returning to his position on the City Council. Kucinich went on to serve one term in the Ohio state Senate and eight terms in the U.S. House. He also mounted unsuccessful bids for the presidency in 2004 and 2008, as well as an ill-fated campaign for Ohio governor in 2018.