Frank G. Jackson, Cleveland's longest-serving mayor, announced on Thursday, May 6, that he will not seek a fifth term.
Speculation that the announcement, made in what was billed as a "Special TeleTown Hall," would address the 74-year-old Jackson's intentions toward the city's mayoral race have been swirling as election deadlines grew closer and more campaigns are being announced.
Jackson said that although there is "so much more work to be done" after nearly 16 years as mayor, working alongside the people of the city, he has decided not to run for another term. He said he will remain in office through the end of his term.
"You the people of the city of Cleveland have worked along side me to create a better quality of life for all citizens," Jackson said during the announcement. "Together we have accomplished many, but there is so much more work to be done. The work and the challenges for public servants never ends, and in that sense there is always work to be done."
For potential candidates, the deadline to file to run for mayor is June 16 for the Sept. 14 primary. The top two vote-getters from the primary will face off on Nov. 3.
As of Jackson's announcement Thursday, the list of official Cleveland mayoral candidates stands at eight: Cleveland City Council president Kevin Kelley; Justin Bibb, a former RTA board member and executive; former councilman Zack Reed; current councilman Basheer Jones; Cleveland attorney Ross DiBello; Cuyahoga County deputy sheriff Landry Simmons; Arthur Kostendt, a Hudson High School graduate and member of the National Guard; and Dick Knoth, a partner at BakerHostetler.
Former Cleveland mayor and former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich still is considering a run.
In response to a question during the Q&A portion of the announcement, Jackson did not take the opportunity to endorse any of the candidates.
"I will be watching and make a decision down the road," Jackson said.
Jackson in 2006 became the city's 57th mayor by beating first-term incumbent Jane Campbell. At the time, he was a member of Cleveland City Council representing Ward 5, which included the eastern part of the city and parts of downtown.
In his first inaugural speech, Jackson promised to work to improve education, develop the area's workforce and promote investment in Cleveland.
During his tenure, billions of development dollars have transformed the downtown and near West Side neighborhoods. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District increased graduation rates from 27.9% in 2011 to 80% in 2020. The city's downtown has grown steadily and now approaches 20,000.
As mayor, Jackson also oversaw Cleveland's hosting of the 2016 Republican National Convention.
Jackson asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate shortly after 12-year old Tamir Rice was shot and killed by a Cleveland police officer in 2014. The city since May 2015 has been under a federal consent decree due to a practice and pattern of excessive force by the city's law enforcement.
Known as a plain-spoken politician, Jackson is famous — and infamous — for uttering the phrase, "It is what it is," when commenting on difficult and controversial subjects. He recently told reporters for Cleveland.com that the saying is less about an inability to affect things and more about the need to accept reality.
Some of the most vocal criticism recently has been a result of his administration's slow response to the need for improvements at the more than 100-year old West Side Market and a spat with the U.S. Department of Transportation over bus access at Public Square, which remains lined with aesthetically unappealing jersey barriers.
Most recently, Jackson and his administration have been criticized for a lack of transparency and slow response to communication requests. Freedom of information requests take months to wind through the system and often are denied. Media interviews are few and far between, and business and other political leaders have expressed frustration when attempting to work with or receive important information.
Jackson since May 2020 has held nine teletown halls via Facebook and YouTube to address the city's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The city also launched a web page to track the spread of the coronavirus.
The mayor grew up in the Kinsman and Central neighborhoods; he continues to live in Central. Jackson received his bachelor's, master's and law degrees from Cleveland State University.
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Frank Jackson will not seek another term as Cleveland's mayor - Crain's Cleveland Business
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