Cincinnati City Council

Summary

The Cincinnati City Council is the lawmaking body of Cincinnati, Ohio. The nine-member city council is elected at-large in a single election in which each voter chooses nine candidates from the field. The nine top vote-getters win seats on the council for a two-year term.

Cincinnati City Council
City Council
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
HousesUnicameral
Leadership
Jan Michele Kearney, Democratic
since January 4, 2022
Victoria Parks, Democratic
since January 4, 2022
Structure
SeatsNine
Political groups
  •   Democratic (9)
Elections
at-large
Last election
November 7, 2023
Next election
November 4, 2025
Meeting place
Cincinnati City Hall
801 Plum St, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
Website
http://www.cincinnati-oh.gov/council/
Constitution
Charter

Until the charter of 1925, the council comprised 32 members—six elected at-large and 26 elected from single-member wards. The 1925 charter instituted the present nine-member council elected in a single non-partisan, at-large election. From 1925 to 1955, elections were under the single transferable vote form of proportional representation.[1] The mayor was chosen by the council from among its members. In the 1970s, the system was changed so that the top vote-getter in the council election automatically became mayor. Since 2001, the mayor is chosen in a separate election.

Although the election officially is non-partisan, the local Charterite party and three of the major political parties (Democratic, Republican, and Green Party) all endorse candidates in the race. Party designations, however, can be fluid. After the 1997 election, for example, Democrats Minette Cooper and Dwight Tillery formed a majority coalition on the council with Republicans Charlie Winburn, Phil Heimlich, and Jeanette Cissell.

Prior to 2013, council members were elected for two-year terms. In 2013, a referendum was passed changing City Council to four-year terms. In 2018, two competing proposals were placed on the ballot to modify the structure of the City Council yet again. Issue 10 would bring back two-year terms; Issue 11 would keep four-year terms but stagger them, such that five council members would be elected in a mayoral election year, and four council members would be elected two years later.[2] Issue 10 passed with a larger margin of victory, and the City Council returned to two-year terms beginning with the 2021 election.

The next city council election is scheduled for November 2025.

Cincinnati City Council Members edit

Council Member Party First Elected Other Positions Notes
Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney Democrat 2020 (Appointed) Vice Mayor Replaced Tamaya Dennard on March 11, 2020, who resigned after federal charges of bribery.[3]
Victoria Parks Democrat 2021 President Pro Tempore
Jeff Cramerding Democrat 2021
Reggie Harris Democrat 2021
Mark Jeffreys Democrat 2021
Scotty Johnson Democrat 2021
Meeka Owens Democrat 2021
Seth Walsh Democrat 2022 (Appointed) Replaced Greg Landsman on December 19, 2022, who resigned to serve OH-01[4]
Anna Albi Democrat 2023

Election results edit

Italic type indicates incumbent.

Year Winning Candidates Losing Candidates
2023 Jan-Michele Kearney (D): 49,033
Meeka D. Owens (D): 48,825
Reggie Harris (D):48,443
Victoria Parks (D): 45,490
Scotty Johnson (D) 44,899
Mark Jeffreys (D): 44,544
Anna Albi (D): 43,973
Jeff Cramerding (D): 41,983
Seth Walsh (D): 39,950
Liz Keating (C, R): 36,176
2021 Jan-Michele Kearney (D): 28,161
Greg Landsman (D): 26,532
Reggie Harris (D):25,305
Meeka Owens (D): 23,7075
Victoria Parks (D) 22,443
Scotty Johnson (D): 19,888
Jeff Cramerding (D): 19,356
Mark Jeffreys (D): 18,433
Liz Keating (C, R): 17,156
Michelle Dillingham (I): 15,618
Philip O'Neal (D): 14,995
Kevin Flynn (C): 13,665
Betsy Sundermann (R): 13,599
Steve Goodin (C, R): 12,594
Jim Tarbell (C): 11,526
Brian Garry (I): 10,066
Thomas Brinkman (R): 9,642
John Williams (C): 8,200
LaKeisha Cook (I): 7,021
Jackie Frondorf (C): 6,815
Jaime Castle (I): 6,266
Peterson Mingo (I): 5,163
Evan Holt (DSA): 5,013
Kurt Grossman (I): 4,876
Bill Frost (C): 4,614
Galen Gordon (C): 4,107
Stacy Smith (I): 4,007
Te'Airea Powell (I): 3,988
Jalen Alford (I): 3,066
Rob Harris II (I):2,587
Andrew Kennedy (I):2,393
John Maher (I): 2,117
Logan Simmering (G): 1,608
K.A. Heard Jr (G):1,461
Nick Jabin (I): 1,319
2017 P.G. Sittenfeld (D): 39,815
David Mann (C, D): 35,789
Chris Seelbach (D): 30,626
Wendell Young (D): 28,295
Christopher Smitherman (I) 27,149
Tamaya Dennard (C, D): 26,053
Greg Landsman (D): 25,049
Amy Murray (C, R): 23,888
Jeff Pastor (R): 21,996
Michelle Dillingham (D): 21,773
Ozie Davis (D): 18,671
Lesley Jones (D): 18,345
Laure Quinlivan (I): 16,758
Derek Bauman (C): 16,680
Henry Frondorf (C): 10,637
Seth Maney (R): 10,114
Brian Garry (G): 9,152
Kelli Prather (I): 7,175
Tamie Sullivan (G): 6,232
Tonya Dumas (I): 6,186
Erica L. Black-Johnson (I): 5,539
Cristina Burcica (I): 4,150
Manuel Foggie (I): 3,556
Dadrien Washington (I): 125
2013 P.G. Sittenfeld (D): 37,484
Charlie Winburn (R): 27,397
David Mann (C, D): 26,443
Yvette Simpson (C, D): 25,449
Chris Seelbach (D): 23,738
Christopher Smitherman (I) 23,604
Wendell Young (D): 22,600
Kevin Flynn (C): 22,059
Amy Murray (C, R): 21,979
Laure Quinlivan (D): 21,079
Greg Landsman (C, D): 19,619
Michelle Dillingham (D): 19,143
Pam Thomas (D): 18,499
Vanessa White (C): 16,892
Sam Malone (R): 16,462
Mellisa Wegman (R): 9,942
Shawn Butler (D): 9,788
Mike Moroski (I): 8,688
Angela Beamon (I): 7,943
Kevin Johnson (I): 6,647
Timothy Joseph Dorsbrusch (I): 4,006
2011 Roxanne Qualls (C, D): 38,903
P.G. Sittenfeld (D): 31,673
Wendell Young (D): 30,526
Cecil Thomas (D): 30,405
Charlie Winburn (R): 30,080
Laure Quinlivan (D): 28,601
Yvette Simpson (C, D): 28,589
Christopher Smitherman (I): 24,981
Chris Seelbach (D): 24,494
Chris Bortz (C): 22,805
Kevin Flynn (C): 22,631
Amy Murray (R): 22,096
Leslie Ghiz (R): 21,391
Jason Riveiro (D): 19,025
Wayne Lippert (R): 18,973
Mike Allen (I) 17,167
Nicholas Hollan (D): 15,309
Catherine Smith Mills (R): 13,913
Pat McCollum (I): 6,497
Kathy Atkinson (I): 5,220
Jacqueline Allen (I): 4,829
Sandra Queen Noble (I): 2,890
Orlando Welborn (I): 34
2009 Roxanne Qualls (C, D):[5] 43,513
Cecil Thomas (D): 35,690
Chris Bortz (C): 32,911
Jeff Berding (I):[6] 30,509
Leslie Ghiz (R): 30,050
Chris Monzel (R): 29,786
Charlie Winburn (R): 29,055
Y. Laketa Cole (D): 28,976
Laure Quinlivan (D): 28,775
Greg Harris (D):[7] 25,216
Bernadette Watson (D): 24,985
Amy Murray (R): 23,667
Kevin Flynn (C): 23,619
Wendell Young (D): 22,100
Tony Fischer (D): 21,742
Nicholas Hollan (D): 18,096
George Zamary (R): 12,834
Anitra Brockman (G): 8,071
LaMarque Ward (I): 7,806
2007 Roxanne Qualls (C):[8] 33,775
John Cranley (D): 33,772
David Crowley (D): 31,124
Cecil Thomas (D): 27,103
Chris Bortz (C): 26,500
Leslie Ghiz (R): 24,920
Y. Laketa Cole (D): 24,900
Jeff Berding (D): 23,586
Chris Monzel (R): 23,336
Charlie Winburn (R): 22,080
Minette Cooper (D): 18,941
Sam Malone (R): 17,486
Melanie Bates (C): 15,376
Pat Fischer (R): 15,084
Greg Harris (D): 14,184
John Eby (R): 14,025
Wendell Young (D): 13,963
Brian Garry (D): 13,164
Joan Kaup: 8,476 (C)
Andre Harper (R): 7,499
Justin Jeffre (G): 7,371
Mitch Painter (I): 5,140
Steve Pavelish (I): 4,213
Michael Earl Patton (I): 3,149
George Zamary (I): 2,203
2005 John Cranley (D): 35,603
James R. Tarbell (C): 32,392
Y. Laketa Cole (D): 29,966
David Crowley (D): 29,856
Leslie Ghiz (R): 29,758
Jeff Berding (D): 28,344
Chris Monzel (R):[9] 27,911
Chris Bortz (C): 27,304
Cecil Thomas (D): 27,091
Sam Malone (R): 25,838
Christopher Smitherman (C/G): 24,642
Damon Lynch III (D): 22,556
Wendell Young (D): 21,505
Eve Bolton (D): 19,729
John Eby (R): 16,272
Samantha Herd (D): 14,306
Nick Spencer (C): 9,462
Paul Mcghee (I): 5,407
Gerry Kraus: 4,719 (I)
William S. "Stew" Mathews II (I): 3,915
Robert J. Wilking (I): 3,762
Ishaq Nadir (I): 3,208
Eric Wilson (I): 3,082
Michael Earl Patton (I): 2,770
Curtis Wells (I): 2,482
Robert Wilson (I): 2,319
Ronnie T. Stallworth: 2,271
Bill Barron (I): 1,849
Bennie Green (I): 1,800
Victor Phillips (I): 1,695
Antonio Hodge (I): 1,276
2003 David Pepper (D): 34,405
Alicia Reece (D): 32,078
Y. Laketa Cole (D):[10] 27,644
James R. Tarbell (C): 27,480
John Cranley (D): 26,980
R. Patrick DeWine (R): 26,573
Christopher Smitherman (C/G): 25,483
Sam Malone (R): 24,002
David Crowley (D): 22,713

Damon Lynch III (I): 21,764
Leslie Ghiz (R): 19,916
Chris Monzel (R): 19,197
Barbara W. Trauth: 17,480
John Connelly: 14,047
Pete Witte: 13,479
Terry Deters: 11,889
John F. Schlagetter (C): 11,420
Tom Jones: 10,441
Samuel T. Britton: 9,778
Howard H. Bond: 8,260
Nick Spencer (C): 7,378
Marilyn Hyland: 5,864
Brian Garry (G): 5,504
Eric Wilson: 2,686
Glenn O. Givens Sr.: 2,327
Larry J. Frazier: 2,323

2001 David Pepper (D): 45,174
R. Patrick DeWine (R): 43,191
Alicia Reece (D): 43,180
Minette Cooper (D): 38,040
John Cranley (D):[11] 36,998
James R. Tarbell (C): 35,533
David Crowley: (D): 33,225
Paul Booth (D): 27,732
Chris Monzel (R):[12] 26,479
Y. Laketa Cole (D): 24,567
Todd Ward (R): 23,895
Sam Malone (R): 23,211
Jane Anderson: 21,026
Akiva Freeman: 19,788
Dawn Denno: 19,598
Lawra Baumann: 17,686
Ken Anderson: 15,119
Clarence D. Williams III: 14,371
Nathaniel Livingston Jr.: 12,735

Tom Jones: 12,235
John F. Schlagetter (C): 10,269
William Kirkland: 6,211
Theo Barnes: 4,795
Eric Wilson: 4,376
Wes Flinn: 3,682
Toni Andrews: 3,651

1999 Mayor: Charles J. Luken (D): 42,022
Todd Portune (D): 36,333
Charlie Winburn (R): 34,176
Phil Heimlich (R): 31,487
Alicia Reece (D): 27,900
R. Patrick DeWine (R): 27,745
James R. Tarbell (C):[13] 26,045
Minette Cooper (D): 25,277
Paul Booth (D): 22,667
Jeanette Cissell (R): 22,095
Diane Goldsmith (R): 21,250
Scott V. Seidewitz (D): 20,389
Kaye M. Britton (D): 19,300
Forrest L. Buckley (D): 19,248
Jane Anderson: 17,297
Ken Anderson: 15,433
Chris Monzel (R): 9,335
Sam Malone (I): 5,030
Theo Barnes (I): 4,885
Charlie Lee Gardner (I): 3,312
1997 Mayor: Roxanne Qualls (D): 50,560
Dwight Tillery (D): 45,238
Todd Portune (D): 42,721
Charlie Winburn (R): 39,913
Bobbie L. Sterne (C): 39,529
Phil Heimlich (R): 37,896
Tyrone Yates (D): 35,592
Minette Cooper (D): 35,451
Jeanette Cissell (R):[14] 34,209
James R. Tarbell (C): 33,867
Forrest Buckley (D): 25,357
Diane Goldsmith (R): 22,676
Kaye Britton (D): 20,724
Rosemary Meyer (R): 18,976
Todd Ward (R): 18,438
Bryn Lewis (C): 10,135
William Gaz (R): 9,213
Theo Barnes (I): 6,051
1995 Mayor: Roxanne Qualls (D): 49,165
Phil Heimlich (R): 48,072
Dwight Tillery (D): 45,616
Bobbie L. Sterne (C): 40,663
Nick Vehr (R): 40,207
Minette Cooper (D): 40,105
Charlie Winburn (R): 38,963
Todd Portune (D): 36,308
Tyrone Yates (D): 33,644
Jeannette Cissell (R): 31,960
Mark Longabaugh (D): 30,969
John Kruse (R): 28,098
John Mirlisena (D): 27,379
Diane Goldsmith (R): 26,627
Norman Murdock (R): 24,369
Don Driehaus (D): 22,961
Elwood Cromwell III (R): 9,109
John Henry Simmons (I): 4,354
1993 Mayor: Roxanne Qualls (D): 48,476
Dwight Tillery (D): 45,928
Nick Vehr (R): 45,494
Bobbie L. Sterne (C): 43,077
Thomas A. Luken (D): 39,771
Charlie Winburn (R): 39,670
Tyrone Yates (D): 36,204
Todd Portune (D): 34,460
Phil Heimlich (R): 33,873
John Mirlisena (D): 32,915
Virginia Rhodes (D): 29,327
Jeannette Cissell (R): 27,504
Martin Wade (R): 26,224
Anne Power (R): 25,232
John Kruse (R): 24,713
Nell D. Surber (R): 23,714
Eric Kearney (C): 23,138
Val Sena (C): 18,131
Matthew Rosen (D): 15,851
Barbara Milton (D): 14,078
Pat Clifford (I): 7,759
1991 Mayor: Dwight Tillery (D): 52,020
Guy Guckenberger (I): 49,793
David S. Mann (D): 48,595
John Mirlisena (D): 47,655
Peter J. Strauss (D): 45,577
James Cissell (R): 42,467
Bobbie L. Sterne (C): 40,697
Roxanne Qualls (D): 38,543
Tyrone Yates (C): 36,548
Nick Vehr (R): 33,277
Virginia Rhodes (D): 32,240
Nell D. Surber (R): 27,281
William Al'Uqdah (R): 21,846
Martin Wade (R): 19,993
Shirley Rosser (D): 18,189
Jay Andress (R): 16,807
Mary Ann Brown (R): 15,290
Val Sena (C): 14,886
Len Garrett (R): 12,365
Richard L. Buchanan (D): 11,655
Chaunston Brown (D): 10,461
Todd O'Neal (I): 9,684
John Cheng (I): 6,866
Claudia Miller (I): 6,337
Anita F. Bolce (I): 6,712
Dennis L. Maxberry (I): 3,336

Notes edit

  1. ^ Barber, Kathleen. Proportional Representation and Election Reform in Ohio. Ohio State University Press, 1995.
  2. ^ Wetterich, Chris (5 November 2018). "Cincinnati voters beware of Issues 10 and 11". American City Business Journals. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Kearney Joins Cincinnati City Council". 18 March 2020.
  4. ^ "Seth Walsh will replace Greg Landsman on Cincinnati Council". 9 December 2022.
  5. ^ Qualls was endorsed by the Charter Committee and the Democratic Party. Qualls' clout grows; options abound
  6. ^ The Democratic Party withdrew its endorsement of Berding. Mallory more focused on 9 Archived 2009-11-08 at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ After John Cranley stepped down from his seat on the Cincinnati City Council, Harris was sworn in as his replacement on January 12, 2009.
  8. ^ After James R. Tarbell stepped down from his seat on the Cincinnati City Council, Qualls was sworn in as his replacement on September 4, 2007.
  9. ^ After R. Patrick DeWine stepped down from his seat on the Cincinnati City Council, Monzel was sworn in as his replacement on January 14, 2005.
  10. ^ After Paul Booth stepped down from his seat on the Cincinnati City Council, Cole was sworn in as his replacement on April 23, 2003.
  11. ^ After Todd Portune stepped down from his seat on the Cincinnati City Council, Cranley was sworn in as his replacement in December, 2000.
  12. ^ After Phil Heimlich stepped down from his seat on the Cincinnati City Council, Monzel was sworn in as his replacement in February 2001.
  13. ^ After Bobbie Sterne stepped down from her seat on the Cincinnati City Council, Tarbell was sworn in as her replacement in 1998.
  14. ^ After Nick Vehr stepped down from his seat on the Cincinnati City Council, Cissell was sworn in as his replacement in 1996.

External links edit

  • Cincinnati City Council
  • SmartVoter.org – Current & historical election information to 1998 for Hamilton County, OH presented by the League of Women Voters
  • Hamilton County, OH Board of Elections Current & historical election information
  • City of Cincinnati – Elections Commission Political Contribution Data
  • Cincinnati Municipal Code[permanent dead link]