Blaine Griffin weighs Cleveland mayoral run
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Griffin and Bibb outside the Justice Center in 2023. File photo: Sam Allard/Axios
Cleveland City Council President Blaine Griffin commissioned a recent citywide poll to help him determine whether he should run for mayor.
Why it matters: Mayor Justin Bibb's war chest and first-term resume strengthen his reelection case.
- If Griffin forsakes his presidential perch to challenge the mayor, he'd be at a significant disadvantage.
What they're saying: Griffin told Axios last week that he's merely "kicking the tires" on a potential run, something he said other elected leaders should do more often.
- He likes Bibb personally but feels it would be irresponsible not to engage with voters about his performance.
Zoom in: The poll, screenshots of which were sent to Axios, asks voters who they would vote for in a theoretical matchup between Bibb, Griffin and Nina Turner, the former state senator and Bernie Sanders surrogate.
- It also asks whether voters approve of the work of City Council and what issues matter most to them.
Catch up quick: Griffin has been council president for the duration of Bibb's mayoralty.
- He previously served as the body's majority leader under former council President Kevin Kelley, whom he supported for mayor in 2021.
By the numbers: Griffin would be launching a mayoral campaign at a severe fundraising deficit.
- Bibb began the year with $642,000 in campaign cash on hand, Signal Cleveland reports, compared with Griffin's $201,000.
💭 Sam's thought bubble: Crafting a credible campaign narrative could be just as tall an order.
- Bibb has governed during a period of abundance, with dollars flowing from the American Rescue Plan Act and a favorable Biden administration. This gave him latitude to pursue splashy infrastructure projects and make big investments in public safety.
- More recently, his adversarial public posture toward the Haslams partly has inoculated him against populist critiques in the ongoing Browns stadium financing debate.
Moreover, Griffin's animus toward local progressives, especially during the Issue 38 campaign and the Gaza ceasefire protests, could limit his ability to marshal grassroots support.