Cleveland City Council Ward 11 race clears for Nikki Hudson

State of play: Fontanarosa formally withdrew Sept. 19, too late to be removed from the ballot.

• Any votes cast for him won't count, but the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections plans to post notices of his withdrawal at polling places, per Signal Cleveland.

What he's saying: Fontanarosa told Axios Thursday he was offered a role at KeyBank that he couldn't pass up and made the decision based on what was best for him and his family.

• He described becoming friends with Hudson over the course of the campaign and said he's confident she will serve the best interests of Ward 11 residents.

Zoom in: The redrawn Ward 11 stretches north-south from Edgewater Park to Brookside Reservation and the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.

What's next: Hudson will succeed Jenny Spencer, who announced earlier this year that she would not seek reelection.

• Hudson is a longtime Cudell resident who has been a leader of recent grassroots organizing campaigns there.
• She is backed by the county Democratic Party and progressive groups.