Cleveland mayoral race

Citizens for Change PAC and Citizens for Cleveland’s Future PAC — both of which sought to aid Kevin Kelley’s candidacy — filed financial disclosures with the Federal Election Commission in the last few days.

The latest disclosures, which were due to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections last Friday, cover the weeks leading up to and following the Nov. 2 general election.

By calling on old relationships, building new ones and running a vigorous citywide ground campaign on a message of change, Bibb defeated established politicians and won himself the mayor’s office at the age of 34.

The team of transition leaders will help Bibb take over from Mayor Frank Jackson in January.

Justin M. Bibb was elected mayor of Cleveland on Tuesday, paving the way for a handoff of power between the city’s longest-tenured leader and a 34-year-old newcomer who promised a fresh start. “Throughout this campaign I’ve said that now was the time for bold, new, dynamic, visionary leadership, and the voters of Cleveland have said we have a mandate for change across this city,” Bibb told supporters at his victory party at Olivet Institutional Baptist Church.

Justin Bibb has won the Cleveland mayoral race over Council President Kevin Kelley; Shontel Brown coasted to victory to win an open 11th District U.S. House seat; voters in Summit County decided some contentious races Tuesday, as well as a few which ended in a landslide; and more stories.

The National Weather Service on Thursday issued 11 tornado warnings throughout Northeast Ohio yesterday, the most during a single event since 2005; Ohio’s coronavirus case rate is at 420 case per 100,000 residents; a newly surfaced text exchange between then-FirstEnergy executives give a new peek into the favors the company got from Ohio’s top utility regulator; and more stories.

Cleveland mayoral candidate Justin Bibb outraised and outspent his opponent Kevin Kelley in the weeks leading up to and following the Sept. 14 primary, according to new unaudited fundraising disclosures released Thursday by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Bibb’s campaign reported almost $523,000 in contributions and nearly $429,000 in expenditures between Aug. 26 and Oct. 13. Kelley raised more than $416,000 and spent more than $330,000.

A House Republican has announced plans to introduce a bill legalizing recreational marijuana in Ohio; A pair of Republican-backed bills in the Ohio House would restrict how the topic of racism is taught in K-12 schools; Online retail giant Amazon is building a new $87 million warehouse on a former golf course in Canton; and more stories.

Cleveland’s mayoral candidates faced off in a debate Tuesday night, with nonprofit executive Justin Bibb arguing City Hall has failed its residents under Council President Kevin Kelley and needs a new outsider's perspective, while Kelley touted his experience and hit at Bibb's lack of it.