Cincinnati City Council facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cincinnati City Council |
|
|---|---|
| City Council | |
 |
|
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Unicameral |
| Leadership | |
|
Vice Mayor
|
Jan Michele Kearney, Democratic
Since January 4, 2022 |
|
President Pro Tempore
|
Victoria Parks, Democratic
Since January 4, 2022 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | Nine |
 |
|
|
Political groups
|
|
| 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 | |
The Cincinnati City Council is the main group that makes laws for the city of Cincinnati, Ohio. Think of them as the city's lawmakers. There are nine members on the city council. They are all chosen in one big election where every voter picks up to nine people. The nine candidates who get the most votes win a spot on the council. They serve for a two-year term.
For a long time, before 1925, the council had many more members, 32 in total. Some were chosen from the whole city, and others from smaller areas called wards. In 1925, a new plan was put in place. This plan created the nine-member council we see today. All nine members are chosen in one city-wide election. From 1925 to 1955, a special voting system was used. The mayor used to be chosen by the council members themselves. Later, in the 1970s, the person who got the most votes in the council election automatically became mayor. But since 2001, the mayor is chosen in a separate election.
Even though the election is officially "non-partisan" (meaning candidates don't have to say which political party they belong to), many candidates are supported by political parties. In Cincinnati, the local Charter Party and major parties like the Democrats, Republicans, and Green Party often support candidates. Sometimes, council members from different parties work together. For example, after the 1997 election, Democrats and Republicans formed a team to work on city issues.
Before 2013, council members served for two years. In 2013, people voted to change this to four-year terms. But then, in 2018, there were two new ideas on the ballot. One idea was to go back to two-year terms. The other idea was to keep four-year terms but have elections for some members every two years. The idea to go back to two-year terms won. So, starting with the 2021 election, council members serve for two years again. The next election for the city council is planned for November 2025.
Who are the Cincinnati City Council Members?
The Cincinnati City Council has nine members who work together to make decisions for the city. They represent all the people living in Cincinnati. Each member plays an important role in shaping the city's future.
| Council Member | Party | First Elected | Other Positions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney | Democrat | 2020 (Appointed) | Vice Mayor | Appointed to fill a vacant seat. |
| 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) | Appointed to fill a vacant seat. | |
| Anna Albi | Democrat | 2023 |
How are Council Members Elected?
Elections for the Cincinnati City Council happen regularly. Voters choose the nine people they want to represent them. The candidates who get the most votes are the ones who win. This process ensures that the people of Cincinnati have a say in who makes their city's laws.
Italic type means the person was already on the council (an incumbent).
(D) means Democratic Party candidate.
(R) means Republican Party candidate.
(G) means Green Party candidate.
(C) means Charter Committee candidate.
(I) means no party affiliation (independent).
| 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): 24,177 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 |
