I attended a debate Saturday night featuring five of the seven candidates vying to become Cincinnati's next mayor. It was an interesting case study in grassroots and local politics to say the least. Originally, only the four candidates representing the two major parties were invited, but after some self promotion (including a song played on the harmonica) and a minor altercation, Justin Jefferies (of 98 Degrees infamy) was allowed to participate.
Under Cincinnati's new "strong" mayor system, the top two vote-getters in a non-partisian Semptember primary will then compete in a November runoff. Here's a handicapp of the field:
Charlie "Windbag" Winberg:
The only Republican in the race, his main (shit, his only) issue is crime. He advocated Cincinnati building another jail to deal with the big uptick in crime since the 2001 riots. While he did come across as likable, Winberg didn't seem like he was taking the night, or his candidacy, too seriously. While Winberg will probably finish fourth in the primary, he could conceivably reach the runoff if the three Democrats split the vote too much.
Mark Mallory:
A former long-time State Senator and member of a strong Cincinnati political family, Mallory was heads and shoulders above the other candidates in terms of style and substance. He is the real deal. Mallory used a combination of sarcasm and self-deprecating humor to get his message across. In a city where race is always a factor, Mallory (who is black) is running as a uniter, and not a divider (sound familiar?). The more people begin to focus in on this race, the better his chances are. He is truly a commanding presence when speaking and for not being a member of city council, Mallory knows the issues facing the city very well.
David Pepper:
A current city councilman, and the early favorite to win, he was like a fish out of water Saturday night. In a crowded, loud, extremely hot, and mostly black venue, the stiff Pepper did not appear comfortable. While he is extremely well prepared and has a good command of issues and statistics, Pepper comes across as the anti-Paul Hackett. Everything, even his jokes, appear rehearsed. That said, Pepper will be tough to beat because of his advantage in fund raising. He is the only candidate to have commercials on the air so far, and it appears that he is running a Republican-lite campaign, focusing on putting more police on the streets. Pepper will have to secure a lot of Republican votes if he is to win the race.
Alicia Reece:
An excellent public speaker and current city council member, Reece can fire up a crowd. And, if one were to read what she says, her words strike a somewhat moderate tone. However, in person, she can come across as angry and divisive. Reece's main competition will come from Mallory with regard to the black vote. If she can win a high enough percentage there, she'll be in good shape to reach the runoff election. Her main issue centered upon getting more development in Cincy's neighborhoods rather than focusing solely on downtown development.
Justin Jeffries:
The whole time I was watching him speak, I kept thinking that he would have been a formidable candidate for city council. As for being mayor, he isn't quite ready for prime time. His slogan, whether he was talking about crime, education, or development, was "power to the people." While that might play well on a 30 second commercial, it becomes very redundant in a 90 minute debate. Maybe next time Justin.
The runoff will probably be Pepper versus either Reece or Mallory. While I would prefer to see a Pepper/ Mallory competition, Reece will be tough to beat. She has many loyal (and boisterous) supporters. However, after seeing all of the candidates on the same stage, it appears clear to me that Mark Mallory would be on of the finest mayors Cincinnati has ever had. Now, he just needs to get elected. Easier said than done.