CLEVELAND — With less than a month until the general election, a glimpse has been provided by an Ohio university into where voters in Cleveland stand on a new mayor.
What You Need To Know
- Cleveland voters will elect a new mayor for the first time in 16 years
- A recent poll from Baldwin Wallace puts Justin Bibb ahead of Kevin Kelley in the polls
- The election is Nov. 2.
It is the first time in 16 years a new mayor will take office in Cleveland.
A survey of Cleveland registered voters conducted Sept. 27 through Oct. 8 by the Baldwin Wallace University Community Research Institute (CRI) showed Justin Bibb leading Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley, 34% to 25%.
An even bigger number to keep an eye on is the 40% of people surveyed who say they are undecided.
Baldwin Wallace political analyst Tom Sutton said there are a lot of things in play leading up to the election.
Both candidates will have to be creative and show voters how they'll handle their number one concern which is safety, but Sutton also said voters need to be sure to do their homework and show up at the polls.
"The overarching message is that voters really need to pay attention to this election and make their choices and get involved because the percentage of turnout also tells whoever's the winning candidate is how much people really care about what happens in the city," said Sutton. "And if they and city council get a sense that voters don't care because they don't show up in the polls then they don't feel a sense of accountability which is really needed for Cleveland to move forward."
The general election is Nov. 2.