(Cleveland) - The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections has notified Jeff Johnson this morning to confirm he is officially qualified to be on the September 12 ballot for Mayor of the city of Cleveland.
With over 1,000 signatures left to be counted Johnson was officially certified with 3,052 signatures. Johnson is the first to achieve qualified status for the ballot among the candidates for Cleveland Mayor.
"I am delighted to be on the September 12 ballot and looking forward to going into every neighborhood to earn the vote of the residents. I also appreciate the hard work of the many volunteers who worked hard in every part of the city to get signatures, and for the citizens who signed my petitions," Johnson told Newsradio WTAM 1100.
Johnson said many Clevelanders are looking for a change from current mayor Frank Johnson, who has concentrated on developing downtown as the expense of the neighborhoods.
Johnson, in his eighth year as Councilman, is a Democrat, and Cleveland native. He grew up in the Collinwood and Glenville neighborhoods, attended CMSD schools, and graduated from Collinwood High School in 1976.
Johnson became a State Senator In January of 1990 when he was appointed to the Senate following Senator White’s election win for Mayor of Cleveland. He served 9 years in the Ohio Legislature.
In 1998, Johnson was convicted of campaign fundraising related violations and sentenced to 15 months in prison.
After serving 9 months, he completed a 4 month halfway house program in 2001. in 2002, Johnson was hired as an assistant to then Mayor Jane Campbell.
He was promoted to the Mayor’s Cabinet a year later as Director of the Department of Community Relations.
(Photos by Ken Robinson/WTAM)
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