In a Facebook post Sunday night, Cincinnati City Council member Chris Seelbach announced his intentions to run for mayor.
Seelbach wrote in his post, "Two weeks ago, I began exploring a run for Mayor of the City of Cincinnati. Our City needs bold leadership that grows our communities through equitable engagement and investment, provides more opportunities for working class Cincinnatians, appreciates that our urban fabric is our asset, and ends pay-to-play at City Hall.
"I appreciate the support we have received from so many Cincinnatians while Craig and I consider our next steps. This is not a decision to take lightly. The Mayor of Cincinnati has the ability to serve special interests, or to serve the community. To ensure continued growth only for our most successful, or to bring back our middle class by making City Hall truly work for everyone."
Seelbach, a Democrat and council's first openly gay member, will be facing off against another council member who has declared his bid for mayor: David Mann.
Mann, who announced his campaign in May, has served on city council for more than 20 years, including three years as mayor. He has also served two years as Ohio’s 1st Congressional District representative for the 103rd Congress.
Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld had been the presumptive front-runner for the upcoming mayoral race, but that momentum has since petered out after Sittenfeld was arrested and indicted on six federal counts of bribery and extortion in November. (Sittenfeld temporarily stepped down from his council position to "pursue clearing (his) name" and maintains his innocence.)
And it's not just current council members running for mayor of Cincinnati.
Kelli Prather, a Democrat, radio personality and occupational therapist, has also thrown her hat into the ring. (Prather previously declared she was running for Hamilton County Commissioner in March.)
Raffel Prophett, a retired Fire District Chief, retired Lieutenant Colonel and Democrat, also announced he is running.
And Democratic state Senator Cecil Thomas has requested a petition packet to get on the ballot from the Hamilton County Board of Elections, says WCPO.
