The 2021 Cleveland City Council election was held on November 2, 2021. The primary elections were held on September 14, 2021. All 17 seats on Cleveland City Council were up for election for four-year terms. Elections in Cleveland are officially nonpartisan, with the top two candidates from the primary election advancing to the general election, regardless of party.
Incumbent status Two council members, Basheer Jones of Ward 7 and Council President Kevin Kelley of Ward 13, retired to run for Mayor of Cleveland in the concurrent mayoral election. Neither won the mayoral race.
Ward Name Entered office Running 1 Yes 2 Yes 3 Yes 4 No 5 Yes 6 Yes 7 No 8 Yes 9 Yes 10 Yes 11 Yes 12 Yes 13 No 14 Yes 15 Yes 16 Yes 17 Yes
East Side Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones was reelected.
Ward 2 Councilman Kevin Bishop was reelected.
Ward 3 Councilman Kerry McCormack was reelected.
Ward 4
Councilwoman Marion Anita Gardner was appointed by Cuyahoga County Probate Judge Anthony Russo to fill the seat of indicted Councilman Ken Johnson. Gardner chose not to run for election to a full term. Although he was legally barred from holding office, Johnson ran a campaign to regain his seat, though he would be eliminated in the primary.
Ward 4 elected Democratic precinct committeewoman Deborah A. Gray, the twin sister of councilwoman Delores Gray, who unsuccessfully ran for election to a full term in Ward 5.
Ward 5 Councilwoman Delores Gray ran unsuccessfully for a full term after being appointed to fill the seat of retiring councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland. Gray was unseated by Richard A. Starr, the director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland.
Ward 6 Councilman Blaine Griffin ran unopposed.
Ward 7 Incumbent Councilman Basheer Jones gave up his seat to run for Mayor of Cleveland in the concurrent mayoral election. Jones was succeeded by State Representative Stephanie Howse.
Ward 8 Councilman Michael Polensek was reelected.
Ward 9 Councilman Kevin Conwell ran unopposed.
Ward 10 Councilman Anthony Hairston ran unopposed.
West Side Ward 11 Councilman Brian Mooney won election to a full term.
Ward 12 Councilman Anthony Brancatelli was unseated by lawyer Rebecca Maurer. Brancatelli was the only elected Councilmember to lose reelection.
Ward 13 City Council President Kevin Kelley gave up his seat to run for Mayor of Cleveland in the concurrent mayoral election. Voters replaced Kelley with community organizer and housing advocate Kris Harsh.
Ward 14 Councilwoman Jasmine Santana was reelected.
Ward 15 Councilwoman Jenny Spencer was elected to a full term.
Ward 16 Councilman Brian Kazy ran unopposed.
Ward 17 Councilman Charles J. Slife won election to a full term.
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