Cleveland City Councilmember Jenny Spencer Won’t Seek Reelection

Jenny Spencer announcing her decision Wednesday night Credit: FB

Ward 15 Cleveland City Councilmember Jenny Spencer, who represents parts of the Detroit Shoreway, Cudell and Edgewater neighborhoods on the city’s west side, announced Wednesday evening that she won’t seek reelection next year.

Her decision not to run again has created a rare open race on city council. In a break with tradition, Spencer said she’ll serve out the rest of her term rather than stepping down and appointing a successor, as has been the habit among council in recent past.

“I’m making this announcement as early as I can to give notice, and so that those who might be interested have time to consider whether they wish to run,” Spencer, who has been on council for five years and was appointed by her predecessor Matt Zone, said in a Facebook live announcement before a crowd of supporters. “I will tell you that I have learned so much in this position, and I would be glad to talk to anyone interested in running about what it has really been like to be on council, at least for me. Being on council has been the honor of a lifetime.”

Spencer said that she will serve out the remainder of her term through December 2025, adding, “With just under 14 months to go, I have a big sense of urgency. My to-do list is long, and I intend to get results for our community. I do not intend to step down from council early nor to appoint someone to my seat.”

The councilmember said that the upcoming council redistricting, in which city council will lose two seats, did not factor into her decision, which was a personal one.

City council is undergoing redistricting because the city charter states that each ward must contain 25,000 residents, and the city has lost population.

Ward 15 is considered less at risk of being redistricted than some other wards in the city because it has not lost population.

“There is also the question of council redistricting and whether Ward 15’s boundaries will remain the same or change,” she said. “I have not yet seen a Ward 15 map, but I can tell you our population has remained steady.”

Spencer went on to detail her accomplishments on city council, including championing tax abatement reform, pushing for affordable housing, building new homes for first-time homeowners, and advocating for the city’s tree canopy.

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