Cleveland City Councilwoman Jasmin Santana has been named council’s new majority whip. She’ll join council president Kevin Kelley and Blaine Griffin as part of what’s referred to as “council leadership.”
A vacancy among council’s top posts was created when Ward 5 Councilwoman Phyllis Cleveland resigned last month. Cleveland served as majority leader. Griffin will move to that position, and Santana will assume the role that Griffin previously held.
“As a Latina councilwoman with over 20 years of community leadership and organizing, I am delighted to join the Council leadership team,” Santana said in a statement provided by council. “I look forward to continuing to work with my council colleagues as we restore, rebuild and renew our neighborhoods and our city.”
Santana represents the neighborhoods of Clark-Fulton, Brooklyn Centre and Stockyards, an area with the city’s densest concentration of Latinos. She narrowly defeated incumbent Brian Cummins in 2017 and became the city’s first Latina councilwoman. Santana will likely maintain her position on council’s leadership team — either as whip or leader — after Kelley, who is running for Mayor, departs.
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This article appears in May 19 – Jun 1, 2021.