Nikki Hudson Running for Cleveland City Council in New Ward 11

Nikki Hudson is among the first challengers to throw a hat into the ring for Cleveland City Council’s upcoming elections Credit: Courtesy Photo

Nikki Hudson was among those dismayed by how Cleveland City Council went about redrawing new ward maps late last year and into 2026.

And it’s part of the reason she is now aiming to be elected to the body, as the longtime Cudell/Edgewater resident is running for the seat in the newly created Ward 11, a narrow, vertical district that will include parts of Edgewater, Cudell, the Stockyards and Brookside.

“When I heard Councilmember [Jenny] Spencer wasn’t running again, I was disappointed,” Hudson told Scene. “I’ve done great work with her over the years and have a tremendous amount of respect for her. I honestly hadn’t considered running at all until seeing how the new ward maps were drawn and what’s currently Ward 15 split up arbitrarily, not by natural boundaries or keeping neighborhoods whole. I believe they were drawn that way to split up grassroots organizers like myself. I wanted to put my name in the race to see if I could be part of changing how things are done in council.”

Hudson has experience in that regard, in getting action.

She was part of the Friends of Cudell Commons Park group that pushed Mayor Justin Bibb and CMSD to delay the construction of a new Marion Seltzer school that would have felled dozens of mature trees. She also serves on the board of the Northwest Neighborhoods CDC, as she did on the board of the Cudell improvement CDC before the merger, and has chaired her local block club.

“I’m a big believer in strong neighborhoods,” Hudson said. “If we want to make the city a great place to live, we have to focus on creating strong neighborhoods. To me, that means safe and green neighborhoods. I fought with the coalition to save Cudell park, doing things like creating green spaces and maintaining our legacy trees. I also believe in a government that works for the people. I’m interested in the public service aspect of running for office; it’s not my lifelong goal to be a politician.”

To Hudson, it’s not just Spencer’s departure, or the new wards, that have driven her to the decision to seek the seat. It’s also how Council currently operates and what that means to an engaged citizenry.

“The kind of dysfunction that’s happening on Council right now is an embarrassment to the city,” she said. “And dysfunction and corruption in local government keeps people from getting involved and voting, not just on a local level but in state and national elections as well.”

An official campaign launch will come soon where prospective voters can learn more, she said. Until then, they can follow along on her site.

“My whole reason for running is tied to my love of my neighborhood and community,” she said.

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