The good news for the Working Families Party — a progressive third party — is that its endorsed City Council candidates made it out of the primary and on to the general election. But none of them came out at No. 1, meaning they have ground to make up before November.
The party supported four candidates in the primaries, calling and texting voters and helping campaigns raise money. Mohammad Faraj and Tanmay Shah each won more than 30% in their West Side contests. On the East Side, Rebecca Maurer won 25% and Alana Belle won 17%.
WFP’s political director in Ohio, Aleena Starks, told Weekly Chatter that the general election will be “a whole new ball game.” More people will likely vote — people whom Starks said could be more receptive to WFP’s change message.
“The electorate is going to be expanded to reach some folks that aren’t necessarily as tapped in with the current establishment, which I think is going to be more of our folks anyway,” she said.
One issue the party plans to highlight is Tanisha’s Law, a piece of legislation pending with City Council that would create a city department focused on mental health crisis response. The legislation is named for Tanisha Anderson, a Cleveland woman who died in 2014 during a police response to a mental health call. It hasn’t yet had a hearing.
Cleveland’s exclusive primary election club
Just around 7 out of every 100 registered voters cast ballots in Cleveland’s primary elections this week. Across the seven wards with primaries, more than 8,700 people voted. The number of registered voters who didn’t cast ballots? More than 112,000.
Cleveland is used to low turnout in local primaries. Four years ago, 16% of registered voters cast ballots, even with a crowded mayoral race that featured well-known names and propelled Justin Bibb to City Hall. In 2013, turnout was 7.5%. That election was more akin to 2025, because there was no citywide mayoral primary on the ballot.
Turnout was higher in 2001, when Jane Campbell, Raymond Pierce and several others competed to succeed Mike White as mayor. Even then, only 32% of registered voters showed up. At the time, Plain Dealer columnist Brent Larkin described the electorate as “disengaged” and the political campaign “exceedingly tame.”
More than two decades later, 32% would be a big improvement.
