Six Running for Three At-Large City Council Seats in Lakewood

There are a half-dozen Lakewood residents running for three at-large seats on Lakewood City Council. 

The Cuyahoga County Board of Elections’ primary deadline for filing was 4 p.m. Wednesday. 

However, because only six candidates filed, the race heads straight to the Nov. 5 general election, with the top three vote-getters winning the seats.

Several of the candidates are familiar faces in Lakewood.

Two of them — Ryan Nowlin and Monique Smith — are the incumbents. At-large councilman Brian Powers decided not to run.

Ward 2 councilman Tom Bullock is making a bid for Powers’ seat, meaning that the Ward 2 post would be open to an appointment if Bullock wins. 

The other challengers for the at-large seats are Anthony Davis, Cindy Marx and Sam O’Leary.

All three of them have a history of service in Lakewood.

Davis, who has taken a shot at city council before, runs the LoveLakewood blog; Marx has been a community activist and volunteer for the Lakewood Democratic Club; and O’Leary, a recent graduate of George Washington University, volunteers on the Lakewood Board of Zoning Appeals and the Tax Incentive Review Council.

Kevin Butler, the city’s law director, called Bullock’s Ward 2 post a “safe seat,” meaning that he’d retain the ward post should he lose the primary race for an at-large seat.

“Councilman Bullock would have to run successfully for the at-large seat before his spot on council would become vacant,” Butler said. “If he loses in November, he retains his ward council position.” 

Check back for more coverage of the candidates as well as the election.