Mayoral candidates debate at City Club

The five candidates for mayor debated at the City Club yesterday. You can download the podcast here if you'd like to listen. Here's WKYC-TV's coverage of the event.



I couldn't make it, but Henry Gomez did. The Plain Dealer's City Hall reporter was unimpressed. "Jackson's opponents miss key chance to score points," reads the huge headline on his analysis on page 1B today. (He's followed up with further thoughts on his City Hall blog.) But Leon Bibb of NewsChannel 5 says the challengers hit the mayor on the state of the Cleveland schools.

This isn't the first time the candidates have debated. Gomez live-blogged from an August debate in the Lee-Harvard neighborhood: you can read his reports here and here.

City Club debates coming soon

The City Club of Cleveland has announced its debate schedule for October. I'm going to report on a few for the blog.

Can't wait to see Dennis Kucinich debate Jim Trakas next Friday. The Peter Lawson Jones-Debbie Sutherland debate, Oct. 29, is a can't-miss -- that might be the most interesting race in town this year, what with the county scandals and all.

And I actually want to see Annette Butler, the Republican candidate for prosecutor, debate an empty chair. Bill Mason isn't going to show. Obviously, he thinks we're a one-party town, and he's calculating that debating Butler would give her legitimacy and publicity. But, as with the Jones-Sutherland race, the Republicans have created a serious contest for prosecutor by nominating a qualified candidate with some tough questions for the incumbent.

Here's the complete list of debates.

Friday, October 17: 10th Congressional District: Dennis Kucinich, James P. Trakas, Paul Conroy.

Monday, October 20: Cuyahoga County Prosecutor: Annette G. Butler. (William Mason has not responded.)

Tuesday, October 21: 11th Congressional District: Marcia Fudge vs. Thomas Pekarek

Wednesday, October 22: Ohio Attorney General: Richard Cordray vs. Michael Crites

Thursday, October 23: Ohio Supreme Court: Maureen O’Connor vs. Joseph D. Russo

Monday, October 27: Ohio Supreme Court: Peter M. Sikora vs. Evelyn L. Stratton

Tuesday, October 28: 13th Congressional District: David S. Potter vs. Betty Sutton

Wednesday, October 29: Cuyahoga County Commissioner: Peter Lawson Jones vs. Deborah L. Sutherland

Thursday, October 30: 14th Congressional District: Steve LaTourette, David Macko, Judge William O’Neill

All debates start at noon. Tickets are $15 for members and $25 for nonmembers ($18 and $30 for the Kucinich-Trakas-Conroy debate) -- call (216) 621-0082. Most City Club talks are available online as podcasts afterward.