Thirty-three-year-old Cleveland businessman Justin Bibb announced this week that he has raised $180,000 for his bid to be Cleveland’s 58th mayor. That is a significant amount of money for a virtual unknown who has never held elective office. Looking behind the dollars can give an interesting perspective on Bibb and his future in Cleveland politics.
Bibb grew up in Cleveland’s Corlett/Mt. Pleasant neighbor and attended Trinity High School in Garfield Heights. He earned an undergraduate degree in urban studies from American University. After living in Washington D.C. and New York City and studying at the London School of Economics, he returned to Cleveland and earned a JD and MBA from Case Western Reserve. He is not yet admitted to the practice of law. Currently he serves on several local boards including the Regional Transit Authority and is the Chief Strategy Office of Urbanova, a Spokane, Washington-based private-public partnership whose stated and somewhat amorphous goals are to have healthier citizens, safer neighborhoods, and smarter infrastructure. His past work record also includes a stint as a vice president at Key Bank and as a special assistant to former County Executive Ed FitzGerald.
His personal website is very professional. He has done a nice job of getting media exposure and has clearly demonstrated his ability to raise money — all $180,00 of which was raised from online donations starting in October of this year. But paraphrasing the Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “money can’t buy you love,” but it can create an image for people who surf the net and read the news online. But it does not garner votes in Glenville and West Park.
With his impressive resume, lofty goals and a good PR person, Bibb has created a persona among a certain sector of the greater Cleveland community. But an examination of his finance reports is revealing. Bibb’s committee — Neighbors for Justin Bibb — have filed two, the second, filed December 11, 2020, was not required, but it was a nice way of letting the public know how much money he raised.
His treasurer, Deborah Bibb (not sure of the relationship), lives in the city of East Cleveland. A traditional rule of politics is to have a treasurer who resides in the same jurisdiction as the candidate.
His largest expenditures — amounting to close to $25,000 — were to LA Harris & Associates LLC, a fundraising consulting firm located in Harrodsburg, Kentucky. The only monies paid to businesses located in the City of Cleveland are to Dollar Bank for checks and service charges, and for housing expenses for a financial consultant, Mimi Verdonk, who is listed on LinkedIn as operating a business in Washington D.C. Every other expense went to businesses located outside of the city he wishes to govern. What ever happened to shopping local?
A review of the donors listed on the campaign finance report show that out of a total of 443 contributors, only 100 live in the City of Cleveland. Of the same 433 donors, only 243 are residents of the state of Ohio. While there are county residents listed as donors, there are also large numbers of supporters from across America. They include a pilot from Alabama, a labor relations representative from Los Angeles and a legal analyst contractor from Texas. His largest individual contribution is $2,500 of which there are several and his smallest is $5 from a paralegal here in Cleveland. His average contribution was $415.00.
Cleveland is grassroots town. Traditionally, elected officials come to power through the neighborhoods. With ward and street clubs and daily newspapers essentially dying entities, Cleveland voters still need a way to connect with their candidates. Most recent Cleveland mayors have come from Cleveland City Council which is a good starting place for an aspiring politician.
In 2001 candidate Raymond Pierce, whose claim to fame was that he had worked in the Clinton administration, threw his hat into the mayoral race. With no track record in Cleveland politics, his well-financed campaign went down to defeat to Jane Campbell, who had a history with Cleveland voters.
Cleveland voters saw no need for change in 2013 when millionaire businessman Ken Lanci, a political novice, sought to use his money and influence to oust incumbent Frank Jackson. Like Pierce and Lanci, Bibb is choosing to skip traditional steps and making his first campaign a run for the top job.
It is always good to see a fresh face in politics. But fresh faces sometimes need to get a little dirt on them in the rough-and-tumble game of Cleveland politics and prove that they are tough enough to stay in the game. Lofty aspirations on a webpage don’t mean a thing to the voter walking down West or East 55th Street, especially if you do not have computer access and are waiting in a food line. Outsourcing your expenses — especially something as simple as printing a letterhead — means something to the printer attempting to earn a living in the City of Cleveland and the person that could use a job in the print shop.
Bibb, who calls himself an urbanist, has great potential. But he needs to spend some time in the trenches. You do not just get an appointment to the RTA Board — you have a hook somewhere. What Bibb needs to realize is that downtown Cleveland is great, but the heart and soul of Cleveland are the neighborhoods and the blue-collar folks and small business who work hard for their money and rely on local consumers. Those are the people who will elect the next mayor and those are the people Bibb needs to connect with, and fast, if he hopes to have a chance of achieving his lofty goal next November.
C. Ellen Connally is a retired judge of the Cleveland Municipal Court. From 2010 to 2014 she served as the President of the Cuyahoga County Council. An avid reader and student of American history, she serves on the Board of the Ohio History Connection, is currently vice president of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers and Sailors Monument Commission and president of the Cleveland Civil War Round Table. She holds degrees from BGSU, CSU and is all but dissertation for a PhD from the University of Akron.
2 Responses to “COMMENTARY: Justin Bibb’s Campaign Finance Reports Reveal A Lot By Ellen Connally”
Benny Bonanno
Ellen,
How do I get in touch with you?
Janice Williams
Thanks so much for this informative article about this young man and his aspirations. I would like to know his political affiliation. Specifically is he a Democrat or a Republican? If he is a Democrat does he identify with the moderates or the progressives?