CINCINNATI — City Council member P.G. Sittenfeld will run for mayor of Cincinnati in 2021, he announced Sunday in a press conference at the Laborers’ International Union.
Sittenfeld was the youngest person to ever be elected to Cincinnati City Council in 2011. He was re-elected to the body in 2013 as the leading vote-getter among 21 candidates and again in 2017. Sittenfeld entered the US Senate race in 2015, losing the primary to former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland.
He enters the race for Mayor for the first time with opponent David Mann, a fellow council member and the head of the Budget and Finance committee. Mann has twice served as mayor -- once from 1980-81 and again in 1992. Former Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory endorsed Sittenfeld during Sunday's press conference.
“It’s no surprise," said Mann. "We’ve known for a long time he was going to run. I’m glad he finally formalized it and I’m looking forward to engaging on the issues facing this great city of ours.”
Last year, Sittenfeld was involved in the self-proclaimed "Gang of Five" group, including council members Greg Landsman, Tamaya Dennard, Chris Seelbach and Wendell Young. They admitted to violating Ohio’s Open Meeting Act by conducting public business in private emails and text messages during 2018. Ohio Auditor Keith Faber made a referral for criminal prosecution on a misdemeanor charge of dereliction of duty against the five Democrats. There has since been no movement on possible charges from special prosecutor Pat Hanley.
