CINCINNATI -- If Rob Richardson Jr. gets his way, he'll be going from the University of Cincinnati to the chambers of Cincinnati City Hall.
Richardson formally announced his candidacy for mayor Tuesday. Unlike his fellow Democrats seeking the seat, incumbent Mayor John Cranley and City Councilmember Yvette Simpson, Richardson holds no prior experience in political office, but served on the University of Cincinnati Board of Trustees for eight years before being named board chair last year.
He said he would bring innovation and "rebellion against the status quo" in city government.
"We're here tonight to challenge the nature of how business is done in City Hall," Richardson said.
Simpson also said she would bring a new perspective to the mayor's seat.
"We're a major city and I think we need to start doing things that are more cutting-edge -- bringing new tools to solve some of the old problems that we have," Simpson said.
Some of the key issues that all three candidates hope to address include topics like housing and development, jobs and fiscal responsibility.
Cranley said he'd be continuing work he's already done. He held a news conference of his own earlier Tuesday announcing endorsements by several unions.
"We are building a better city, a city I believe the majority of Cincinnati believe is heading in the right direction, and we are providing an example for the whole country of how a Democratic mayor can make cities better," Cranley said.
So far, no other candidates have announced an intent to run. With only Democrats in the running so far, they're getting ready for the May primary election.
"It means we're going to work even harder earlier to make sure that our voters come out and that they understand why we're in this race and what we're committing to," Simpson said.
