Frank George Jackson (born October 4, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 57th Mayor of

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...

Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Of the List of states and territories of the United States, fifty U.S. states, it is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 34th-l ...

from 2006 to 2022. He was first elected on November 8, 2005, unseating incumbent Jane Campbell, and re-elected in

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; Protests ...

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

, and

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

. Having served four full terms, he is the longest-serving mayor in Cleveland history.Jackson wins historic 4th term - Cleveland 19.com (WOIO/WUAB)
/ref> On May 6, 2021, he announced he would not seek re-election in

2021 File:2021 collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: the James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021; Protesters in Yangon, Myanmar following the coup d'état; A civil demonstration against the October 2021 coup in Sudan; Crowd shortly after t ...

Early life and education

Jackson is the son of an

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

father and an

Italian American Italian Americans ( it, italoamericani or ''italo-americani'', ) are Americans who have full or partial Italian ancestry. The largest concentrations of Italian Americans are in the urban Northeast and industrial Midwestern metropolitan areas, w ...

mother. Jackson grew up in the

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known a ...

and

Kinsman A kinsman is a male relative (see kinship). The term kinsman (or plural kinsmen) may also refer to: Places in the United States *Kinsman, Illinois *Kinsman, Ohio * Kinsman Township, Trumbull County, Ohio *Kinsman Mountain, in the White Mountains ...

neighborhoods. After graduating from Max S. Hayes High School, Jackson served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, ...

. After his discharge, Jackson attended Cuyahoga Community College where he earned an associate degree. He later attended

Cleveland State University Cleveland State University (CSU) is a public research university in Cleveland, Ohio. It was established in 1964 and opened for classes in 1965 after acquiring the entirety of Fenn College, a private school that had been in operation since 1923 ...

(CSU), earning a bachelor's degree in Urban Studies and History, a master's degree in Urban Affairs from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, and a J.D. degree from

Early career

Jackson entered politics with the influence of former Cleveland Councilman Lonnie L. Burten. He passed the Ohio

bar exam A bar examination is an examination administered by the bar association of a jurisdiction that a lawyer must pass in order to be admitted to the bar of that jurisdiction. Australia Administering bar exams is the responsibility of the bar associat ...

and started his legal career as an assistant city prosecutor. In 1989, Jackson won a seat on the

Cleveland City Council Cleveland City Council is the legislative branch of government for the City of Cleveland, Ohio. Its chambers are located at Cleveland City Hall at 601 Lakeside Avenue, across the street from Public Auditorium in Downtown Cleveland. Cleveland Ci ...

for Ward 5. As Councilman, Jackson spearheaded efforts to bring in approximately a half billion dollars of community investments, working to clean up and stabilize his ward. He fought for the redevelopment of Arbor Park Place, the construction of the only Home Ownership Zone in the city, and worked with the

Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority The Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) is a governmental organization responsible for the ownership and management of low-income housing property in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The organization was founded in 1933, making it the first hou ...

(CMHA) as it began to rebuild its estates. Jackson became an active critic of then-Mayor Michael R. White, who had vowed in his campaign to clean up neighborhoods but had instead dedicated the bulk of his tenure to downtown development. Jackson's progress in Ward 5 aided his election to Council President in 2001, succeeding

Michael D. Polensek Michael D. Polensek (born November 16, 1949) is a City Council member in Cleveland, Ohio, representing Ward 8. He has served in Cleveland City Council since 1977. He lives in the North Shore Collinwood area of Cleveland with his wife, Kathy, and ...

.Jackson administration - Case Western Reserve University
/ref>

Mayor of Cleveland

Elections

2005

As Council President, Jackson became increasingly frustrated with the leadership of Mayor

Jane L. Campbell Jane Louise Campbell (born May 19, 1953) is an American politician who served as the 56th and first female mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from January 1, 2002, to January 1, 2006. Early life and education Campbell was born on May 19, 1953, in Ann ...

. As the 2005 mayoral election approached, Jackson announced his candidacy on April 7. He received endorsements from several notable Cleveland and

Cuyahoga County Cuyahoga County ( or ) is a large urban county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S.-Canada maritime border. As of the 2020 census, its population was 1 ...

politicians, including Congresswoman

Stephanie Tubbs Jones Stephanie Tubbs Jones (September 10, 1949 – August 20, 2008)Euclid, Ohio Euclid is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. It is an inner ring suburb of Cleveland. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 49,692. History The City of Euclid was originally a part of Euclid Township, first m ...

and businessman, David Lynch; former Cleveland Councilman

Bill Patmon Bill Patmon (born February 13, 1946) is an American businessman and former member of the Ohio House of Representatives who represented the Tenth District from 2011 to 2018. Career Patmon grew up in Cleveland and graduated from Eastern Michig ...

, and Municipal Court Judge Robert Triozzi, whom Jackson eventually asked to become his law director. In the November 8, 2005 general election, he was elected mayor with 55% of the vote, while Campbell received 45%. At 11:25 p.m. (EST), she conceded to Jackson. On January 2, 2006, Jackson was sworn in as Cleveland's 56th mayor at

East Technical High School East Technical High School or East Tech is a secondary school under the operation of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District in Cleveland, Ohio. History The school, when it opened on October 5, 1908, was the first public trade school in the ci ...

on the city's East Side. Among those in attendance were Congresswoman Tubbs Jones and Bishop

Anthony Pilla Anthony Michael Pilla (November 12, 1932 – September 21, 2021) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Cleveland in Ohio from 1979 to 1981 and as bishop of the same diocese from ...

of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. In his inaugural address, Jackson vowed to make Cleveland a city where we are "one people, one community, living and working together, with respect, justice and equality." He promised improvements in the city's school system and better relations with Cleveland's neighboring suburbs.

2009

Frank Jackson in April 2009 announced his bid to run for another term. In the September 2009 primary Jackson garnered the most votes; in second place was former Cleveland City Council member

. On Election Day 2009, Jackson defeated Patmon by a large margin, with Jackson receiving 78% of the vote and Patmon receiving 22%.

2013

Jackson announced his intention to run for a third term on June 29, 2013. Since Jackson's bid for a third term drew only one challenger, there were no primary elections in the mayoral race. The sole challenger to Jackson was Cleveland businessman Kenneth Lanci. On Election Day 2013, Jackson defeated Lanci, with Jackson receiving 66% of the vote and Lanci receiving 34%. Upon completing his term, Jackson will become just the second Cleveland mayor, along with Michael R. White to serve three terms.

2017

On November 7, 2017, Jackson won his fourth term, beating councilman Zack Reed, who had finished second behind Jackson in the September nine-way primary election. This made Jackson the first ever four-term mayor in the city's history.

Tenure

On December 1, 2005, he announced that he would appoint the city's first point person for regional issues. On December 15, Jackson announced the appointment of his former opponent Triozzi as law director (under the city charter, the law director becomes mayor if the elected mayor is out of the city, resigns or becomes incapable of serving). From the former Campbell administration, Darnell Brown retained his position as the city's chief operating officer. Valarie J. McCall, who had previously served as Clerk of City Council, was appointed chief of government affairs. Shortly after his inauguration, Jackson began working with the

Cleveland Police Department The Cleveland Division of Police (CDP) is the governmental agency responsible for law enforcement in the city of Cleveland, Ohio. Karrie Howard is the Director of Public Safety and Dornat "Wayne" Drummond is Chief of Police. In 2014, the Jus ...

. He introduced a new use of force policy that clearly states what previous versions only implied: "Excessive force shall not be tolerated." Jackson has restored the Cleveland Police Aviation Unit (helicopters) and the Cleveland Police Mounted Unit (horses). He is a member of the

Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition Everytown for Gun Safety is an American nonprofit organization which advocates for gun control and against gun violence. Everytown was created in 2013 when Mayors Against Illegal Guns and Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America joined forc ...

, a

bi-partisan Bipartisanship, sometimes referred to as nonpartisanship, is a political situation, usually in the context of a two-party system (especially those of the United States and some other western countries), in which opposing political parties find co ...

group with a stated goal of "making the public safer by getting illegal guns off the streets." The Coalition was co-chaired by

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

Mayor

Thomas Menino Thomas Michael Menino (December 27, 1942 – October 30, 2014) was an American politician who served as the 53rd mayor of Boston, from 1993 to 2014. He was the city's longest-serving mayor. He was elected mayor in 1993 after first serving three ...

and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

Mayor

Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a c ...

Residency laws

On January 18, 2008, the

Ohio House of Representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in Ch ...

passed a bill to eliminate

residency Residency may refer to: * Domicile (law), the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place ** Permanent residency, indefinite residence within a country despite not having citizenship * Residency (medicine), a stage of postgrad ...

rules passed by local voters. This included the amendment to the Cleveland municipal charter that restricted city workers from living outside the city, approved by voters in 1982. In response, Mayor Jackson and law director Robert Triozzi threatened to take the issue to court. Jackson contended that if the city's residency restrictions are overturned, Cleveland would suffer the ill effects of city workers fleeing the city, and its related effects on the economy and city safety. "This is about the issue of

home rule Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wi ...

", Jackson said at a City Hall news conference. "They are attempting to usurp our constitutional rights, and we are defending our rights". He threatened to fire any city worker who moved out of their district of employment. The Cleveland Fire Fighters Association Local 93 and four individual union members filed a complaint on January 30 with the 8th Ohio District Court of Appeals to block any actions that Jackson, Triozzi, or the city might take on the matter. On June 10, 2009, the

Supreme Court of Ohio The Ohio Supreme Court, Officially known as The Supreme Court of the State of Ohio is the highest court in the U.S. state of Ohio, with final authority over interpretations of Ohio law and the Ohio Constitution. The court has seven members, a ...

struck down the residency requirements of Cleveland and several dozen other Ohio communities in the case of ''Lima v. State of Ohio''.

References

Sources

* Perkins, Olivera. ''The Plain Dealer'', October 23, 2005. "Though Private About Family, Jackson Says He Lives City's Ills". * Perkins, Olivera; Naymik, Mark. "Jackson's Lifelong Code Drives Run For City Hall", ''The Plain Dealer'', October 25, 2005. * Perkins, Olivera. "Jackson Wins", ''The Plain Dealer'', November 9, 2005. * Baird, Gabriel. "Jackson Tightens Police Use-Of-Force Policy", ''The Plain Dealer'', January 6, 2006 * Guillen, Joe. "Jackson Takes Part In Prostitution Sting", ''The Plain Dealer'', January 13, 2006. * Fields, Reginald. "City Residency Rules In Peril", ''The Plain Dealer'', January 19, 2006. * Atassi, Leila. "Cleveland's controversial plan to build 'trash-to-energy' facility declared dead", ''Cleveland.com'', May 9, 2014.

External links

*
Office of the Mayor of Cleveland
official website , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Frank G. 1946 births 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American politicians 21st-century American politicians African-American people in Ohio politics American politicians of Italian descent Cleveland City Council members Cleveland–Marshall College of Law alumni Cuyahoga Community College alumni Living people Mayors of Cleveland Ohio Democrats United States Army soldiers