MIKE: WE HAVE REPORTERS COVERING
EACH OF THE THREE CAMPAIGNS
TODAY.
EMILY WOOD IS WITH YVETTE
SIMPSON, AMANDA KELLEY HAS ROB
RICHARDSON JR.
SHEREE: AND WE BEGIN WITH JO
LONDON, WHO IS LIVE WITH JOHN
CRANLEY'S CAMPAIGN.
JOHN
JOHN: MAYOR CRANLEY IS EXPECTED
HERE AT THE INCLINE PUBLIC HOUSE
IN A COUPLE OF HOURS,
COUNTING ON A FIRST-PLACE FINISH
TONIGHT TO GET THE HEAD-TO-HEAD
REELECTION CAMPAIGN OFF TO A
RUNNING START.
THE CITY'S MAYOR SPENT PRIMARY
DAY PRACTICING THE ART OF RETAIL
POLITICS, STARTING IT BY VOTING
FOR HIMSELF AT HIS EAST SIDE
POLLING PLACE, MAKING A CASE TO
STAY WITH WHAT WORKS, MEANING
HIS AGENDA.
MAYOR CRANLEY: THE CITY IS DOING
WELL, BUT WE HAVE MORE WORK TO
DO.
WE'VE ADDED 7,500 JOBS.
WE'VE PUT 100 COPS ON THE
STREET.
WE'VE BALANCED THE BUDGET.
WE'RE INVESTING IN
NEIGHBORHOODS, AND I THINK WE
SHOULD -- WE SHOULDN'T TURN BACK
NOW ON THAT PROGRESS.
JOHN: CRANLEY SAYS IN A SECOND
FOUR-YEAR TERM AT THE HELM OF
CITY HALL MORE SECTORS OF THE
COMMUNITY WILL SHARE IN THE
GROWTH AND ECONOMIC UPTICK.
HE HAD HIS 8-YEAR-OLD SON WITH
HIM THIS MORNING.
BEFORE BEING DROPPED OFF AT
SCHOOL, YOUNG JOSEPH WAS ASKED
IF HE ENVISIONED A FUTURE IN
POLITICS AND SHOOK HIS HEAD NO.
DAD MIGHT INJECT A LITTLE
POLITICS 101 DURING JOSEPH'S
HOMEWORK TOMORROW NIGHT.
MAYOR CRANLEY: WE'RE AMERICANS.
WE SHOULD GO OUT AND VOTE.
I HOPE EVERYBODY LISTENING WILL
MAKE SURE THEY GET HERE BEFORE
7:30 P.M., WHICH IS WHEN T
POLLS CLOSE, ALL DAY, AND
THERE'S NOT A VERY LONG LINE.
JOHN: IT WOULD BE A STUNNER IF
CRANLEY FINISHED OUT OF THE
RUNNING TONIGHT.
OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THE TOP
REPORTING PRECINCTS SO FAR,
NORTHSIDE CLIFTON, AVALON DALE,
AND COLLEGE HILL WERE HE TO
, FINISH SECOND, IT WOULD CHANGE
THE INITIAL NARRATIVE OF HIS
CAMPAIGN FOR REELECTION.
YVETTE SIMPSON IS HOPING FOR
THAT.
WLWT NEWS 5'S EMILY WOOD IS
COVERING HER CAMPAIGN TONIGHT
LIVE IN WALNUT HILLS.
EMILY: THANKS, JOHN.
YVETTE SIMPSON SAYS TODAY IS THE
BEST DAY OF THE YEAR.
SHE STARTED THIS MORNING HITTING
MORE THAN 20 POLLING PLACES AS
PART OF HER GRASSROOTS
NEIGHBORHOOD APPROACH TO
POLITICS.
[HORNS HON
EMILY: A HONK FOR SUPPORT SOUNDS
GOOD TO YVETTE SIMPSON
VOLUNTEERS.
BUT WHAT THE COUNCILWOMAN REALLY
NEEDS IS STRONG VOTER TURNOUT
FOR HER FIRST PRIMARY AS A
MAYORAL CANDIDATE.
MS. SIMPSON: THE BIG THING FOR
ME IS, ARE PEOPLE GOING TO SHOW
UP?
AND IF THEY SHOW UP, I THINK WE
WIN.
IF THEY DON'T, THEN IT'S A
TOSSUP.
EMILY: SIMPSON SPENT HER MORNING
TRYING TO HIT AS MANY POLLING
PLACES AS POSSIBLE, INCLUDING
ABUNDANT LIFE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
IN AVONDALE.
MS. SIMPSON: THANK YOU, GUYS,
FOR YOUR HARD WORK TODAY.
>> THANK YOU.
EMILY: IT'S PART OF HER EMPHASIS
ON NEIGHBORHOODS AND HOW SHE
PLANS TO RUN THE MAYORAL OFFICE,
BY OPENING LOCATIONS AROUND THE
CITY FOR PEOPLE TO ASK QUESTIONS
AND DISCUSS ISSUES.
MS. SIMPSON: I WANT OUR
ADMINISTRATION TO BE OUT OF CITY
HALL, OUT OF CENTENNIAL, ON THE
GROUND ANSWERING PEOPLE'S
QUESTIONS, DEALING WITH REAL
ISSUES, SO YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE
A MUCH MORE ACTIVE
ADMINISTRATION COMING OUT OF MY
OFFICE.
EMILY: SIMPSON SAYS SHE WILL BE
THE NEEDED CHANGE TO CITY
LEADERSHIP IF SHE CAN GET THE
VOTES.
MS. SIMPSON: I JUST WANT PEOPLE
TO GO VOTE.
EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT VOTING FOR
ME, VOTE
EMILY: SIMPSON ALSO SAYS SHE
WILL FIND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO
KEEP THE CITY SAFE, CREATE JOBS,
AND ADDRESS THE HEROIN CRISIS.
WE NOW GO TO AMANDA KELLEY.
AMANDA?
AMANDA: EMILY, RICHARDSON HAS
BEEN PUSHING HARD THROUGHOUT
THIS CAMPAIGN.
HE IS DOING THE SAME THING
TODAY, SAYING HE'S NOT TAKING A
SINGLE VOTE FOR GRANTED, HOPING
TO PULL OFF A SURPRISING WIN
AGAINST TWO INCUMBENTS TONIGHT.
MAYORAL CANDIDATE ROB RICHARDSON
SPENT THE DAY SHAKING HANDS,
MAKING ONE LAST CAMPAIGN PUSH ON
PRIMARY DAY.
MR. RICHARDSON: I THINK THE
VOTERS ARE READY FOR A CHANGE.
WHILE WE HAVE THREE CANDIDATES,
YOU REALLY ONLY HAVE TWO
CHOICES.
YOU HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN THE
INCUMBENTS, WHO I DON'T THINK
HAVE PROVIDED THE LONG-TERM
LEADERSHIP THAT THE CITY NEEDS,
OR ME, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO
EMBRACE A DIFFERENT PATH.
AMANDA: RICHARDSON HAS NEVER
HELD PUBLIC OFFICE BEFORE AND
CAME INTO THE RACE WITH LITTLE
NAME RECOGNITION.
HIS PROMISE TO VOTERS IS TO
FOCUS ON LONG-TERM GOALS IN
TRANSPORTATION, EDUCATION, AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
MR. RICHARDSON: I'VE BEEN
INVOLVED IN SERVICE FOR A LONG
TIME IN THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE I
BELIEVE IN CINCINNATI AND I WANT
TO SEE US GROW AND BE THE MOST
COMPETITIVE CITY AS POSSIBLE,
AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE ALL THE
ASSETS TO DO THAT.
AMANDA: THE U.C. TRUSTEE HAS AN
UPHILL BATTLE TO VICTORY TONIGHT
IN ORDER TO PUT HIS PLANS FOR
CINCINNATI INTO ACTION.
MR. RICHARDSON: PEOPLE THAT HAVE
REALLY GOTTEN TO KNOW ME
UNDERSTAND THAT MY MOTIVATION IS
REALLY ABOUT SERVING THIS CITY
AND MOVING US FORWAR
AMANDA: RICHARDSON ALS
HAS PLANS TO COMBAT CRIME AND
FIGHT THAT HEROIN EPIDEMIC IN
THE CITY.
IF ELECTED HE'LL BE WITH
SUPPORTERS TONIGHT DOWNTOWN,
WATCHING THE RESULTS ROLL IN.