Elyria City Council: Mark Jessie unseated, 1st Ward sees upset, Dems hold strong to at-large seats

ELYRIA — Three new faces will be on Elyria City Council next year with incumbent Democrats Mark Jessie and Judy Keys unseated after Tuesday's election. Republican Maurice Corbin III handily defeated Jessie for the 3rd Ward with 801 votes to Jessie's 397, or 67 percent to 33 percent, unofficially. The loss came after Jessie's arrest and charge for soliciting prostitution about a month before the election. City Council's Democratic members had called for Jessie's resignation, as well as several Republicans running for Council. Jessie had said he would not resign because he wanted to give the voters the choice. "It's been a privilege to serve the constituents of the 3rd Ward for the past eight years," Jessie said. "I wish (Corbin) success." Corbin said it's unfortunate that the win came about with Jessie's arrest. But he said he's happy the people of the 3rd Ward chose him to represent them. With Republican Jack Baird's retirement from City Council, Corbin will now take the spot as the lone Republican on City Council. "I'm going to be a team player, but I'm going to be a voice of reason," he said. "We do have some issues with Midway Mall and the traffic and getting jobs back here in Elyria." Corbin said he didn't want to be "Dr. No," and that he wanted to work with the rest of City Council to find solutions for Elyria. There also will be a fresh face in Elyria's 1st Ward. Democrat Judy Keys was narrowly defeated by independent Andrew Lipian with just 31 votes separating them. Lipian garnered 431 votes to Keys' 400, or 52 percent to 48 percent, unofficially. Keys was appointed to her seat in May 2019 by Council Democrats to replace Larry Tanner. In November 2019, she was unopposed in the election. This election was the first time she faced an opponent. Keys thanked the residents that voted for her and wished Lipian luck. "His success is the 1st Ward's success," she said. "He was a worthy opponent.'' In a statement, Lipian said residents of Elyria chose a positive new direction for the city. He thanked voters for making his win possible. But to those who did not vote for him, Lipian said he wanted to earn their trust and support. "I want to work for you and all of Elyria and bring people together," he said. "Though I know we cannot heal this city overnight, the journey to bring Elyria back has begun." Despite a push from Republicans, Democrats maintained control of the at-large seats, with Democrat Chad Schneider securing a seat to replace longtime Republican Councilman Jack Baird. Democrats Phil Tollett, Victor Stewart and Tom Callahan, along with Schneider, garnered the most votes out of the eight people running. There are four at-large seats on Council — the top four vote-getters win the seats. In the unofficial results, Stewart received the most votes with 2,650. Tollett received 2,639 votes, Callahan received 2,521, and Schneider received 2,502. Schneider said he's looking forward to being part of the process to revitalize Elyria. His two biggest priorities are Midway Mall and downtown, what he called two of the biggest eyesores in the city. Stewart, who serves as Council president, said to those who didn't vote for him, he'll work harder to convince them he's the right person for the job. He said there's new things on the horizon for Elyria that will make the city better. Tollett also hinted at better things ahead, saying it would "change Elyria forever." He thanked the voters for putting their trust in him. Callahan said he is grateful for the support, but that there's still work to do in the city. He said it's clear residents wanted stable, steady leadership from its Council members. The three Republicans running for at-large seats were not able to unseat the other party. Garry Gibbs, who was once the 3rd Ward councilman, received 2,411 votes. Jeff Baxter, in his second run for at-large, received 2,017 votes and Larry Beckman received 1,914. Independent Clifton Oliver received 1,414 votes. Oliver did not respond to a request for comment. Baxter said he was disappointed, as he believes Elyria needs fresh faces on Council. Although there will be some, Baxter won't be among them. He chairs the Elyria Republican Party, and said party officials will have to reflect on how this election cycle went. Baxter said he's going to encourage independents and other parties to run for Council. Beckman said he will still be involved with the party and encourage more change in the city. He said he's disappointed that people seem to be happy with the job loss and unemployment rate in Elyria. Gibbs said he's excited to see new blood on City Council and is looking forward to seeing change over the next two years. He said it's time for the city to move forward. In Elyria's other contested ward races, the incumbents maintained their seats, keeping Democratic control of City Council. 4TH WARD: Kenny Oswald secured reelection to his second term on City Council, defeating Republican Jim Miller. Oswald won 771 votes to Miller's 457, or 63 percent to 37 percent, unofficially. Oswald said it would break his heart to not be able to continue on City Council. "I love doing it," he said. "There's so many things happening that I want to continue." Some of that includes a house beautification loan program and solving flooding issues by Spring Valley in Elyria in Oswald's ward. "We've got so much stuff going on," he said. Miller said this was his first time running and getting people to learn his name. He's looking forward to continuing that in the future, and said he's pretty confident he'll run again in two years. He said it seems people were satisfied with the direction of the city, but that he intends to make sure Oswald delivers on his promises over the next two years. 5TH WARD: The 5th Ward saw the lowest turnout in Elyria's races, but Democrat Diane Simmons pulled out the win. Simmons received 201 votes to independent Brad Armstrong's 189 votes, or 52 percent to 48 percent, unofficially. Armstrong declined to comment. Simmons said she knew the race wouldn't be easy, especially with the low turnout in the 5th Ward. She said she's looking to focus on a safer, cleaner neighborhood while getting downtown developed. She said she wants the 5th Ward to catch up with the other wards and keep growing. 6TH WARD: Donna Mitchell held on to her City Council seat for the 6th Ward despite a challenge from Republican Marcio Tolentino. Mitchell won 317 votes to Tolentino's 206, or 61 percent to about 39 percent, unofficially. Mitchell thanked the 6th Ward voters for the results. "I feel wonderful," she said. "… I'm going to work hard for them like I always do. I've got a big smile on my face. I'm glad it's over. This was a contentious election." Tolentino congratulated Mitchell on her victory and said he's looking forward to running again in two years after learning the process this year. Contact Laina Yost at ctnews@chroniclet.com.