Cleveland Mayor Looking To Win Second Term

THOMAS J. SHEERAN

CLEVELAND (AP) — Mayor Frank Jackson's campaign for election to a second four-year term has focused on maintaining city services and avoiding tax increases amid a recession that hurt the city's manufacturing-dependent economy.

He held a big fundraising edge and carried the September nonpartisan primary with 71 percent of the vote to advance to Tuesday's election against Bill Patmon, a fellow Democrat who got 11 percent in the primary.

Jackson, 63, has the name recognition and high-profile standing of an incumbent and the financial backing of the downtown business community and has used them to his advantage.

One example from last week: the low-key Jackson sat and smiled while Vice President Joe Biden thanked him for his leadership and outlined a $16 million federal grant to the city-owned airport, an important employment center for the region.

Sitting alongside Jackson were U.S. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and a construction worker recalled from layoff with money from Washington. The visual message: Jackson could tap into political connections to help the city's shaky economy.