City Councilman Jeff Johnson's run for Mayor of Cleveland came to an end Tuesday night, but he is remaining involved in the race.
Last night (and again this morning), Johnson officially endorsed fellow Councilman Zack Reed for mayor. Reed finished second in the primary (beating out Johnson by just over 2,000 votes) and will now face incumbent Mayor Frank Jackson in the Nov. 7 general election.
"I now fully support and endorse Councilman Reed for Mayor of Cleveland," Johnson said in a written statement. "I will give him 100% effort to assist him with his campaign to make our neighborhoods safer and to bring more jobs to our resident citizens."
Johnson added he believes it is "time to change Cleveland City Hall."
Reed is considered the underdog against Jackson, who is seeking a fourth term as mayor. A Zogby Analytics poll conducted last month showed Jackson leading Reed in a then-hypothetical matchup by 19 points, with more than a quarter of voters still undecided.