Cleveland City Councilman Joe Cimperman will announce Tuesday that he is running for his fellow Democrat's 10th Congressional seat, which includes the West Side of Cleveland and the city's western suburbs.
Kucinich refuses to say if he plans to seek a seventh term next year; the filing deadline is a month away.
If Kucinich does run for re-election, Cimperman, who represents downtown Cleveland, will be Kucinich's first serious challenger in either a primary or general election since he was elected to Congress in 1996. [...]
Cimperman said Kucinich's second bid for the White House triggered his decision to run against the one-time ally.
"The community needs a full-time congressman," said Cimperman, who lives just outside the district.
Cimperman joins Rosemary Palmer and Barbara Ferris in the primary, but he would appear to be Kucinich's first opponent who could bring a level of organization and a political track record to the table. In an article written last month, local columnist Brent Larkin described Cimperman as a potentially dangerous foe. But even if Kucinich's presidential ambitions are wearing the district's patience thin, he would be tough to beat, especially in a crowded primary.
Cimperman might be banking on a retirement by Kucinich, who has so far played coy on his re-election plans. Or he could be giving him a nudge.
In any event, this makes life a lot more complicated for Special K.
