Reece will back candidate who supports agenda

In admitting defeat, Vice Mayor Alicia Reece called for David Pepper and Mark Mallory not to ignore those she believes have been ignored too long – but she refused to say who she would support for mayor.

"I will look at both agendas and see which one incorporates the ideas that my supporters want to hear," Reece said after her speech at Integrity Hall, the Bond Hill business run by her family.
"I’m looking for the progressive agenda that my constituents care about. That means inclusion and jobs."

Reece, who raised $83,000 for her campaign, called for both candidates to stress inclusion or allow Cincinnati to suffer the consequences.

"I want (the eventual mayor) to represent those who have been voiceless in this city," Reece said in her concession speech. "It is a voice that is not part of the establishment that represents the diverse ideas that our city and our citizens have. Until we do that, we will continue to be a divided city."

Reece spoke vaguely of her defeat being a start but refused to say when – or if – she would seek elective office.

"I’m weighing all of my options," Reece said. "I’m going to always have my foot in politics."

After taking a vacation, she said she would go back to work for her family’s business after she leaves City Council when her term expires at the end of the year.

Reece looked back on her time on City Council and noted how she helped provide leadership – something she stressed was not often seen in the city from a 34-year-old black woman educated in the city’s public schools.

"I managed to lead the city without the title (of mayor)," she told supporters. "We stepped out on a dream and got a little setback today, but don’t give up."

Hers was a voice rarely heard, but one that should, more and more, lead to others like her speaking loudly for opportunities, Reece insisted.

"When I went to the boardrooms, I represented your voice. Rooms you couldn’t get into," Reece told supporters.

While boasting of her previous election record – "I have never lost a race," she said – she wants to help the Queen City succeed but wouldn’t say how.

"I want to hear (of) Cincinnati as the comeback city," she said. "I’m 34 years old. It’s just the beginning."

-- K.P.