CLEVELAND — One week after the November election, Cleveland voters still don't know the winner of the Ward 12 race between incumbent Councilman Danny Kelly and challenger Tanmay Shah. Election night ended with Shah leading the race by just seven votes.
"To be frank, I think my brain broke a little bit," Shah said.
"We weren't really prepared for this tight of a race and the recount process," Shah said. "So, honestly, kind of, my mind froze and we were like, 'What does this actually mean?'"
It means he and Kelly have to wait until the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections certifies the results on Nov. 25. That's when we'll learn how the outstanding ballots, about 50 in all, including provisional and uncounted vote-by-mail ballots, actually voted, even then, though the margin is still likely to trigger an automatic recount.
To even get to this point is a dream for the 29-year-old Shah, whose background is unique.
"I am a housing attorney, a truck driver and a union organizer," Shah said.
He immigrated from India when he was nine. His family settled first outside Dayton before moving to Northeast Ohio, where he went to Copley High School before getting his undergraduate degree at Kent State in political science and economics.
"[That's] where I really got an understanding of how things were and where I wanted to make change, and after that, it was just a natural progression of like, OK, if I want to understand the systems that are built around us, I know the first thing I'm always going to have to do is talk to a lawyer. So I went and got a law degree at Case, and since then I've been in Cleveland and just been trying to understand how we can improve conditions for everybody," he said.
Though council races are non-partisan, Shah said he considers himself a Democratic Socialist.
"Cleveland isn't a poor city; it's an exploited city. And to me, that's an understanding that comes from Democratic Socialism of understanding look our power is generated by the people that work here, that live here, and that want to actually have a family thrive here."
His opponent, incumbent Kelly, also touts himself as a fighter for Cleveland's families. Kelly has held the seat since January of 2023, and at this point, he is conceding nothing.
"We have to wait for the votes to be counted. You know it's not fair to the people who voted and not fair to either of our campaigns to somebody to say something and make a misstep," Kelly said. "The reality is we might not know whose getting congratulated and whose congratulating til maybe around December."
In the meantime, both men have been invited to cast their votes for council leadership positions. Though Shah appreciates the gesture, he says he'll be abstaining.
"I understand that the transition has to go on; I personally do not feel comfortable voting until my election has actually been certified. But it's been interesting to start seeing the process," said Shah.
Talking with Kelly, you won't find animosity toward his opponent, but, in a sense, admiration for the campaign that was run and gratitude to the voters who took the time to decide this oh-so-close race between them.
"I would tell you both camps ought to be very proud of their people; they worked really hard," Kelly said. "You don't get a race this close unless you really work hard to get the people out. And you know, hats off to everybody that volunteered for both camps. I can't thank them enough."
