Independent Mayor of Youngstown Endorses Strickland

Independent Youngstown Mayor Williams Endorses Strickland

Columbus, Ohio – Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams today announced his endorsement of Ohio gubernatorial candidate Congressman Ted Strickland at a rally and free concert in downtown Youngstown.

“Strickland represents everything we need to put this state back on the right path,” Williams said. “His Turnaround Ohio plan will not only move the Mahoning Valley forward but will advance our great state by encouraging economic development, guaranteeing a high-quality education and creating jobs for all Ohioans.”

“I don’t believe that you vote for a person because of a party or a label. You vote for them because they have a positive vision – one that will move Ohio forward. I found that vision in Ted Strickland,” Williams said. Williams endorsed at a downtown rally and free Boyz II Men concert that attracted several hundred Youngstown-area residents.

Mayor Williams is Youngstown’s first African American mayor and the first Independent candidate to win the Youngstown mayoral post in more than 70 years.

“I am honored and humbled to receive the endorsement of my good friend Mayor Jay Williams,” Strickland said. “Jay represents the future of the Mahoning Valley and I look forward to working closely with him in the months and years to come.”

Strickland has also received endorsements from several prominent mayors across Ohio, including Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory, Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman, Dayton Mayor Rhine McLin, and Toledo Mayor Carty Finkbeiner.