Former House Democrat and presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich announced on Monday that he would be running to be mayor of Cleveland for a second time.
As Cleveland.com reported, Kucinich said in his announcement that he would be focusing on the needs of the community and making targeting crime a top priority.
“The message of my career to the young people here is never quit,” Kucinich said. “It doesn’t matter. Life has its ups and downs. Never quit. My approach has always been to keep hope alive. My hope is to once again be of service to the people of this community.”
Kucinich, 74, previously held the office of Cleveland mayor between 1977 and 1979. He was the youngest mayor of a major U.S. city at the time, Cleveland.com noted. He most recently ran for Ohio governor in 2018, losing in the primary to Democratic candidate Richard Cordray.
He previously ran for president in 2004 and 2008.
The four-term congressman added he would also be focusing on quality-of-life issues such as poverty, homelessness, health care access and the lead paint crisis.
The news outlet notes that Kucinich’s campaign is joining an already crowded mayoral race, with five other candidates running to replace incumbent Mayor Frank Jackson (D).
Since leaving Congress, Kucinich has become something of a controversial figure, Cleveland.com noted. He has frequently appeared on Fox News as a political pundit criticizing the Democratic Party, and he defended former President Trump and endorsed his “deep state” conspiracy theories.