CLEVELAND, Ohio — Councilman Richard Starr came out ahead Tuesday night in the newly drawn Ward 5, according to unofficial results released Tuesday night.

As of 11:15 p.m.., Starr had 627 votes, followed by Councilwoman Rebecca Maurer with 229 and challenger Beverly Owens-Jackson with 47. Starr and Maurer will advance to November’s general election.

Election officials had started tallied votes from all 15 of the ward’s precincts when results were last updated.

The race is unusual in that it pits two sitting council members against each other after redistricting collapsed their wards into one. Starr and Maurer — both first elected in 2021 — now find themselves fighting to hold onto political turf that stretches from the Central neighborhood into downtown and Slavic Village.

The backgr

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