Former Cleveland Mayor Dennis Kucinich, now 77 years old, is running again for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio. However, this time he declared himself as an Independent candidate rather than as a Democrat. He is facing off against the Republican incumbent, Max Miller, for the 7th district seat.

Kucinich held many positions in office during his time in the political sphere, serving Ohioans as the mayor of Cleveland from 1977 to 1979, as an Ohio senator in 1994 and he held a House seat in 1996. Additionally, Kucinich took a stab at the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in 2004 and 2008 but did not gain the traction he needed. Despite this loss, Kucinich theoretically knows his way around the political landscape of Ohio.

With this extensive background, why did Kucinich decide to leave the Democratic party for his run for a House seat in 2024? For one thing, when he officially put his name in the running, the deadline to be included in the Democratic primary had already passed in December. Now that Kucinich is an Independent, their primary deadline is scheduled for March 2024, giving him roughly a month to prepare.

Another possible reason for his split from the Democratic party is his differing opinions on hot-topic issues such as abortion that have changed throughout his political career. According to Cleveland Scene, the former mayor used to be against abortion but changed his views later on in life. Despite this change in stance, he has remained anti-war, first opposing the Iraq War, and now expressing a desire for a cease-fire of the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza.

Kucinich also seems to be interested in toeing the line between Republicans and Democrats, assuring voters that he has been known to work well with both parties in the past. He believes that the recent years of extreme polarization of the two major parties in politics is a threat to national security, especially involving recent congressional gridlock. Kucinich believes that he is needed in Congress to “guide our nation in this difficult time,” as he has knowledge and experience that can help.

While announcing his run for Congress in Independence, OH in 2024, Kucinich stated: “Members on both sides of the aisle are engaged in partisanship so bitter, and so divisive, that the American people are losing faith in our government.”

When asked about his thoughts on Kucinich’s campaign announcement, Austen Zieman ‘25, secretary for the College Independents of JCU, said he was glad someone from outside the major parties was now running.

“I feel that it is great that he is running because his main goal is going against polarization” Zieman stated, and “as an independent, it is much more likely that he will achieve the change he is running on simply because he’s not part of a party”.

Kucinich seems to be running his candidacy from a neutral stance and without affiliation with either party whom he considers to be damaging America’s well-being at this moment in politics. He believes that “service to our nation must be superior to service to a political party.”

Rather than staying out of the race after defeat, Kucinich is attempting to once again sit in the House of Representatives in order to bridge the gap and decrease polarization. He will be up against current Rep. Max Miller and either Doug Bugie or Matthew Diemer from the Democratic party. Kucinich and the rest of Ohio will discover the outcome of this race in early Nov. 2024.