Pictured are  newly elected Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones (wearing gold tie), and newly elected Ward 7 Councilman Basheer Jones

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog with some 5 million views on Google Plus alone.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief

CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM-CLEVELAND, Ohio- New elected Cleveland councilmen Joe Jones and Basheer Jones survived recounts by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, election officials announced this week.

Joe Jones defeated Ward 1 Councilman Terrell Pruitt and Activist Basheer Jones won over Ward 7 Councilman TJ Dow via the November runoff election for their seats among all 17 Cleveland City Council seats up for grabs, and  three-term  Black Mayor Frank Jackson retained his seat, defeating outgoing councilman Zack Reed.

All of the aforementioned are Black Democrats.

A former assistant county prosecutor, Dow lost by 13 votes and Pruitt, by eight votes, the recount revealing no changes in the outcome in either race.

Four other close races, including the loss of Ward 14 Councilman Brian Cummin's seat to Jasmin Santanta, await recounts.

Joe Jones, the husband of Cuyahoga County Domestic Relations Court Judge Tonya Jones, told

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com in a recent interview that God helped him win and that "the Ward 1 community wanted change."

Dow was up against 11th Congressional District Congresswoman Marcia Fudge, who endorsed his opponent, Basheer Jones, and he could not overcome the influence of the powerful Cleveland Clinic that had become annoyed with him.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog with some 5 million views on Google Plus alone.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief