They both eschew political party affiliation. They both have long careers in the service of public safety. They are both strong-willed, opinionated men who are not afraid to break a few eggs to make an omelet. And on Nov. 5, incumbent mayor Mike Bell and Councilman D. 
Michael Collins will face each other on the ballot to be Toledo mayor.
The Sept. 10 primary election offered the potential for a few nightmare scenarios but the progression of Bell and Collins is not one of them. Lucas County Auditor Anita Lopez and Blade-endorsed City Councilman Joe McNamara can go back to their honorable roles and contemplate their next moves; there will no doubt be major roles for them to play in the region’s future, and maybe they’ve learned a lesson in what happens when two similar candidates split a vote. Upstarts Alan Cox and Michael Konwinski brought good ideas to the race, and they should find a way to continue to share their thoughts on Toledo development.
Hopefully, this will be the last mayoral race in which Opal Covey drains time and resources from the conversation; her schtick is tiresome and fails to expand the political discourse. In a very similar vein, Toledoans can also hope this will be the last primary season with any role for perennial nonfactor Jon Stainbrook of the Lucas County Republican Party and Board of Elections. Stainbrook’s already impuissant influence is shrinking faster than Miley Cyrus’ jean shorts.
In the City Council race, it is gratifying to see some of my choices — Councilmen Rob Ludeman, Adam Martinez and Shaun Enright, joined by Sandy Spang and Bill Delaney — move on. This is not the time to dwell on some of the voters’ less insightful choices, but that time will come.
We now have several weeks for Bell and Collins to make their case — including an Oct. 30 debate hosted by Toledo Free Press and WTOL-11. It will take a lot of effort for Collins to sway Bell’s supporters, but the city can be confident that the wild cards have been removed from the equation and no matter the final result, Toledo will be in competent hands.
Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Contact him via email at tpounds@toledofreepress.com.
