Cynthia Harrison announces bid for re-election to Ann Arbor City Council’s Ward 1

Cynthia Harrison said she is running for re-election to represent Ward 1 on the Ann Arbor City Council and urged neighbors to vote on or before Aug. 4.

Harrison, who identified herself as the only lifelong resident in the Ward 1 race, framed her candidacy around local roots and community service. "This community isn't just where I live and serve, it's where I'm from," she said.

As director of innovative re-entry at the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office, Harrison described building "pathways for people coming home from incarceration to find housing, employment, and stability," and said that work shaped her view that "public safety and compassion go hand in hand." She identified herself as a criminal legal reform advocate and said she "championed Ann Arbor's Driving Equality Ordinance," which she described as intended to limit unnecessary contact between law enforcement and civilians. She also noted that that work was featured on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver.

Harrison said she supports a housing-first approach and cited the Rising Hope for Housing program, saying it uses opioid settlement and marijuana excise tax dollars "to help keep our most vulnerable neighbors housed and stable." On transportation and community design, she said she wants a Ward 1 that is "multimodal and walkable," so residents can travel safely by foot, bike, bus or car.

She listed local endorsements from the Ann Arbor Education Association, regional building trades and Planned Parenthood, and pointed to community projects she helped lead, including producing A Ripple in Ann Arbor and organizing a reconciliation event; she said the film is available on the Ann Arbor District Library website.

Closing her remarks, Harrison said: "So, when I ask for your vote, I'm not asking you to trust a stranger with your future. I'm asking you to let someone who already loves this place keep fighting for it." She reiterated her name, Ward 1 roots and the Aug. 4 voting timeframe.

The announcement focused on Harrison's priorities — re-entry support, housing stability, public-safety reform and multimodal access — and served as a candidate appeal ahead of the Ward 1 election date she cited.