Candidate for
Council Member; City of Cincinnati

My name is Brian Garry, and I am running for Cincinnati City Council. I want to share with you some of my background. I want you to know the commitment I have to our City, and my passion for our community. Let me explain why I'm running for City Council, and why I am a Democrat.

I'll start with my background: I am a life-long resident of Cincinnati. I was educated in Cincinnati Public Schools, from primary school at Swifton Primary in Bond Hill to my high school diploma from the School for Creative and Performing Arts. As a child, I spent my formative years at City Hall. My mother was a legislative aide for Councilmember Charles P. Taft, the longest running councilmember in the history of Cincinnati. As people have said, the apple does not fall far from the tree.

My commitment to Cincinnati and our community began then, and has not flagged since.

I received a Liberal Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati, as well as a degree in Art, Theology, and Music Composition from Northern Kentucky University. During college, I worked at the Ohio Public Interest Campaign, focusing on environmental clean-up in Ohio. I reopened the St. Francis/St. Joseph Catholic Worker House, a homeless shelter on 15th Street in Over-the-Rhine, and served as its director. Following college, I returned to the Cincinnati Public Schools and taught music at Sands Montessori and North Avondale Montessori.

Today, I am still working to make Cincinnati a better place for everyone. I am now the owner of a local construction and building company that is currently phasing into "Green" materials, methods, and technologies. We are the only Green construction company in the Midwest as listed with the National Green Pages. I have owned this small construction company for twenty-three years, employing between 8 and 12 men and women on average. Most recently, I established a non-profit organization that helps those less fortunate develop marketable construction skills through employment in my company.

Throughout my college and work years, I have worked in a number of Cincinnati communities, helping each one to develop its own voice and shape its own future. Principally, I have worked in the West End, English Woods, Bond Hill and Over-the-Rhine, as organizer and advocate.

I am not only committed to the city of Cincinnati, but also dedicated to my 16 year old son, Keegan, as a full-time single dad. A creative writing major and musician at S.C.P.A, Keegan was named for the Gaelic term meaning "little and fiery." With his head of thick red hair and his lion-hearted ways, he definitely lives up to it.

Let me tell you a little about my work for the Democratic Party and my political aspirations.

I ran for City Council in 2003 with the platform ONE Cincinnati, an acronym I created to signify my vision for a Cincinnati with Opportunity, Neighborhoods, and Equality for all. Back then I was an independent candidate, but today I have brought my unique, time-tested message to our local Democratic Party. I am the Precinct Executive for Precinct 15-O, and also serve as a poll worker supervisor for the Democratic Party for each election cycle. I have been actively involved in many Democratic campaigns, beginning with Morris Udall in my early childhood, and continuing through to the recent campaigns of David Crowley and David Pepper.

I am someone who strives to be absolutely true to his own distinct, original values, but I have found that my principles inherently echo the ideals of our Democratic Party. I believe that the greatest good of our city and our country lies in the good and welfare of the people. I believe that in promoting equality and justice - both social and economic - we create a society in which all people are welcome, and all are given the chance to succeed. I support free, public education of distinguished caliber, a commitment to our communities, and honesty with the Cincinnati voters. I believe, most importantly, in the dignity of every human being. For all of this, I am a Democrat.

I urge you to join with me in pursuit of a bright future for our city. As a councilmember, I will work in support of the creation of fair economic development, homeownership and increased safety. We must create policies that address the root causes of crime not only to create a safer Cincinnati, but to ensure that the tranquility lasts. We need greater opportunities for education, more work force development, and a level playing field in the job market. I will work for unity in council to create goodwill, trust and respect. My candidacy for Cincinnati City Council is a campaign for positive change for all. Your support of my campaign is a vote for progress in our city.

I believe strongly in our core Democratic values. I look forward to meeting and speaking with you regarding issues of vital concern to our city.