Lachey bandmate enters Cincinnati Mayor's race

Another "Hollywood liberal," I think. I have to double check. I couldn't find any mention of a party. I have never listened to this guy's music. When is Ashley Judd running?!?

Justin Jeffre, a former member of the band 98 Degrees, plans to announce his candidacy for Cincinnati mayor today during a 4 p.m. news conference at the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Pendleton.

Jeffre, a 32-year-old Finneytown native, has been discussing his mayoral ambitions for awhile and has tried to convince cable TV's VH-1 to follow his campaign for a new reality series.

"A lot of people question whether I'm serious," Jeffre said Thursday. "I am serious about this, and I intend to win."

Jeffre, who resides in Clifton Heights, said his motivation for running is his love for the Queen City and desire to make it better. He said he wants to build a strong sense of "community" by bringing people from all over the city together through Cincinnati's arts and entertainment venues.[...]

Jeffre, who doesn't consider himself a politician, said his campaign would be "bare bones."

No commercials. No publicist.

And VH-1?

"He met with us three weeks ago, and proposed the idea (for a reality series)," said Tracy McGraw, VH-1 vice president for communications. McGraw said no decision has been made yet about whether to commit to taping such a show.

"I intend to have the most fun, innovative grass-roots campaign possible," Jeffre said. "It (politics) doesn't have to be boring."

Jeffre will hold a campaign kickoff party from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday at Purgatory nightclub at 12th and Sycamore streets. Former bandmate and native Cincinnatian Nick Lachey will be present at both the press conference and campaign kickoff event.

Lachey, star of the MTV reality series Newlyweds, confessed in an interview with GQ magazine last year that he'd love to run for mayor of Cincinnati. Both men are graduates of SCPA.

"If VH-1 does do it, I hope they call it 'Queen City Comeback. How Cincinnati Got Her Groove Back,'" Jeffre said.

Some people say Jeffre's involvement in the mayoral race will attract national attention to Cincinnati.

Of course, it already made Jay Leno's monologue.