Cleveland: Mayoral candidate Laverne Jones Gore predicts long shot win

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland mayoral candidate Laverne Jones Gore predicts she will follow in the footprints or hoof marks of Mine That Bird, the longshot winner of this year's Kentucky Derby.

The little people who believe in long shots won then, and they can win again, she predicts. She is one of four challengers seeking Mayor Frank Jackson's job.

She claims she is not intimidated by his big war chest or campaign machine.

"If you like the fact that 34 percent of our children are not graduating, if you like the fact there's no ecomomic development, no hope and no atmosphere for change, than you can choose that," she said.

If not, she hopes voters will pick her.

She ran against County Commisisoner Jimmy Dimora ten years ago as a Republican. She claims she raised many  issues and questions that are now unfolding in the county corruption  probe.

She had no party affiliation for seven years. She recently became a Democrat, inspired by President Barack Obama's call for change.

She has not decided if she will support either proposal to reform county government. She argues voters can make necessary changes by thoughtfully electing better candidates.

She has degrees in education and health and has been involved informing the community about specific conditions that afflict African-Americans.

She has been a recruiter for military academies. Her son is about to leave for service in Iraq.

She vows Cleveland residents and taxpayers will be the boss of a Jones Gore administration.

She did a wide-ranging interview with Tom Beres.