James "Jim" Tarbell is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 of the Charter Party

Charter Party

The Charter Party of Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, is a minor political party. The party is Cincinnati's third party. Members of this party are called "Charterites."-History:...

, who served as a member of the city council and Vice-Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati, Ohio

Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...

. By mayoral proclamation, Jim Tarbell holds the title "Mr. Cincinnati" for life.

Political career

In 1997 the restaurateur began his political career by campaigning in his now well known top hat and tails. He was first appointed to the council in 1998 to replace the retiring Bobbie L. Sterne

Bobbie L. Sterne

Bobbie L. Sterne is a former American politician of the Charter Party of Cincinnati, Ohio. She was Cincinnati's first female mayor. A long-time member of the Cincinnati City Council, Sterne served two terms as the Mayor of Cincinnati, from 1975–1976 and 1978-1979. She retired from the council in...

 and was elected in 1999, and re-elected in 2001, 2003, and 2005. Until 2003, when Christopher Smitherman

Christopher Smitherman

Christopher Smitherman is a politician from Cincinnati, Ohio. He was elected to Cincinnati City Council in 2003 as a member of the Charter Committee. He was defeated in his attempt for reelection in 2005. Smitherman was elected president of the Cincinnati chapter of the NAACP in April...

 won a seat on the council, Tarbell was the sole Charterite on the council. In 2005, Tarbell was appointed Vice Mayor by Mark Mallory

Mark L. Mallory

Mark Mallory is an American politician of the Democratic Party who is currently serving as the Mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio. His election marked a new era for City Hall as the first two-term Mayor under the City’s new Stronger-Mayor system, the first directly-elected black Mayor, and the first Mayor...

, the newly-elected Mayor of Cincinnati. Because of term limits, Tarbell could not run for reelection in the November 2007 election.

On March 4, 2010, Tarbell formally announced his candidacy for Hamilton County Commissioner.