Tees Valley mayoral race 2021: The candidates who say they are standing

The mayor represents the five council areas of the Tees Valley

People in the Tees Valley area will vote on 6 May to elect a mayor as well as voting in local authority and police and crime commissioner elections.

The elections were due to take place in May 2020 but were delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.

It is the second Tees Valley Mayor election after the 2017 inaugural vote.

The mayor heads Tees Valley Combined Authority - made up of Darlington, Hartlepool, Redcar and Cleveland, Middlesbrough and Stockton councils.

These are the candidates who have so far said they intend to stand for mayor this year (listed alphabetically):

Ben Houchen, Conservative

Won the first Tees Valley Mayoral Election in 2017.

Jessie Joe Jacobs, Labour

Founder of the Stockton-based charity A Way Out.