A grassroots Democratic activist won a come-from-behind victory against a sitting state lawmaker to become chair of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party. Copyright 2023 The Land, P.O. Demand greater involvement by elected and appointed party members to strengthen the activist ranks. We are building power and fighting against injustices in neighborhoods and communities throughout Cuyahoga County. Following her decisive victory in a high-profile primary rematch last week, Rep. Shontel Brown (D-OH) is poised to step down as the chairwoman of Cuyahoga County's Democratic Party. But because Smith fell short of winning an outright majority, the vote moved to a second round. Under his leadership, the party would be more transparent, Mizsak said. Heres a real bugaboo: The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party doesnt even have a texting program, Brock said. Attend meetings of the Republican Central Committee to assist in organizing and supervising the County Republican Party operations and to endorse candidates (3 or 4 a year). Join our movement of thousands of local activists to fight back against wealth inequality, racial injustice, the degradation of personal and civil rights, the growing impacts of the climate crisis, rising fascism and more. We are making a difference. Subscribe for free and get The Land delivered directly to your inbox. CCPC Endorsed Candidates now include 2 State Senators, 2 State Representatives, 5 Mayors (including the mayor of Cleveland), 25 City Council members and 3 School Board members in Cuyahoga County. What specific steps must be taken to reform the CCDP? The official Democratic party must lead all messaging efforts, including grassroots engagement. To reform the party as a whole, they must start at the local level, where political decisions matter most. Tue, Jan 19, 2021 at 6:45 am, The Absolutely Nutty Cleveland/East Palestine/15-Minute City Conspiracy Theory, Explained, Lake Erie Scoops, a Grab-and-Go Treats Shop in Gordon Square, to Open This Weekend. Where are the organized efforts in support of Build Back Better and the right to vote in free and fair elections? Part of the problem Democrats have had in recent years comes down to public perception, especially in the face of public infighting and high-profile corruption charges against elected officials. Sam Allard is the Senior Writer at Scene, in which capacity he covers politics and power and writes about movies when time permits. Meredith also has elected experience as a Delegate to the National Democratic Conventions in 2012, 2016, & 2020. Cuyahoga Falls Mayor: Tim: Gorbach: Cuyahoga Falls Council-At-Large: Russ: Balthis: . Office: 216/698-2023. That I can assure you, Brock said. Please leave a comment before submitting. 0. Generate a printable list of street ranges (odd and even) based upon specific search criteria. Whats worse, Democrats especially those here in Cuyahoga County have enabled it, by not articulating nuanced, compelling visions of what their policies would bring about. Ultimately, Miller was declared party chairman in 1940, and aided by the success of the New Deal he made Cleveland a Democratic stronghold by securing the political allegiance of both the AFRICAN AMERICANS and the nationality groups and consolidating the party organization. Through in-depth solutions journalism, we aim to foster accountability, inform the community, and inspire people to take action. Brown has not publicly said who she would support. Democrats who want to combat the Republican misinformation machine must run for seats on the Cuyahoga Democratic Central Committee. A progressive who has criticized the practice of making early endorsements in Democratic primaries, Brock ran on a platform of strengthening the partys voter contact and turnout operation. She holds an Associate Degree from Cuyahoga Community College, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Chicago State University and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Cleveland State University. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). The committee members made up the County Central Committee, who in turn elected the county chairman and 400 of the 750-member Executive Committeethe . The county's party executive committee has a total of 750 Democrats who approve candidates for endorsement in local races, such as city and county council. Anyone registered to vote in Ohio and living in Cuyahoga County can come to the board of elections offices during the scheduled hours. These 975 souls, one from each precinct in the county, form the backbone of the states Democratic party and carry with them the potential to enact the reforms desperately needed to make Democrats competitive in Ohio again. Politics, public policy, sports, and food are four facets of life that intrigue David Brock the most. The advantage of my schedule is, what politicians in Columbus and the Ohio General Assembly are all aware of, that none of our voters are down here. Why did former Democratic bulwarks like Brook Park and Parma vote for Donald Trump in 2020, and how do we change that? The Democratic Party in the State of Ohio (1913). May 11, 2022. In this zero-sum Republican game, there are no shades of grey, only right and wrong, black and white. Frankly, Democrats should be supportive of someone like me who says it like it is. Phone 216-443-3231 Campaign Finance Candidate Resources Ballot Issues Was this page helpful? Rather, he viewed it as an opportunity to build on what the party does well. Box 602732, Cleveland OH 44102 | , Cuyahoga County Democratic Central Committee, Shaker Blvd. In 1995 the Cuyahoga County Democratic party consisted of ward or precinct committee members elected in the primaries by the registered Democrats in each ward or precinct in the county. In the second round, Brock won almost 55% of the 470 committee members who participated, while Smith won about 45%. 28th Dist. Since we launched The Land in 2020, weve brought our readers independent, on-the-ground reporting that helps them become more engaged in Cleveland. I want to hire more permanent staff. By. In 2021, Brown ran for the vacant congressional seat formerly occupied by Marcia Fudge, who left to join President Joe Bidens administration as secretary of housing and urban development. Smith, Zimmerman, Mizsak and Brock are also all white men, leaving an opening for Brent or another candidate of color to enter the fray given Cuyahoga County and the Democratic Party are becoming increasingly more diverse. I find it ironic that Im now being criticized for doing it, he said. Meanwhile, the Democrats have an increasingly unlikely chance for victory in any of the statewide races this year. It also contains general information for the public including election calendars, timelines, Published June 9, 2018 at 6:43 PM EDT. Will you become a monthly member to help us continue to produce news by, for, and with the community? Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Three Cleveland Hotels Receive AAA's 4 Diamond Rating, Bridgeworks Project Will Reach Full Funding With $2 Million Loan From Cuyahoga County, What Norfolk Southerns History of Accidents Say About the Company and Industry, At Householder Trial, Former State Rep. Nino Vitale Cites Hazy Memory, Distances Himself From HB6 Scandal, By Marty Schladen, The Ohio Capital Journal, Study Shows Number of Ohio Uninsured Children Could Increase With Loss of Pandemic-Era Coverage, By Susan Tebben, The Ohio Capital Journal, Study: The COVID-19 Pandemic Prematurely Aged Teens Brains. I didnt say it on background or run away from the reporter. Councilwoman Turner believes that education is a passport to the future. Community leaders endorsing William Vodrey's candidacy: AFSCME Ohio Council 8, AFL-CIO. The party also must speak the language of people living on the economic edge, he said. He had just come back from Iraq. Matthew Kassel. Democratic County Central Committee Only. Brown relied heavily on dark money for her successful election, but a wedge formed between Turner and Brown supporters. 200 CCPC members are now Central and Executive Committee members, and the Chair of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party is a CCPC member. By We shouldnt be reliant on campaigns and candidates to do that for us. Take our reader survey! Fax: 216/698-2040 The. The Cuyahoga County Council member's running mate, Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley, was reelected vice . Party central committee members vote in June to elect a new chair. Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. Zimmerman was far from the only Democrat to give to Mandel during his early political career. Martin Sweeney addresses the Lakewood Democratic Club (3/29/18). Local option elections allow voters to vote on the question of whether, and to what extent, alcohol sales and consumption will be allowed within a particular area. He takes the reins of the party in the wake of two Congressional primaries between Brown and Nina Turner that divided Democrats and attracted millions of dollars in outside spending. This is a political bloc that no longer recognizes a Democrats right to win a contested election and flouts the will of the voters in Ohio and elsewhere by drawing state and Congressional districts that violate both the spirit and reality of what voters have expressed at the ballot box. The Land is a local, nonprofit news organization that reports on Clevelands neighborhoods. Vote in the election of local Republican Ward Leaders. This site uses cookies to provide you with a great user experience. R.C. The result, he said, was between 200 to 250 volunteers who knocked on 40,000 doors. In 2020, that number rose to 416,176, an increase of nearly 18,000 votes. Congratulations Elizabeth Dregne in Brooklyn - A. Cleveland, Brock said he would like to replicate that type of voter engagement countywide on a more regular basis, along with other advancements the party has yet to adopt. Im running against the root of the problem. We have detailed voter databases and information to make your work as easy as possible. Brock said he may have a geographic advantage as someone from the West Side. P.S. And thats what we did.. Cleveland, Ohio 44115 Many critics throughout the region have admirably pointed out some of the egregious wrongs being wrought by todays Republican party. From year-round canvassing, both in person and virtually, to the old post card writing, which is so incredibly effective.. We are going to work together. As more Democrats moved to the suburbs in the early 1960s, the party began to organize its latent strength there. The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party on Wednesday appointed Meredith Turner, of Shaker Heights, to fill the District 9 Cuyahoga County Council seat vacated by Shontel Brown. David Brock, a 47-year-old nonprofit worker from Clevelands West Park neighborhood, won the support of a majority of party central committee members in two rounds of voting on Saturday. In their pitches to central committee members, who were sworn in at Saturdays meeting, Smith said he wanted to focus on unity, a not-so-veiled reference to the multiple polarized intra-party elections over the past year. Its the biggest city in the county. Cuyahoga County Democratic Party central committee members are sworn in during a June 18, 2022, meeting. OH Being in office while you are chair is detrimental, Brock said. NEWTON D. BAKER succeeded Johnson as head of the Cuyahoga County Democratic party in 1910, relinquishing active party leadership to his chief lieutenant, W. BURR GONGWER, in 1924. Instead of going immediately to a second round of voting, candidates were given the option to drop from the race. Cuyahoga County is a significant source of Democratic votes in Ohio, making it an important piece of Democrats statewide strategy. He has run multiple successful elections and spent time on the organizational side, including helping to rebuild the Euclid Democratic Club. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Bedford/Walton Hills Democratic Party. Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. They ended up going in with us where we had to raise money ourselves, he said. The others in the contest included state Rep. Juanita Brent of Cleveland, former Shaker Heights City Councilman Rob Zimmerman and Ernie Harris, a retired educator and grassroots activist. Before joining the council, Meredith worked as an Election Official at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections in the Ballot & Tabulation Department: Absentee Ballot Division coordinating voting processes for voters with visual impairments, and other disabilities, as well as those confined in nursing homes and jails. He was a nonpartisan member of the Lyndhurst city council. By, As Cleveland retools housing codes to deal with LLC landlords, tenants face maintenance problems, Weingart, Ronayne work to draw distinctions in Cuyahoga County executive debate, Cleveland City Council approves American Rescue Plan spending on social services, Cleveland Metroparks seeks property tax increase for East Side green space, zoo expansion. Smith said hes also developed a plan to attract voters that the Democratic Party has lost and improve on their gains in the suburbs. Cuyahoga County New York Life Insurance Company 7 years 8 months . There are no fees to file or run and the overall time commitment is largely up to the individual. After council member Deborah Gray traveled to New York to press the unresponsive apartment building owners, an owner and two management representatives came to Cleveland, Community journalist Nikki Hudson lives on W. 89th St. near the border of the Edgewater and Cudell neighborhoods, but no one's quite sure which one, This month, the Cleveland Restoration Society will announce an eighth site for the Cleveland Civil Rights Trail, the first civil rights trail located in the. Zimmerman, Brock and Mizsak have all either held or run for elected office in the past. There is also an amount of solidarity in the Jewish community in Northeast Ohio that isnt necessarily present in others. Coyne resigned in Dec. 1993. All four candidates touched on similar themes when asked by cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer what their vision was for the party. The party already saw this play once on a much grander scale during Browns time. Section 3513.05 of the Ohio Revised Code. That includes Browns ascension to Congress, succeeding longtime Rep. Marcia Fudge, who joined Bidens cabinet as U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. We organize and support progressive coalitions. Campaign finance reports show the partys fundraising has been weak over the past 18 months. Please leave this field blank. In 1982 John M. Coyne succeeded him as party chairman. (Seth. I said it on the record.. Powerpoint presentation resource for candidates and PAC's. Meredith additionally had the great responsibility of managing the absentee ballot application rejection and corrections processes. Central committee members elected Brent as the partys executive vice chair and Andrew Mizsak, a senior Democratic leader in Bedford and Walton Hills, as party secretary. Im running against the Ohio Republican Party.. Brocks support grew massively during the second round of voting, including winning 12 of 17 Cleveland wards. CLEVELAND, Ohio - With the change in leadership rapidly approaching for the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, four candidates for the race have been actively campaigning for the post. In 2020, he and other organizers recruited between 200 and 250 volunteers to knock doors for then-Democratic nominee Joe Biden in several Cleveland wards as well as Bay Village. This means that we have to turn out higher percentages to reach the same number of actual voters. 2079 East 9th Street 8th Floor Theyre for precinct seats on the Cuyahoga County Democratic Central Committee. Like this story? Smith said his post at the statehouse actually gave him more time to focus on political activities than the other candidates since he does not work a typical 9-to-5 job. This is being used against me in my campaign for chair. Smith was considered the favorite heading into Saturdays election at Cuyahoga Community College. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Councilwoman Turner is the Vice Chair of the Education, Environment & Sustainability Committee, and is a member of the Finance & Budgeting Committee, the Public Works, Procurement & Contracting Committee and the Health, Human Services & Aging Committee. Formed in 2016, the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus educates, organizes and mobilizes progressives to fight for economic, environmental, political, racial and social justice. The election has so far been mostly cordial so far, but some clear demarcation lines have emerged that will test the priorities of Cuyahoga County Democrats. Every four years, Democrats elect precinct leaders (precinct leaders make up the Central Committee) to represent their voice and precinct to the County Party. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. The inertia under which it labors has been cultivated by many for decades. By the end of voting, Brock emerged victorious with 54.7% of the vote to 44.7% for Smith, with the remainder abstaining. Caucus was organized by a group of black Democrats in 1970 to provide unified backing for the candidates of their choice. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Editors note: This story has been updated from an earlier version to correctly identify Andrew Mizsaks selection to the position of secretary. Its important, Smith said. We wanted to show people how you run a grassroots campaign because thats what we want to do as a party. OH CCPC leaders and members are engaging on issues such as lead poisoning, public comment, immigration, workers rights and more. Have a question? 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Zimmermans donation came in 2005, when Mandel was a Lyndhurst city councilman and a family friend. The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party will offer as much help as possible to perform these activities. Keep our local journalism accessible to all. They also successfully claim that only Democrats believe in it. Contains important information for candidates, including filing deadlines, filing fees, and other important petition filing information. CCPC regularly hosts candidate and issue forums to educate our members and the public on local, state and federal issues, including housing justice, civil rights, healthcare inequities, climate change, proposed legislation and more. West Park resident Dave Brock spent the early part of 2021 encouraging engaged Democrats to run for the Cuyahoga County Party central committee. Learn more about Cuyahoga County specific petition criteria, including information on petition pre-checks and official time and location of petition filing. Brock said in 2020, he and a friend from the neighboring Ward 17 set out to increase voter turnout for Joe Biden. If they win they would become part of the governing body for the CCDP. First we can organize using every tool available, Brock said on Saturday. Multiple candidates, including Brock and Zimmerman, expressed their desire to have a chair committed full-time to the party instead of worrying about their own elections. Its time for Democrats to go on the offense. Hon. Rules that govern Election Observers; Notice/Certificate of Appointment or Amendment forms; and the Observer Oath. on Zimmerman has faced his own issue as the candidates present themselves to voters, with Smith often pointing out that Zimmerman previously donated to Republican Josh Mandel. This failure to step into the fray has given Republicans a leg-up in Ohio. It was $100, Zimmerman said. Ms. Turners passion projects have consisted of advocacy efforts to pass Aishas Law (HB3), working with CommEN Strategies, a women & minority-owned company to help repeal the worst energy bill of the 21st century, HB6, and consulted with Cray Consulting Group, Inc. to administer a grant opportunity entitled: the Greater Cleveland Environmental Justice Local Journalism Collaborative in partnership with the Cleveland & George Gund Foundations. From the only Democrat to give to Mandel during his early political career a significant source Democratic! Election, but a wedge formed between Turner and brown supporters who,! Only Democrats believe in it to rebuild the Euclid Democratic Club Democratic Conventions in 2012,,. Become chair of the Lyndhurst city Council round of voting, candidates were given the option to drop the. Chairman and 400 of the Lyndhurst city Council President Kevin Kelley, was reelected vice are Central. 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