Cuyahoga Politics Today
Raymond C. Headen running for appellate court
Thirty some years ago,
when young lawyer Ray Headen
imagined his career trajectory, he always seemed to wind up as either a law
professor or an appellate judge. An unexpected call from county GOP chair Rob
Frost asking the now seasoned Headen, 58, whether he would consider running for
the county's Court of Appeals, helped him realize that now is the time.
 |
| Attorney Raymond C. Headen |
Headen is running for
the 8th District Court of Appeals. Given Frost’s support, he is
likely to be unopposed in the primary and should sail through until November in
the nonpartisan race.
Headen brings broad
and deep experience to the race. His career includes working for several well-known
corporate firms and serving as general counsel to then-Ohio Treasurer Ken
Blackwell. He recently served as sole special counsel in the original drafting
of the 2015 Ohio Economic Development Manual published by the Ohio Attorney
General.
Headen has the
education, experience, and temperament to be an outstanding appellate judge. We
commend Frost for recruiting him. And we want to let the party chair know we
will be watching closely to see what kind of support he lines up for his
candidacy. The local GOP has a history of encouraging black candidates to run
and then offering only token support. It takes around $100,000 to run a
competitive campaign, and Frost needs to take ownership for raising at least
half that amount on behalf of his stellar recruit.
# # #
Stephens challenges Houser in District 10
County Council race
 |
| Cleveland Heights councilwoman Cheryl L. Stephens |
Cleveland Heights
councilwoman and former mayor Cheryl
Stephens has decided to take her bid for County Council to the voters. She
has pulled petitions to challenge Michael Houser in the Democratic primary on
May 8.
Houser was appointed
to the seat when he narrowly defeated Stephens 24-22 in a January 11 vote of
District 10 County Democratic Central Committee members.
This race will likely
test the alliances of several prominent local Democrats. County Executive
Armond Budish, US Senator Sherrod Brown, and Congresswoman Marcia Fudge are all
expected to support Houser, who became the endorsed candidate as the [week-old]
incumbent after the central committee vote. Fudge had mildly supported Stephens
until the Jan. 11 vote but moved swiftly to endorse Houser.
District 10
encompasses the cities of Cleveland Heights, East Cleveland, and University
Heights, Cleveland Wards 8 [all] and 10 [except precincts A, B, I, K & M],
and the village of Bratenahl.
# # #
O’Neill brings his gubernatorial campaign to
City Club today
Bill O'Neill, who is running to be Ohio’s governor,
will be in conversation at the City Club today at noon. The unconventional
candidate has been an army officer, a registered nurse, and both a newspaper
and television reporter. He
was elected to the Ohio Supreme Court in November
2012, where he served until he stepped down last week to campaign for governor.
Prior to becoming a justice, he served on the Eleventh District Court of
Appeals from 1997 until 2007. A Vietnam veteran, O'Neill is a graduate of Ohio
University, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, and Huron School of Nursing.
 |
| Former Ohio Justice Bill O'Neill |
O’Neill’s appearance
today is part of the City Club’s series of conversations with candidates
seeking statewide office in 2018. Call 216.621.0082 or more information.
# # #
From Grasshopper to Greatness
Mike
White
was the dominant political figure in Cuyahoga County during his tenure as
Cleveland mayor from 1990 through 2001. He remains both a compelling and an
active figure in Cleveland politics today, although much of his work is below
the radar.
 |
| Former Cleveland mayor Michael R. White |
He will be speaking at 6PM tonight at JumpStart
as the final speaker in the Leadership Series presented by the Black
Professionals Association Charitable Foundation. Prior speakers included
current Cleveland mayor Frank Jackson, network guru George Fraser, entrepreneur
Alexandria Johnson Boone, Dr. Charles Modlin, and civic leader Randell
McShepard.
White’s presentation is entitled “From
Grasshopper to Greatness”. JumpStart is located at 6701 Carnegie Ave. in
Cleveland’s midtown. Call 216.229.7110 for more information.
White was interviewed by Teaching
Cleveland in 2013 about his political life as part of a Cleveland history
project. The interview is available in a series of videotapes beginning here.
# # #
State of the Union speech tonight
Most thoughtful people I know despair about
the current state of our union under the malevolent and dangerous instincts of
our president. Random inquiries reveal few who will admit to plans on watching
Trump address Congress, the nation, and the world tonight.
I do plan to watch. I don’t expect it to be in
the least pleasant or reassuring, not to even contemplate uplifting. But I am
curious as to how he will handle what I think will be an especially daunting
assignment: speaking with the sophistication required to simultaneously address
multiple audiences. Trump is most confident playing to his base, where he needs
no script, no teleprompter, no preparation. He is adept at reading his crowd
and always has truckloads of red meat at the ready. Unless he is totally
delusional, he will have to know tonight that he is speaking to many who oppose
much of what he represents. Will he be completely defiant or will he attempt
some mollification? And will he be disciplined or extemporaneous?
Whichever, we will be curious. And we will
also be curious to see if our local Congresswoman, Marcia Fudge, can bring some
critical light to bear on the president’s remarks. She will be a guest on the
Don Lemon show tonight on CNN following the speech.
# # #
Immigration, the FBI, and Ohio Democrats
It’s
Tuesday, which means our friends Laverne Gore and Jack Boyle will be on air
from 6-7PM hosting their show, “Race
Relations in America”. Tonight’s topics are expected to include the
national debate on immigration, the leaked FBI memo, and the contestants in the
crowded Democratic field for Ohio’s gubernatorial nomination. The show airs on WERE/1490
AM.
# # #
Beachwood makes Black History
Beachwood City Council made history last week
by selecting a black woman to fill the vacancy created when former council
president Martin S. Horwitz resigned after he defeated longtime mayor Merle
Gorden in a close three-way to become Beachwood mayor.
The surprise for many was that this “first”
did not go to Gail McShepard, who had just finished a very respectable fourth in a field
of six candidates vying for three at large seats on the council.
Beachwood’s charter called for council to fill
the vacancy caused by Horwitz’s elevation. They invited applicants and
according to reports interviewed all seventeen privately, including McShepard.
They then met in open session and selected businesswoman June Elizabeth Taylor,
who became the “first”.
 |
| June Elizabeth Taylor |
We know Taylor as smart, opinionated, with a
sharp tongue and with no penchant to bite her tongue. Politically savvy, she
is a confidant to Gov. Kasich and has been repeatedly entrusted by him with
political appointments, including her current service as chair of the Ohio
Casino Commission. She clearly was close to some Beachwood insiders, based on
her appointment by then-council president Horwitz to the city’s Charter Review
Commission.
Twenty or so years ago, a smart attorney,
psychologist and educator — David Whitaker — was elected to the Beachwood Board
of Education. The community was not ready for his candor or independence and
memory says he did not complete his full term. As the city timidly navigates its
own changing demographics, we will be interested to observe how the city’s
insular political culture will inevitably shift under the impact of Taylor’s
dynamism.
# # #
Black History Month
Is your organization
sponsoring an event in recognition of Black History Month?
Make sure we know
about it.
As Stevie Wonder might
say, “Don’t delay… Send it right away.”
News, that is, about
your event. Email us here: rta AT theRealDealPress.com.
# # #
-->
No comments:
Post a Comment