by Bruce Checefsky

   (Plain Press May 2026) The Cuyahoga County Democratic precinct elections on May 5 are the most important primary elections this year, according to Ellen Kubit, who is no stranger to politics. She is running for reelection in Ward 7, Precinct B.

   Kubit, a political strategist and former campaign manager for Mohammad Faraj, who ran for the Ward 7 seat on the Cleveland City Council, was also the campaign manager for Matthew Ahn during the Cuyahoga County prosecutor race in 2023–2024. He ran against Michael O’Malley and lost. So did Faraj.

   Precinct leaders are not necessarily public servants, she explained, but they can further the political party’s goals, including increasing voter turnout, or, for some players within the party, leveraging the insider game, with politically motivated moves to get some candidates elected and others not.

   “What you are really seeing in this election cycle is the tension of two priorities,” she said, describing the priorities as low voter turnout and political positioning within the party.

   Some are running for re-election, but looking across the voter landscape, Kubit noticed many of first-time candidates are coming from Michael O’Malley’s prosecutors’ office.

   “It’s a fascinating dynamic. People believe precinct leaders try to improve voter turnout, especially with anemic turnout in the city of Cleveland. Others recognize that the executive board is one of the most influential factors in getting elected in Cuyahoga County, and whether elected or appointed to the board,” she said.

   David Brock is the chair of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, chosen by central committee members. In 2022, Brock, a 47-year-old nonprofit worker and grassroots Democratic activist from Cleveland’s West Park neighborhood, following a surprising comeback victory, won against Representative Kent Smith and three other candidates.

   Last year, Councilman Joe Jones accused Brock of violating bylaws by attempting to rescind an endorsement following reports of misconduct, including threats against a staffer. Jones allegedly engaged in bullying and harassment. He has denied any wrongdoing. The Cleveland City Council voted 14-2 to censure Jones for violating workplace violence policies, the first such action in 50 years. Despite the misconduct reports, the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party’s Ward 1 Executive Committee reaffirmed its endorsement of Jones.

   The executive committee makes voter recommendations in a sample ballot mailed to county residents; the names of candidates selected for endorsement are listed. In this way, the executive committee holds all the power, and votes from within the party are needed to be on the committee.

   “The number of executive committee members per ward is not clear. Some wards have more; others have fewer. And it is not based on voter turnout, population, or the number of precincts,” said Kubit. “This ambiguity on how the number of executive committee members gets selected ultimately gives the ward and party leaders the opportunity to appoint people they want to influence elections.”

   Cleveland politics is obsessed with personal appointments made to political positions, and the city and county are run by “churchery boards,” which results in lower voter turnout because people lose faith in the electoral system, Kubit observed.

   Justin Bibb won a second term as Cleveland mayor last year, with 18% of registered voters casting ballots. The number was even less for the primary, with about 8,600 people casting ballots, or 7.1% of registered voters.

   “Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) is a perfect example. People are upset that they do not have representation,” said Kubit. “CMSD Board of Education members are appointed by the mayor of Cleveland and not chosen by the public. They make their decisions behind closed doors (as in the recent layoffs and school closings). They have no direct attachment to the civic accountability of its residents.”

   Kubit describes Cleveland as a political machine town, though it may have changed since the 1970s and 80s, she admits. Elections are decided months ahead of the general election. The key to winning an election is a pre-primary endorsement from the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party executive committee.

   “The pre-primary executive endorsements are toxic,” she added. “We see the cancerous effects in every race, but it is most obvious in the judicial races, where the sample ballot will seal the deal 100% of the time.”

   Kubit continued, “During the prosecutors’ race, I was campaign manager for Matthew Ahn, and we successfully blocked the endorsement of Michael O’Malley from the sample ballot. Nobody thought we could do it. It was a big upset. He was surprised and is still mad.”

   O’Malley organized a pushback and blamed Brock for the lack of endorsement. Brock had nothing to do with it, Kubit admitted. Their success came from knocking on doors for 13 months and their continuous grassroots campaigning.

   Brock tried to patch up his relationship with O’Malley, but it didn’t work.

   “O’Malley has since gone scorched earth,” said Kubit. “He still owes the Cuyahoga Democrat Party about $10,000 for sample ballot fees from 2024.”

   Former Ward 7 City Council candidate Mike Rogalski is campaigning for the Central Committee, Ward 7, Precinct K for the first time. He describes Precinct K as the southernmost portion of Tremont, encompassing everything south of Starkweather Avenue, extending west along the highway, and ending at Quigley Road, following Steelyard Commons.

   He wants to see an end to the committee’s pre-primary election endorsements, calling them unfair and intentionally undermining an otherwise impartial process.

   “The ward leader, Paula Kampf, attempted to ban me from the party,” said Rogalski, referring to his City Council run last year. He placed third behind Mohammad Faraj, who also publicly complained about unfair practices coming from the Democratic Party during the campaign.

   “[Kampf] banned me from participating in meetings and spread lies about Mohammad and me, which culminated in an endorsement meeting where I was not invited.”

   The endorsement process took place without Rogalski, and the committee ultimately selected Austin Davis, who then won the election.

   “Kampf was only interested in power consolidation,” he said. “She was afraid I might have performed better than expected, preventing their candidate, Davis, from winning the election.”

   Rogalski refers to himself as a reform-minded candidate with a mission to abolish pre-primary endorsements and hopes of reshaping county politics forever. “When an endorsed democratic candidate in a primary election makes it onto the general election, they are almost guaranteed to win the seat.”

   “People do not realize the race is taking place between now and May 5th, and not in the general election in November,” he said.

   Polls will be open from 6:30 AM until 7:30 PM on May 5th. Locate your polling station at the following link: https://boe.cuyahogacounty.gov/.