To the editor:

   (Plain Press June 2026) I am writing in response to Bruce Checefsky’s article published in the May 2026 Plain Press titled “Pre-Primary Endorsements Unfairly Influence Election Results”.

   I have lived in the City of Cleveland for the past 24 years minus a brief stint in Denver. During this time, I have served on the steering committee of the Cuyahoga County Women’s Democratic Caucus, the Central and Executive Committee of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, and I am a 3-time delegate to the Democratic Party National Convention for President Barack Obama (2012), Sec. Hillary Clinton (2016), and President Joseph Biden (2020). I will note that in 2020 my first caucus vote was for Sen. Kamala Harris, then Sen. Elizabeth Warren, followed by then Vice-President Biden.

   But my most meaningful endeavor was forming “Democrats for Principled Leadership” in 2009 with my longtime friend Jan Roller and Lakewood City Councilman Tom Bullock. We did this as a result of the Democratic Party’s leadership of Jimmy Dimora. We did this in a time that change was not happening at a rate that elicited the results we wanted. We knew the change needed to occur at the precinct level and we needed to activate the Central Committee in the way it was designed to operate. This was a countywide political effort that eventually resulted in the Party leadership change to Chairman Stuart Garson in 2010. It was seen as a new day for our Party and in hindsight, it was. Since that day, the Democratic Party has operated in a very transparent manner. In conjunction with the new county government, the Democratic Party has not experienced the same control of any one person that our Party once did.

   Reading the Plain Press May 6th article was journalistically disappointing. I have personally verified that the persons invoked in this article, including Ward 7 Leader Paula Kamph, Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chairman David Brock, and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley, were not asked for comments for this article. I do not understand why the Plain Press would publish an article that mentions prominent figures such as the aforementioned individuals without the journalistic courtesy as a quote.

   Second, to address the content of this article, I can personally attest that the internal dynamics of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party have not been stronger. The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party has not seen a better leader than David Brock in my 20+ years in Cleveland. As a Central Committee representative, I did not even support David when he was up for election as Chairperson. Despite my personal opposition on the first vote, David prevailed and we as a Party are all better for it. My testament is that there is room within our Party for opposition, but slander, mud-slinging, and sour grapes from those who do not get their way are not a part of it. Our Party is fair, distinguished, and operating with high standards. Voters should have faith, and we hope that in the future, publications will take the time to vet and fairly report on what they are covering.

Angela Shuckahosee

Cleveland, Ohio