• Justin Bibb launches his mayoral campaign

    Justin Bibb launches his mayoral campaign by Bruce Checefsky                                                                                      (Plain Press, April 2021)      Justin Bibb launched his 2021 Cleveland Mayoral campaign in mid-January. Since then, he’s been busy working the social media platforms of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and participating in live streaming programs including The City Club of Cleveland Forum on Politics and Public Policy, as…


  • Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley considers running for mayor

    Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley considers running for mayor by Bruce Checefsky        (Plain Press, April 2021)      Cleveland City Council President Kevin Kelley is near the end of his two-month Neighborhood Listening Tour across the City of Cleveland. The tour, which began in February as a way to learn firsthand from community members about their immediate…


  • Cleveland City Council’s three women share their reflections on politics and public policy

    by Jack Barnes Plain Press, March 2021      On January 26th the Cuyahoga Democratic Women’s Caucus organized a “Conversation with Cleveland City Councilwomen” via Zoom hosted by its Chair, Cynthia Demsey. The hour-long event featured all three of the women on the 17-person Cleveland City Council reflecting on their paths to public service; on being women in…


  • Precinct Committee members select Martin Sweeney to represent District Three in Cuyahoga County Council

    (Plain Press, February 2021) At a January 14th virtual Candidate Forum, three candidates –Brendan Heil, Ryan Ross, and Martin Sweeney — vied to be the representative for Cuyahoga Council District 3 for the remainder of the term of retiring County Council member Dan Brady. The term expires in 2022. The candidates were not seeking a vote of…


  • “Defund the Police” Is A Misleading, Irresponsible Slogan

    To the Editor: (Plain Press, February 2021) As Cleveland, Ohio embarks on a new election season, I’m concerned about the growing narrative pitting communities of color against police officers.  I support the principles embodied in most versions of Defund the Police legislation.  But citizens rarely hear these principles. Instead, we repeatedly hear the misleading and irresponsible Defund the…


  • Monument to the Unelected


  • November 3, 2020 General Election

    What’s on the Ballot? (Plain Press, October 2020)           Registered voters can check to see what is on the ballot by visiting the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections website at: boe.cuyahogacounty.gov and clicking on “What’s on my ballot?”. Fill in the information requested – election date, City, ward and precinct and nonpartisan election. If you don’t know…


  • Inconsistent Ballot Application Data Leads to Undercount of Disenfranchised Voters

    Inconsistent Ballot Application Data Leads to Undercount of Disenfranchised Voters by Rachel Dissell and Lucia Walinchus Eye on Ohio  (Plain Press, October 2020) Haley Belisle, a recent graduate of Ohio Northern University, was baffled this spring when the Hardin County Board of elections rejected her application to vote absentee in the state’s presidential primary.  The problem…


  •   COVID-19 evictions could leave more women without a vote by Malcolm Burnley and Rachel Dissell, The Fuller Project  This story was originally published by The Fuller Project, a nonprofit newsroom reporting on issues that affect women. (Plain Press, September 2020)       Lynn Rodemann walked up the driveway, a mask fixed tightly to her face. A…