Sometimes it’s news when no candidate wins an endorsement.
Judge W. Moná Scott, who has led Cleveland Housing Court since 2019, fell just shy of winning the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party’s endorsement this summer.
Scott won 58.9% from Cleveland members of the party’s executive committee in late June, according to one attendee. That wasn’t enough to win. She needed 60%. Cheryl Wiltshire, who is running against Scott, won 33.6%.
A party endorsement has financial consequences. Endorsed candidates can participate in the Ohio Democratic Party’s mailing program, saving themselves money on postage for campaign literature.
Plus, endorsed candidates’ names are usually listed on the county party’s “sample ballot.” That’s the slate of contenders with the Democratic seal of approval, which the party circulates before Election Day.
There were two other non-endorsements of note recently. No Cleveland City Council candidate in the new Ward 12 was able to hit the 60% threshold last week. That means the party isn’t officially weighing in on the contest between Council Member Danny Kelly and challengers Tanmay Shah and Andrew DeFratis.
And the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus couldn’t reach a consensus between Mohammad Faraj and Austin Davis, two candidates in the open race for the new Ward 7.
Like the papal conclave, the progressive caucus awards its endorsement to the candidate with two-thirds support from members. But there was no white smoke in Ward 7. Caucus members were split between Davis and Faraj, according to political director Steve Holecko.
“They both have good networks,” Holecko said. “I personally wish they were running in different wards.”
Faraj has the backing of the Working Families Party, and Davis landed an endorsement from the Service Employees International Union Local 1. The Democratic endorsement vote is scheduled for Monday, when the party will be picking between Davis, Faraj and Mike Rogalski.
Update on City Council incumbent battles
Two City Council members are picking up endorsements in their contest for the new Ward 5.
Richard Starr recently won the support of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party. The other incumbent in the race, Rebecca Maurer, notched the backing of the North Shore AFL-CIO last month.
They’re not the only ones in the race. Beverly Owens-Jackson, an SEIU Local 1199 member, is contending with both incumbents on the September primary ballot.
It’s not certain whether Cleveland will see a second incumbent-on-incumbent matchup. On paper, Anthony Hairston and Mike Polensek are both running in the new Ward 10.
Asked at a news conference last week if he was definitely running again, Polensek laughed and replied, “We’re not going to discuss that today.”
Then Griffin chimed in about his colleague, who has served in office since 1978.
“Mike Polensek has been a great colleague and a great ally, and Mike and I have had a lot of great conversations, and I’m sure that Mike’s legacy in the city of Cleveland will be remembered in the annals of time,” he said.
