Richmond Heights Mayor Miesha Headen is recalled by a 410 vote margin, blames Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, says county Democratic party does not support Black elected officials enough, including the bid by Nina Turner for Ohio Secretary of State, Democratic operative Charles E. Bibb Sr. says the Tea Party is behind the recall
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| Richmond Heights Mayor Miesha Headen |
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| Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chairperson Stuart Garson |
The recall election was close with Headen losing by only a 410
vote margin,
Voters supported the recall 1573 votes to 1163 votes, according to
unofficial results by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections, which will certify
the outcome on Oct 7.
Headen had only been in office for 10 months and was elected
in a four way non-partisan race last year where none of the candidates got the
majority vote, and where incumbent Republican 24-year Republican mayor Daniel
Ursu lost with some 75 percent of the voters casting ballots for
other candidates.
By the city’s charter, Republican Council President David Roach
will serve as mayor for the remainder of Headen's four-year unexpired term.
Headen told Cleveland Urban News.Com during an interview that the
county Democratic party needs to do more for Black
elected officials and those seeking office, a sentiment supported by
the Cleveland NAACP, which has taken on Garson in the past year.
The local Cleveland NAACP says that not enough Blacks work for the
county Democratic party, and that Black Democratic candidates seeking office or running for reelection often
are not getting enough support.
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| Ohio State Senator Nina Turner (D-25), the Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State |
A Cleveland Democrat, Turner is running for Ohio Secretary of State in a close race against the well-funded Republican incumbent Jon Husted.
A middle class Cleveland suburb, Richmond Heights has a population
of some 10,000 people, and is roughly half Black and half White.
A group of residents had submitted enough signatures for
certification by the county board of elections for the special recall election,
which cost taxpayers about
$23, 000.
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| East Cleveland Public Library Board of Trustees President Charles E. Bibb Sr. (far right), Ohio Senator Shirley Smith (D-22,) and an Obama supporter during the 2008 Democratic election campaign for now President Barack Obama, the first Black president of the United States of America |
An Internet website dubbed www.recallmayorheaden.com, genuine or not, sought the Black mayor’s ouster,
and names Husted as pushing for the recall.
“The Tea Party is behind this,” Bibb told Cleveland Urban
News.Com, Ohio’s most read digital Black newspaper.
Also gunning for Headen was the powerful law firm of Walter
Haverfield.
Among others, Headen fired city law director F. Scott Hunt and
city prosecutor Jonathan Greenberg, both of whom are attorneys with
the Haverfield law firm, a law firm that Headen says represents more municipalities,
townships and villages of Cuyahoga County than any other law firm.
The mayor's job is a part-time position that pays $15,000 annually.
Headen told supporters at a rally on Sunday that she had enhanced
outcomes for the city in the short time that she has been mayor,
including economic development, effective personnel changes, and
initiatives that have served to raise the credit rating in the city so
that it can function financially. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)
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