Women to lead the Cuyahoga County Republican Party as longtime chairman Rob Frost is ousted by Lisa Stickan and Black Cleveland activist Donna Walker- Brown wins as executive committee chair....By editor Kathy Wray Coleman of Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest
By Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor-in-Chief
CLEVELAND, Ohio- The Cuyahoga County Republican Party will be led by two women, one of them Black, a party leadership shakeup where long time party chair Rob Frost lost his party chairmanship to Lisa Stickan per Tuesday's election, and activist Donna Walker -Brown, who is Black, beat Strongsville Mayor Thomas Perciak to win the executive committee chairman seat, both of the positions paid positions.
Stickan is the first woman elected to the powerful post.
Other officers positions filled were for vice chairman, secretary, treasurer and assistant treasurer for both the central and executive committees.
Both of the women, Stickan and Walker-Brown, an inner city Cleveland resident who also leads the Cleveland Inner City Republican Movement, join Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken, who was elected in 2017, as powerful women, among others, on the move in American politics.
President of Highland Heights City Council and a staff attorney for Common Pleas General Division Judge Wanda Jones, who is Black and seeking election to the bench in November against assistant county prosecutor Rick Bell, Stickan won for party chair over Frost by a two-to-one margin, 206-113.
Peter Corrigan, who ran unsuccessfully for county executive against Democrat Armond Budish in 2018 with Walker Brown as his campaign manager, was the executive committee chair but chose not to seek reelection, though nominated,
Instead, he nominated Walker- Brown in his place.
"I wanted Donna Walker-Brown to win because she is a real leader," said Corrigan.
Walker-Brown said Corrigan stepped aside and encouraged her to run to push for diversity in key leadership roles in the county Republican party, a party at the county, state and national levels that is often criticized for a dearth of women and minorities in leadership roles.
Stickan is a delegate this year to the Republican National Convention for the Trump campaign
The voting of officers by elected officials of the party and the rank- and- file of central committee members was by mail-in ballots as the coronavirus that has killed thousands nationally and millions worldwide continues to sweep the nation.
"While I believe Rob Frost did an excellent job, I am excited to see two women lead the Cuyahoga County Republican Party in Lisa Stickan as chair of the county Republican Party, and Donna Walker-Brown chair of the executive committee, and though Donna Walker Brown's representation is unlimited, she will also be representing the minority communities," said central committee member Sally Florkiewicz.
Sources say Trump complained that Frost was not energetic enough about his candidacy.
Others say it is simply time for new leadership.
"It's about time that the Cuyahoga County Republican Party has chosen two women to lead in this day and time, including a qualified and committed Black woman and community activist in Donna Walker-Brown as its executive committee chairwoman," said Cleveland activist Alfred Porter Jr, a Black Republican and president of Black on Black Crime Inc.
A bondsman in addition to a community activist, Walker-Brown told Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com that she will lead the county Republican party in her new role as executive committer chair with all her might.
"I will do my best to represent the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County as its executive committee chair," said Walker-Brown.
The second largest of 88 counties in Ohio, Cuyahoga County includes Cleveland and is roughly 29 percent Black.
It is a Democratic stronghold as Democratic registered voters in the county outnumber Republicans two-to-one.
Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper and Black blog in Ohio and in the Midwest.Tel: (216) 659-0473 and Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com
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