As always, “this is the most important election! Ever!” That’s because every election decides many small and large things that will affect our community and anyone paying attention knows that there are big decisions to be made these days: Energy, Economy, Religious Rights and Nondiscrimination, Safety and Security- be it local or national -as well as the more routine taxes and policies once again are in the balance. Your vote matters! Pollsters know less and less these days, so more races could be toss ups than you might have been led to believe. As always, no matter how you vote, your voting means attention gets paid to our needs as a community and as individuals. Please consider the following suggestions.
Governor: Mike Dewine and Jon Husted
Attorney General: Dave Yost
State Auditor: Keith Faber
Secretary of State: Frank LaRose
Treasurer of State: Robert Sprague
Chief Justice of Supreme Court: Sharon Kennedy, Pat Fischer, Pat Dewine (all R)
US Senator: JD Vance
US Representative to Congress: Eric Brewer
State Senator 21st District: Mikhail Alterman
Judge for Court of Appeals 8th District: Cornellius O’Sullivan (R)
County Executive: Lee Weingart (R)
Member of State Board of Education: Tim Miller
Judge, Common Pleas: (There are no recommendations. Only information. D-Democrat, R- Republican, J – Judgeforyourself.com preferred, E – I’ve endorsed in the past) Tim Hess(R) or Richard Bell(D,J) – Richard Saffold(D,) or Mark Majer(R) (both equally well rated on J)- Maureen Clancy(D,J) or Gina Crawford(R) – Brian Mooney(D) or Joan Synenberg(R,J,E) – Deborah Turner(D,J) or Denise Salerno(R) – Kevin KelleyD) or Wanda Jones (R, J, E)- Jennifer O’Donnell (D) or Kenneth Callahan (R,J) – Francine Goldberg(D, E) – Anne McDonough (D, J) or Pamela Hawkins (R)
Member of Council: Gail Larson
State Issue 1 requires courts to consider public safety when setting bail. Vote Yes
State Issue 2 requires all voters be legal citizens, even in local elections where cities may have passed legislation to allow residents who are not US citizens to vote locally. Vote Yes
Issue 5 Metroparks Replacement Tax Vote For the Levy, will not increase taxes
Issue 6 Port Authority Tax Renewal Vote For the Levy, will not increase taxes
Expanded Edition:
As important as this election is, it is also pretty straightforward. Voting Republican down the line on every race where there is an R to be voted for – all way down to and especially for the Supreme Court Justices in this election on every race sends the message that we support the candidates that support our causes. We want Democrats to seek our votes – and on every issue that matters especially to our community such as School Choice, Safety and Security, Religious Freedoms, Support for the security for the State of Israel- every Republican is superior to their opponent. We want Democrats to care about our issues. We want them to see us as a community whose vote they want to earn.
JD Vance vs. Tim Ryan: It is worth noting that this is a complex election with complex candidates, however in the final analysis the above not only holds true, but it is worth noting J-Street supports Ryan. If JStreet supports Ryan, we must vote Vance.
Supreme Court Justices. I can’t stress enough how many times the importance of Republican wins in all seats was conveyed to me.
Judges: I no longer have the same inside information about Judges as I’ve had in the past. Since it is impossible to know about how fairly judges apply the law and court procedures without actually being in the courtroom, without that insight, I cannot make independent recommendations. It is worth noting that Republican incumbents as a general are usually excellent judges having been appointed and re-elected in a Democrat stronghold. It is also worthwhile to note that Francine Goldberg is a member of our community and, serving well, deserves our support. Hers is the only race above that is listed even though its not contested. Judicial races in the county are nonpartisan. I have listed their party for you should you choose to vote a party line. All candidates are listed with an R or D following their name, an E if I personally endorsed in the past and wish to emphasize that fact this go round, and a J is listed by the candidate endorsed by the website Judge4yourself.com which is a helpful tool in assessing judges but is reputed to be harder on Republicans and/or lawyers from the prosecutors office. While I don’t rely solely on it, it is a great resource and you may find it helpful to look up that information. In it, you will see how each of four bar associations rated the candidates and how close or far apart they found the candidates. Or you may wish to vote party line.
Gail Larson – was appointed to fill a vacancy and she is required to run to keep her seat. Although she is unopposed, please do check her box.
State Issue 1 Both Gubernatorial candidates are voting yes, and we agree. This keeps our communities safe by allowing judges to help keep criminals off the streets that shouldn’t be there. This amendment is necessary because of a previous ruling by Ohio Supreme Court. This amendment requires a judge to consider the previous criminal record as well as the seriousness of the crime when considering bail amounts.
State Issue 2 – This states that only a citizen may vote in any election. This will eliminate the possibility of cities independently opting to allow voting by residents of their city who are noncitizens of this country even on local candidates and issues only. Vote Yes
Issues 5 and 6 support services in the community we need/want and do not reflect a raise in rate.
Final note: The Tree People are busy providing free tree plantings in order to increase the shade and reap the benefits. Please use the contacts below if you would like to have a tree planted on your lawn or tree lawn at no charge to you. I am happy to pass on this opportunity to Cleveland Heights residents.
You can reach them by email – heightstreepeople@gmail.com, or leave a message for Laura Marks at 216-321-7543 or Bill Hanavan at 269-501-7195.
If one of your concerns is loss of open front yard space, you could consider requesting a tree lawn tree. This is a free service from the City of Cleveland Heights. Any residents who do not have a tree on the tree lawn in front of their house are eligible for a FREE new tree planting. You can contact the Forestry Division by phone 216-691-7300 or email pwd@clvhts.com to request a tree planting.
mendel singer says
Issue 1 is misleading. People are confusing amount of bail and whether there is bail at all. There is a 2 step process here. Public safety IS considered when deciding whether there is bail or not. If there is a public safety risk, then there isn’t supposed to be bail. If there isn’t a safety risk, then there is bail. The purpose of the amount is to ensure the accused (not necessarily guilty) does not abscond and shows up for court (which is influenced by many factors). Pegging the amount of bail to public safety just sets up a system where the accused rich get off and the accused poor don’t. This issue isn’t needed. Judges just need to withhold bail when there is a risk.
Voter says
I appreciate all the work Susan puts into these recommendations every election. If you’re reading, I’d love to hear your thoughts regarding JD Vance and his election denial.
Leah says
I would really like to encourage people to think for themselves. These suggestions without rebuttal can be dangerous if followed. I do not think that certain candidates mentioned will not act in the best interests of the Jewish community.