Who Will Be the Real Winner in the County Election?
Trying to analyze the race for Cuyahoga County executive with an eye toward predicting what will happen is something of a fool’s errand. Considering the uncertainty of what exactly will be involved in this newly created position and – with one notable exception – the lack of familiar names among the candidates, this election is more like totally uncharted territory than perhaps any in the county’s history. But here goes.
First of all, was anyone surprised by the Plain Dealer’s larger-than-life, gold-plated, suitable-for-framing, collectors’ item endorsement of former Ohio House member Matt Dolan in its Sunday edition a few weeks ago? After spending over two years in a feverish attempt to establish the image of a crusading newspaper – as opposed to the rubber-stamper for the downtown corporate interests and county Democratic politicos it had been for the previous few decades – endorsing anyone but the Republican Dolan would have been downright uncivilized.
The sole reason this election is even taking place is the headline-grabbing corruption of the county Democratic Party in general and Jimmy Dimora and Frank Russo in particular. Their malfeasance was the impetus behind last year’s overwhelming passage of Issue 6, which at the time was perceived as a one-way ticket to Palookaville for any local Dem. Given that and the general national trend favoring Republicans, one would think that Dolan would have this election wrapped up. Unfortunately for the carpetbagging heir to the Cleveland Indians empire, two formidable independent candidates are raining on his assumed victory parade.
Running as an independent for the first time in his lengthy career, the venerable Tim McCormack actually may be the most qualified person in the field for the job. With the righteous sternness of an old English schoolmaster and the stubborn individuality of a true political maverick, no one has ever accused him of being in lockstep with the county Democratic machine or a lackey for corporate interests.
Quite the opposite, as witness the fact that almost all of the political and business powers-that-be conspired to toss him out of his commissioner’s position in 2004 by running the always malleable Tim Hagan against him. If voters are looking for someone ethically above reproach who possesses enough political knowledge to navigate a brand new position that is certain to be a minefield of cross-interests, the austere Tim could be that guy. However, the numbers just don’t add up for him.
The other intriguing independent is self-made multi-millionaire Ken Lanci, a political novice who is pouring hundreds of thousands of his own dollars into his campaign. If voters are looking for the romance of a beholden-to-no-one total outsider coming in, cracking some heads and showing the corrupt pols how it’s done in the real world before silently riding off into the sunset after just one noble term, the dapper and hard-working Lanci fits that bill. Unfortunately for him, the above scenario works in Frank Capra movies better than it does in reality and despite all his money and moxie, Lanci is a longshot at best.
So the race for county executive will come down to the winner being either the Republican Dolan or the Democrat Ed FitzGerald, current mayor of Lakewood. A successful budget-cutter as mayor who has kept his struggling suburb afloat during severe economic times, FitzGerald has a solid resume which includes service as an FBI agent and assistant county prosecutor. More technocrat than visionary or backslapper, FitzGerald had been able to maintain a safe distance from the hurricane of corruption that has hit his fellow county Dems – that is, until last month when his name surfaced in the county corruption probe.
Though his role in this investigation seems – at the very worst – tangential, the mere mention of his name was a blow to his campaign and allowed the deep-pocketed Dolan to tar FitzGerald as a criminal of the first degree. In one of his ads, Dolan even pictured FitzGerald dressed up in an outfit similar to what Joseph Stalin might wear. So despite having his only electoral accomplishments – an Ohio House seat and the Republican nomination for county boss – coming as a result of his family buying them for him, Dolan is poised to become the second most powerful executive in Ohio politics.
In a race where most donors are deathly afraid to give to anyone lest they be linked to some future corruption case, Dolan’s dough is even more important than it normally might be. The only factor that might overcome this advantage is the preponderance of registered Democrats in the county and whether they can be counted on to show up in this rather dismal election year.
Will enough of the Dem interest groups who have held sway for so long – and who just may be extremely reluctant to give up their entrenched power – turn out their troops in sufficient numbers to vote for FitzGerald? Will the true-blue supporters of Dennis Kucinich, Marcia Fudge, Ted Strickland and Lee Fisher pull the lever for the Lakewood mayor? In this most unpredictable of elections, the guess here is that they will and FitzGerald will win a tight race with around 40 percent of the vote.
But no matter who wins, that person may not be celebrating long due to the immense problems facing Cuyahoga Country and the very distinct possibility that he will end up being a sacrificial lamb with a huge target on his back. The real winner could be the person who heads up the 11-member county council and there’s a good chance that C. Ellen Connally [pictured], who is a shoo-in to represent District 9, will be that person.
Connally, the first African-American woman elected to an Ohio judgeship, served nearly a quarter century as a Cleveland Municipal Court judge before winning the Democratic nomination to run for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice in 2004.
Though known for her abilities as a thoughtful mediator, Connally has never been afraid to ruffle the feathers of either her fellow judges or the traditional leadership in the black community.
Along with these qualities, Connally may have political arithmetic on her side in her quest for the council presidency. Since it will be a white man who wins the executive race, there could be a strong likelihood that an African-American will be selected to head council – especially since the question of black representation in the newly formed county government was a huge issue leading up to the passage of Issue 6 last year.
Another factor in her favor is that her council term will be for four years rather than the two years some of the elected members will be limited to, which should add to her attractiveness as a potential leader. If she succeeds in being chosen as president, Connally will take on a task comparable to herding cats, given the disparate make-up of the new council. However, compared to the kind of white-hot scrutiny that will be given the new executive, she will likely fly under the radar long enough to consolidate her power and parlay it into being perhaps the most influential politician in the new county government.
Larry Durstin is an independent journalist who has covered politics and sports for a variety of publications and websites over the past 20 years. He was the founding editor of the Cleveland Tab and an associate editor at the Cleveland Free Times. Durstin has won 12 Ohio Excellence in Journalism awards, including six first places in six different writing categories.
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David Budin is a freelance writer and a folk and rock musician, whose folk group, Long Road, performs occasionally. He is a former editor of Northern Ohio Live and Cleveland Magazine.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Susan Schaul, who says the act of writing is like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. The challenge lies in getting the pieces to fit together and make sense.
From Cool Cleveland contributor Roy Berko. Berko’s blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2009, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at 
Hearts & Minds: Who Will Be the Real Winner in the County Election?
Who Will Be the Real Winner in the County Election?
Trying to analyze the race for Cuyahoga County executive with an eye toward predicting what will happen is something of a fool’s errand. Considering the uncertainty of what exactly will be involved in this newly created position and – with one notable exception – the lack of familiar names among the candidates, this election is more like totally uncharted territory than perhaps any in the county’s history. But here goes.
First of all, was anyone surprised by the Plain Dealer’s larger-than-life, gold-plated, suitable-for-framing, collectors’ item endorsement of former Ohio House member Matt Dolan in its Sunday edition a few weeks ago? After spending over two years in a feverish attempt to establish the image of a crusading newspaper – as opposed to the rubber-stamper for the downtown corporate interests and county Democratic politicos it had been for the previous few decades – endorsing anyone but the Republican Dolan would have been downright uncivilized.
The sole reason this election is even taking place is the headline-grabbing corruption of the county Democratic Party in general and Jimmy Dimora and Frank Russo in particular. Their malfeasance was the impetus behind last year’s overwhelming passage of Issue 6, which at the time was perceived as a one-way ticket to Palookaville for any local Dem. Given that and the general national trend favoring Republicans, one would think that Dolan would have this election wrapped up. Unfortunately for the carpetbagging heir to the Cleveland Indians empire, two formidable independent candidates are raining on his assumed victory parade.
Running as an independent for the first time in his lengthy career, the venerable Tim McCormack actually may be the most qualified person in the field for the job. With the righteous sternness of an old English schoolmaster and the stubborn individuality of a true political maverick, no one has ever accused him of being in lockstep with the county Democratic machine or a lackey for corporate interests.
Quite the opposite, as witness the fact that almost all of the political and business powers-that-be conspired to toss him out of his commissioner’s position in 2004 by running the always malleable Tim Hagan against him. If voters are looking for someone ethically above reproach who possesses enough political knowledge to navigate a brand new position that is certain to be a minefield of cross-interests, the austere Tim could be that guy. However, the numbers just don’t add up for him.
The other intriguing independent is self-made multi-millionaire Ken Lanci, a political novice who is pouring hundreds of thousands of his own dollars into his campaign. If voters are looking for the romance of a beholden-to-no-one total outsider coming in, cracking some heads and showing the corrupt pols how it’s done in the real world before silently riding off into the sunset after just one noble term, the dapper and hard-working Lanci fits that bill. Unfortunately for him, the above scenario works in Frank Capra movies better than it does in reality and despite all his money and moxie, Lanci is a longshot at best.
So the race for county executive will come down to the winner being either the Republican Dolan or the Democrat Ed FitzGerald, current mayor of Lakewood. A successful budget-cutter as mayor who has kept his struggling suburb afloat during severe economic times, FitzGerald has a solid resume which includes service as an FBI agent and assistant county prosecutor. More technocrat than visionary or backslapper, FitzGerald had been able to maintain a safe distance from the hurricane of corruption that has hit his fellow county Dems – that is, until last month when his name surfaced in the county corruption probe.
Though his role in this investigation seems – at the very worst – tangential, the mere mention of his name was a blow to his campaign and allowed the deep-pocketed Dolan to tar FitzGerald as a criminal of the first degree. In one of his ads, Dolan even pictured FitzGerald dressed up in an outfit similar to what Joseph Stalin might wear. So despite having his only electoral accomplishments – an Ohio House seat and the Republican nomination for county boss – coming as a result of his family buying them for him, Dolan is poised to become the second most powerful executive in Ohio politics.
In a race where most donors are deathly afraid to give to anyone lest they be linked to some future corruption case, Dolan’s dough is even more important than it normally might be. The only factor that might overcome this advantage is the preponderance of registered Democrats in the county and whether they can be counted on to show up in this rather dismal election year.
Will enough of the Dem interest groups who have held sway for so long – and who just may be extremely reluctant to give up their entrenched power – turn out their troops in sufficient numbers to vote for FitzGerald? Will the true-blue supporters of Dennis Kucinich, Marcia Fudge, Ted Strickland and Lee Fisher pull the lever for the Lakewood mayor? In this most unpredictable of elections, the guess here is that they will and FitzGerald will win a tight race with around 40 percent of the vote.
But no matter who wins, that person may not be celebrating long due to the immense problems facing Cuyahoga Country and the very distinct possibility that he will end up being a sacrificial lamb with a huge target on his back. The real winner could be the person who heads up the 11-member county council and there’s a good chance that C. Ellen Connally [pictured], who is a shoo-in to represent District 9, will be that person.
Connally, the first African-American woman elected to an Ohio judgeship, served nearly a quarter century as a Cleveland Municipal Court judge before winning the Democratic nomination to run for Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice in 2004.
Though known for her abilities as a thoughtful mediator, Connally has never been afraid to ruffle the feathers of either her fellow judges or the traditional leadership in the black community.
Along with these qualities, Connally may have political arithmetic on her side in her quest for the council presidency. Since it will be a white man who wins the executive race, there could be a strong likelihood that an African-American will be selected to head council – especially since the question of black representation in the newly formed county government was a huge issue leading up to the passage of Issue 6 last year.
Another factor in her favor is that her council term will be for four years rather than the two years some of the elected members will be limited to, which should add to her attractiveness as a potential leader. If she succeeds in being chosen as president, Connally will take on a task comparable to herding cats, given the disparate make-up of the new council. However, compared to the kind of white-hot scrutiny that will be given the new executive, she will likely fly under the radar long enough to consolidate her power and parlay it into being perhaps the most influential politician in the new county government.
WIN $500 by using the free Cool Cleveland app now available for your iPhone, iPad & iPod Touch by clicking here, and for your Android smartphone or tablet by clicking here.
[Click here to return to the current issue of Cool Cleveland]
Posted on Monday, October 25th, 2010, in Civic Affairs, Commentary, Larry Durstin, News, Politics | No Comments »