The 2023 election cycle has come to a close for most races. We saw higher voter turnout than is typical for an odd-year election, likely due to statewide Issues 1 and 2. As of November 8, 2023, Cuyahoga County was reporting a 45% voter turnout; Portage County had 53.27%; and Summit County saw 51.57% voter participation. Every vote matters as several races were separated by 1% or less.
Here’s a look at a few of the notable elections in ACAR’s jurisdiction.
- Akron – The City of Akron will have a new mayor in Shammas Malik and a few new faces on the City Council due to retirements, candidates seeking another office, etc. RPAC-supported candidates Jeff Fusco and Linda Omobien retained their council-at-large positions.
- Barberton – Voters in Barberton had one of the closest mayoral races in ACAR’s 3-county region. However, RPAC-supported candidate and incumbent Mayor Bill Judge will retain his seat for another 4 years.
- Bedford Heights – Incumbent Mayor Fletcher Berger is retiring from public service. The city’s next mayor will be Phil Stevens.
- Bentleyville – Incumbent Mayor Leonard Spremulli is also retiring. The next mayor will be Kathleen Hale.
- Brecksville – Incumbent Mayor Jerry Hruby also announced his retirement this summer. Voters have elected Daryl Kingston as the City’s next mayor.
- Euclid – Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail won re-election to what will be her final term as mayor due to term limits.
- Fairview Park – Incumbent Mayor Patrick Cooney narrowly lost re-election to his post. The new mayor will be Bill Schneider.
- Gates Mills – With another retirement, incumbent Mayor Karen Schneider is handing the reigns over to her predecessor, Steven Siemborski.
- Green – The City of Green will have a new mayor in Rocco Yeargin, currently serving on the City Council. Due to term limits, incumbent Mayor Neugebauer will still be serving the residents of Green, as he was elected to the City Council.
- Maple Heights – Incumbent Mayor Annette Blackwell won re-election to her post as mayor in what will be her third term.
- Newburgh Heights – Residents of the village will have a new mayor in Trevor Elkins. The former mayor sought re-election to the post he resigned from previously and unseated the appointed incumbent, Gigi Traore.
- Orange – Upon another well-deserved retirement of Mayor Kathy Mulcahy, the village of Orange will have a new mayor in Judson Kline, another RPAC-supported candidate.
- Tallmadge – Another long-time public servant, Mayor Dave Kline, also announced his retirement from public office. His predecessor will be RPAC-supported candidate Carol Siciliano Kilway.
ACAR also engaged on 2 ballot issues in Broadview Heights, encouraging a “no” vote. Voters were asked to amend the zoning code to ban shared wall homes in 2 sections of town. Both measures passed.
While this list is only a fraction of the many local elections in Cuyahoga County, Portage County, and Summit County, ACAR is looking forward to working with all our elected officials. Complete election reports are available through your local Board of Elections website.
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