Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor, associate publisher

Cleveland, Ohio-Cleveland Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones has sent a letter to Cuyahoga County Democratic Party Chairman David Brock requesting that he cancel an upcoming Democratic Party Executive Committee meeting where Brock says he wants the county Democratic Party to reverse its August endorsement of Jones, who is Black and up for reelection this year via the 2025 nonpartisan election for mayor and city council members.

Ward 1 is Cleveland's second largest voting bloc of its 17 wards with its staunch middle-class segment of east side Black voters, and it is the city's largest Black voting bloc.

The primary is Sept. 9 and follows a population-based redistricting process led by Council President Blaine Griffin that was controversial at best and reduces council from 17 to 15 members beginning in 2026 per the city charter.

Jones won the county Democratic Party endorsement for re-election earlier this month.

The executive committee bylaws do forbid a member of the executive committee from endorsing the opponent of an endorsed candidate and executive committee members can be removed for doing so.

"I am writing to formally object to the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party's decision to schedule a second endorsement meeting for Ward 1," Jones wrote in his letter to Brock," a copy of which was secured by Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, Ohio's Black digital news leader.

"There are several reasons for my objection," Jones' letter says as follows:

1. The executive committee has already spoken at the August 6 Democratic endorsement meeting.

2. The Democratic Party bylaws do not speak to reevaluating a legally binding endorsement because of allegations that are not even criminal-based, nor would they pass a summary judgement [court decision] if there were a civil action. The bylaws do speak to the endorsement process, and if the party wanted to add this to the process, the bylaws must be amended.

3. The rescheduled meeting includes zoom and livestream as part of the process. This is certainly unprecedented. I am not aware of any other endorsement meeting being held in this manner.  All endorsements I have been a part of over the past 30 years have been in person.

In conclusion, Jones said Brock is acting in the best interest of one of his opponents, state Rep. Juanita Brent, vice chair of the county Democratic Party and a Cleveland Democrat and lifelong resident of Ward 1 like Jones. Brent is also Black.

The councilman said Brock is acting more like a Republican than a Democrat.

"As one of my opponents is a party officer [Brent], it seems to me that the party is employing unprecedented tactics to support her in this race. If you do this Mr. chairman, the Democratic Party will become just like the Republicans, showing no regard for the rule of law or history," Jones wrote.

Jones is currently serving his second stint as Ward 1 councilman after being elected in 2017, and again in 2021. He was previously the Ward 1 councilman from 1998-2005.

Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most-read Black digital newspaper and blog in Ohio and the Midwest.Tel. 216-659-0473. Email-editor@clevelandurbannews.com