How Northeast Ohio Voted: Levies, Charter Changes and the 7th District: CLE Daily

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🏮 Help Light Up the Towpath Trail: Canalway is looking for local artists to build large lanterns from recycled materials for the March 13, 2027, Towpath Trail Lantern Parade, a 1.4-mile route through Scranton Flats marking 200 years since the first boat traveled the Ohio & Erie Canal. Selected artists get a $1,000 stipend, and applications are due Jan. 4. 

🎶 There's Always Something New to Listen To in Northeast Ohio: Annie Nickoloff's monthly Cleveland Current playlist features blues-rock from Among The Willows, heavy new wave from Public Squares, witty hip-hop from Vigatron and contemporary jazz from the Sam Blakeslee Large Group, with several upcoming albums previewed. Stream it on Spotify.

🦃 Plan Your Thanksgiving Workout Now: Ohio Magazine's roundup of Thanksgiving weekend runs and walks includes the Cleveland Turkey Trot on Nov. 26 at Public Hall Auditorium, with a 5-mile run, 5K and 1-mile walk, and the Long Haul Turkey Burner, a 9-mile hike with a naturalist on Nov. 27 in Walton Hills. 

ICYMI: Remember when Ronald Reagan stopped by a Browns practice in Berea? In 1988, at Art Modell's invitation, the president threw passes and talked about his days as a right guard at Eureka College. Quarterback Gary Danielson joked that Reagan was "the first quarterback to throw a pass in Cleveland this year."

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Today's Trivia

Cleveland School of Art graduate Marshall Fredericks designed what Downtown landmark?

News: Democrats flip the governor's office and a U.S. Senate seat, and Cuyahoga County voters pass two levies and three charter changes.

By Cleveland Magazine Staff

Democrat Amy Acton was elected governor, and Democrat Sherrod Brown won back a U.S. Senate seat, according to unofficial results. Acton, the first woman elected Ohio governor and the first Democrat in office in 16 years, beat Republican Vivek Ramaswamy 52.3% to 44.4% with 99% of the vote counted. Brown topped Sen. Jon Husted 50.0% to 45.2%.

• Statewide: Issue 3, which writes the photo ID requirement into the Ohio Constitution, passed, with 65% support in an early count. Democrats also won the attorney general's office (John Kulewicz) and secretary of state (Allison Russo) and led for treasurer (Seth Walsh) by about a point, while Republican Frank LaRose held auditor. Justice Jennifer Brunner kept her Ohio Supreme Court seat. Republicans keep control of the legislature, but Democrats gained House seats and may have ended the GOP supermajority.

• Northeast Ohio: Democrat Brian Poindexter unseated Rep. Max Miller in the 7th District, taking 53% with 89% of precincts reporting. In Cuyahoga County, voters passed Issue 10 (developmental disabilities levy) with nearly 63% and Issue 11 (health and human services levy) with about 60%, adding $166.50 a year per $100,000 in property value. They also approved Charter Issues 12, 13 and 14, which limit some executive powers. Democrat Courtney Scheff beat Republican Mike Gallagher 53% to 47% in District 5, leaving County Council with no Republicans. Akron voters approved housing and police oversight charter amendments, and only about a third of Northeast Ohio school tax increases passed.

Worth Noting: Results are unofficial until counties certify them. Check your county: Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit.

Read the full story.

Talk of the Town

The auction of Downtown's Huntington Building has been pushed back a week. The foreclosure sale of 925 Euclid Ave. is now Nov. 10 at the request of a court-appointed receiver who wants to maximize the value of the property. The 21-story, 1924 building has about $40.1 million in defaulted loans and unpaid taxes, and a conceptual plan calls for more than 200 apartments, office space and a hotel. 

The federal government rejected Cleveland's $7.8 million lead grant. HUD ran a risk review and judged the city too risky to manage the money, based on its performance across several federal housing grants. The city is seeking a debriefing, checking whether it can appeal and looking for other ways to pay for lead cleanup.  

Black drivers still make up about 70% of Bratenahl traffic stops and citations. Data through September shows little change from 2024, years after a 2022 Marshall Project investigation. Mayor Keith Benjamin says officers don't racially profile drivers and has promised a careful review of the data. 

The county jail is sending fewer people to MetroHealth by ambulance. Trips fell from 1,164 in 2024 to 895 in 2025, a drop of about 23%, even as the jail population rose. There were 528 trips in the first nine months of 2026. 

A gala Saturday helps local musicians build their careers. The Rock Solid Gala is Nov. 7 at 6 p.m. at The Treelawn in the Waterloo Arts District, supporting Cleveland Rocks: Past Present Future with performances by its Incubator artists and a main-stage set from Black Voltron.

Yesterday's Trivia Answer 

What Cleveland Indians player, who called Lakewood home after his playing career, is still the only ballplayer to have an unassisted triple play in the World Series? Bill Wambsganss

Check back tomorrow for the answer to today's question.

From the Editor

The votes are in, but the work isn’t finished. Ohio now heads into an era of divided government, with Democrat Amy Acton in the governor’s office and Republicans still in charge of the legislature.

Getting anything done takes compromise on both sides. More than 1.7 million Ohioans voted early, a record for a governor’s election year. Now, county boards of elections still have to verify provisional ballots and certify results, which in Cuyahoga County is scheduled for Nov. 24.

Sherrod Brown’s Senate term lasts only two years, so he’s back on the ballot in 2028. Elections end, but politics never really takes a break, so stay informed and stay engaged.

— Ron Ledgard, Managing Editor

Let us know what is on your mind at conversation@clevelandmagazine.com.

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