Brandon King survives East Cleveland mayoral recall
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East Cleveland's City Hall has fallen into disrepair, mirroring the city's political culture. Photo: Sam Allard/Axios
In politically fractious East Cleveland, recall elections have become routine in recent years.
Driving the news: Voters in the inner-ring suburb of roughly 14,000 voted overwhelmingly Tuesday against a recall of mayor Brandon King.
- Just 30% voted in favor of removal, per unofficial results from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.
- Yes, but: Only 10% of registered voters showed up to the polls.
Why it matters: East Cleveland is under a state-designated fiscal emergency, with public infrastructure that is literally falling apart.
- Progress has been impeded by the personal conflicts dominating the local political scene.
What they're saying: King's opponents allege he has been a poor manager and dishonest leader who presided over a corrupt police department while the community's physical condition deteriorated.
- Residents gathered more than 400 valid signatures this year to move the recall forward.
- City Councilor Patricia Blochowiak tells Axios she is concerned foremost with the city's finances. In a newsletter last month, she claimed King hasn't filed a monthly fiscal report since March and hasn't submitted a fiscal recovery plan that was due to the state in April 2022.
The other side: King did not respond to a phone call and an email from Axios seeking comment.
- He had predicted political opponents would again seek to recall him after having survived an initial recall attempt last year by fewer than 20 votes.
Flashback: King became mayor in 2016 after the recall of his predecessor, Gary Norton.
What's next: King will retain his seat through the end of his term in 2025, avoiding what would have been a complicated succession plan.
- Under the East Cleveland charter, the city council president assumes the role of mayor in the event of a recall.
- But Juanita Gowdy, the Ward 2 councilor and current president, just lost her re-election bid in November to former East Cleveland councilor Timothy Austin, a King ally.
The intrigue: Blochowiak says former East Cleveland mayor and current council clerk Eric Brewer, who also ran for Cleveland mayor in 2017, would likely have been appointed as Gowdy's chief of staff.
The latest: Brewer and councilor Lateek Shabazz both pleaded not guilty last week to criminal mischief charges filed by King.
- King accuses them of removing and destroying city notices of a "mayoral special city council meeting."