The Chagrin Gateway Democrats would like to thank Halle Lewis for her outstanding service as Secretary of our club.

Halle recently moved outside the communities served by the Chagrin Gateway Democrats and, under our bylaws, will no longer be eligible to serve as an elected officer. To ensure a smooth transition and allow members adequate time to participate in the selection of her successor, Halle will continue serving as Secretary through the conclusion of our July meeting.

While we are sorry to see her leave this leadership role, we are fortunate that Halle remains nearby and plans to stay actively involved with our club and Democratic causes throughout the area.

We are grateful for the time, energy, and dedication Halle has given to the organization. Her work has helped strengthen our club and support Democratic organizing across our communities.

The club will begin accepting nominations for Secretary immediately. Members interested in serving in this position are encouraged to contact the club at info@chagringatewaydems.com to learn more about the role and submit their interest for consideration.

In accordance with the club bylaws, the vacancy will be filled by a vote of the membership at our August meeting.

Members are reminded that only full members in good standing are eligible to vote in club elections. To be eligible to vote in the August election, membership dues must be paid in accordance with the requirements outlined in the club bylaws.

Please join us in thanking Halle for her service and leadership and wishing her continued success. We look forward to her continued involvement with the Chagrin Gateway Democrats and Democratic organizations throughout our area

Confusion in the mailbox as right wing PAC promotes Democratic candidate

Democratic voters in the 19th District (Bentleyville, Chagrin Falls, Hunting Valley, Moreland Hills, Pepper Pike) this week reported receiving mail paid for by a right wing PAC called “Ohioans for a Healthy Economy Action Fund” and wondered who the group was and why they were backing candidate Cheryl Perez in the race against endorsed Democrat Nicole Sigurdson.

After doing a little digging, here’s what we learned:

Two years ago, the PAC was behind an ad attacking Democratic Ohio Supreme Court candidates Melody Stewart, Michael Donnelly, and Lisa Forbes.

The ad accused the three of being soft on murderers and child molesters. All three candidates lost the race and it dramatically reshaped the court.

According to Judge The Ads, part of Common Cause Ohio, the PAC generally supports Republican judicial candidates and has been funded in part by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA); and Jimmy and Dee Haslam, the billionaire owners of the Cleveland Browns.

Last month, Cleveland.com reported on the same group backing Perez: Five groups poured millions in dark money into 2024 Ohio Supreme Court races, study finds

So why would a right wing PAC that supports Republican judicial candidates be mailing as many as four pieces in the first week of voting to Democratic houses in the 19th district—supporting Cheryl Perez over endorsed candidate Nicole Sigurdson?

We hoped to ask Perez about this funding at our meeting on Thursday, but she did not attend. Stay tuned as we try to learn more. Want to avoid confusion? Download our Democratic Sample Ballot and keep it with you when you vote.

The Chagrin Gateway Dems heard from Chris Ronayne, our  Cuyahoga County Executive. He began his career with the County Planning Commission  and served as the President of University Circle Inc. He caught our attention by pointing out that in recent years we have learned “how fragile our democracy is”.  In this time when the Federal government has cut back funds for Medicaid and food stamps, he sees his role as making sure Cuyahoga County makes clear what help is available.  

He warned us that the State Assembly is encouraging County Executives to re-appropriate funds that the tax-payers have designated for specific purposes to fill in gaps.  But Chris feels it is wrong to just disregard what voters want. 

Chris gave us a list of the positive things that Cuyahoga County is working on:

•         Small business establishment
•         Green Energy
•         Maritime Economy development
•         The Welcome Center in Brooklyn
•         A Music Commission
•         A proposal for a true wellness center for the homeless instead simply putting them in empty government buildings

He is still fighting against the stadium move (did they learn nothing from Richfield?)—He shared his pipe dreams of a Burke Lake front development.  He admitted that we are building a new jail, but said it is a campus that is focused on community re-entry. He is chairman of the Great Lakes Policy Forum.  

We left the meeting impressed by Chris Ronayne’s hope and vision. 
– Lyn Newman

A regular feature to the Chagrin Gateway Democrats from Lyn Newman

What happened?: I had the privilege of being a Voting Location Manager at the primary election on May 6th. When I had finished administering the oath of office to my team, (a deeply moving experience, by the way) one of our members piped up “Did the President have to take this oath?” The answer was that his was not exactly the same. Unlike us, the President did not have to affirm that he had never committed a felony. But exactly like us, the President took an oath to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution” However, when asked by Meet the Press host, Kristen Welker if he needed to uphold the Constitution as regards due process for immigrants, as the courts were telling him he needed to, his reply was “I don’t know”.

Why it matters?: Our country is based on certain principles that do not change from one administration to the next. Our Founding Fathers set up three branches of government to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful and making changes without careful consideration. The President cannot decide to ignore the Fifth amendment (people’s right to due process of law), however inconvenient he may find it. The President is not a King, he does not get to decide who gets access to rights and who does not. This is a large part of why we broke from Great Britain in 1776.

What can we do about it?: We need to keep reminding our Senators and Congress people to do their jobs and oversee Immigration issues. Keep those phone calls and e-mails coming. We need to support the organizations that provide legal representation for immigrants like the ACLU and the National Immigration Law Center. Finally, we need to keep the problem visible. So pick up a protest sign, grab some friends and come to a rally. Let’s tell the President that the correct answer is “Yes! You do need to uphold the constitution. In fact, on January 20th you promised!”

Lyn Newman can be found on Bluesky