By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog Kathy Wray Coleman is  a community activist and 21-year investigative journalist who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio- Voters in the majority Black cities of Cleveland and Maple Heights, a Cleveland suburb, dismantled the red light and speed cameras that ticket motorists for speeding , red light and other infractions, and overwhelmingly supported a charter amendment to get rid of them,  a huge  lost for Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson and Cleveland City Council.

Cleveland City Council reluctantly passed a city ordinance to place the measure before voters, even after residents collected over 13,000 signatures, more than twice the amount needed, and the  Ohio Supreme Court, by a unanimous vote, had to order Maple Heights City Council to do the same after city council tried to skate the issue.

The Ohio Eighth District Court of Appeals deemed the Cleveland traffic cameras unconstitutional in January of this year in the case of Sam Jodka vs The City of Cleveland, saying that the administrative procedure to challenge the tickets cannot take the place of municipal court judges. The eighth district decision is binding on the city of Cleveland and all traffic camera programs like it in cities, townships and villages across Cuyahoga County, the state's largest of some 88 counties, and of which is 29 percent Black.

The city has appealed, which is now a nullity.

Cleveland's 64 cameras generate roughly $6 million annually, most of them situated on the predominantly Black east side, compliments of lobbying by Mayor Jackson, who is Black, and Black east side councilpersons, including Jeff Johnson, Zack Reed and Kevin Conwell.

Pictured are Ohio Governor John Kasich (R-OH) and Ohio State Senator Nina Turner(D-24)

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog Kathy Wray Coleman is  a community activist and 21-year investigative journalist who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio- Incumbent Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, swept to an easy gubernatorial victory Tuesday evening, winning a second four-year term over Democratic Cuyahoga County Executive Fitzgerald, and the Republicans went on to win reelection to the entire statewide ticket, including treasurer, auditor, attorney general, and secretary of state.

Cuyahoga County, which includes the majority Black major metropolitan city of Cleveland and 58 other municipalities, villages or townships, is the largest of Ohio's 88 counties and is roughly 29 percent Black.

Fours years ago the Republicans initiated a sweep of statewide offices that saw Kasich oust Democrat Ted Strickland in a close election.

Ohio voters gave Kasich, a former congressman, a mandate Tuesday night with 64 percent of the vote to FitzGerald's 33 percent, raising speculation of a possible run for president in 2016, a posture heightened by the blow to the Democrats, also Tuesday night, in losing control of the U.S. Senate.

The Republicans already control the U.S. House of Representatives and controlling both chambers places Democratic President Barack Obama in a more compromising position, political pundits have said.

"Ohio's made a lot of progress in the past four years because we had the courage to come together to solve tough problems,” Kasich said in a press release on Tuesday.

What the future holds for FitzGerald, who lost in his own Cuyahoga County, a Democratic stronghold, remains to be seen, though he is relatively young politically at 46-years-old, and holds a law licence and a background as a former mayor of Lakewood, Ohio and former FBI agent.

Ohio Democratic Party Chairperson Chris Redfern , who lost his statehouse seat, quit Tuesday night after the stunning but relatively expected Republican sweep of statewide offices.

State Sen Nina Turner, a Cleveland Democrat and the only Black on the statewide Democratic ticket, fell hard to incumbent Secretary of State Jon Husted in her unsucessful bid to unseat him, none of the Democrats who ran statewide even coming close to winning, though Connie Pillich lost to Treasurer Josh Mandel, 53 percent to 43 percent, the least percentage margin of loss among all of them.

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog Email:editor@clevelandurbannews.com, Tel: (216) 659-0473). Kathy Wray Coleman is  a community activist and 21-year investigative journalist who trained for 17 years under five different editors at the Call and Post Newspaper, Ohio's most prominent Black print press. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio- Ohio Supreme Court Justice Judith French (pictured) won the support of  voters on Tuesday to retain her seat for a six-year term over Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge John P. O'Donnell, who initially had a lead in the polls but ran into trouble when he was accused of theft of homes as a judge via illegal Cuyahoga County foreclosures, bias in a controversial Cleveland police brutality criminal case that left two unarmed Blacks dead, and of breaking a campaign pledge made with the Ohio Supreme Court not to go negative. CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE OF JUDGE JOHN O'DONNELL'S CORRUPTION AND DOCUMENTED THEFT OF HOMES AT CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM

French won with 56 percent of the vote to O'Donnell's 46 percent

By  Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog. Tel: 216-659-0473. (Kathy Wray Coleman is a 21-year investigative and political journalist and legal reporter who trained for 17 years under five different editors at the Call and Post Newspaper

(www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, and an aggressive President Obama foe, defeated Democratic challenger Alison Lundergan Grimes 56 percent to 41 percent on Tuesday, another win following his primary victory in May against Matt Bevin, a local businessman who once appeared to be  a threat because of his support from national tea party organizations. And the Republicans won the six seats needed to wrestle control over the Democrats in the U.S. Senate

It didn't help that Grimes made international news for distancing herself and refusing to say whether she voted for Obama, the country's first Black president, though some two-thirds of Kentuckians are anti-Obama, some polls show.

The extent to which race was a factor in Kentucky, a state with an eight percent Black population, is not being debated, for now.

McConnell's  win added fodder early in the evening to the GOP bid to sweep control of the U.S. Senate as 36 Senate seats were up for grabs and eight of them are or were too close to call going in to Tuesday's election election. But by the middle of the night the Democrats had conceded defeat,  and acknowledged that the Republicans had won the six seats needed to gain control.

The Republicans already control the U.S. House f Representatives where all 435 seats there are up for grabs, though no Democratic takeover is even a remote possibility.

Grimes had the benefit of a $50 million campaign war chest, but it was not enough to out do McConnell, who was well financed too, and swept to a sixth term.

Four years ago, McConnell watched  Rand Paul, then a local eye surgeon, defeat the candidate he was supporting, Secretary of State Trey Grayson, in the Republican primary to replace Sen. Jim Bunning, who retired.

McConnell then got behind Paul and helped him win the general election. And it paid off, as Paul supported McConnell against Grimes in a closely watched contest.

(www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

By Kathy Wray Coleman, editor-in-chief, Cleveland Urban News. Com and The Cleveland Urban News.Com Blog, Ohio's Most Read Online Black Newspaper and Newspaper Blog Kathy Wray Coleman is  a community activist and 21-year investigative journalist who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper. (www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)

WASHINGTON, D.C.- First Lady Michelle Obama (pictured) is urging registered Democratic voters from across the country to vote on Tuesday, Nov 4, the election day for many races throughout America,  including some congressional seats that could change the balance of power in Congress between Democrats and Republicans.

"Democrats are fighting on in tight races all over the country, and that's only possible because of your help," said Michelle Obama in a press release to Cleveland Urban News.Com, Ohio's most read digital Black newspaper. "But with election day coming up tomorrow, right now is your time to make your biggest impact by getting out the vote, so Democrats can win crucial elections."

"So I'm calling on you one more time." said the First Lady a Democrat like her husband, President Barack Obama, America's first Black president.

Confirm your polling place, then forward this email to three friends and help them make a plan to vote.

"We need to do everything we can to ensure that all our friends and family members make it to the polls," said Michelle Obama. "Stay in line, and cast your ballots so Barack and Democrats like him can keep moving this country forward."

The Democrats are fighting to retain control of the U.S. Senate and to minimize what could reduce power in the U.S. House of Representatives where the Republicans already have control.

Thirty-six U.S. Senate seats will be decided and eight are too close to call, with Republicans needing six seats to gain control of the Senate. All  435 seats in the U.S.  House of Representatives are up for grabs.

In Cuyahoga County, which includes the city of Cleveland and 58 other municipalities townships and villages, voters will help decide  several issues, including the next governor, and other statewide offices, including state attorney general and secretary of state,  as well as two Ohio Supreme Court races.

The statewide race to watch, say political pundits, is between Ohio Supreme Court Justice Judi French and Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas Judge John O'Donnell, who seeks to oust French.

County voters will also decide the next county executive,  some Cuyahoga County Council seats, judge-ships, and Ohio state and senate seats for respective legislative districts, with the  race between sitting Common Pleas Judge Pamela Barker and Sherrie Miday considered a close judicial contest.

Also on the ballot, among other issues,  are traffic camera initiatives in Cleveland and Maple Heights, a Cleveland suburb, and the Cleveland Municipal School District schools construction and bond tax levy.

Polls in Cuyahoga County are open from 6:30 am to 7:30 pm.