CLEVELAND, Ohio-Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Pinkey Carr, a lead attorney in the Anthony Sowell Capital Murder trial who won for the State of Ohio on 82 of 83 counts against the since convicted serial killer, edged Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Lynn McLauglin Murray, who was appointed to the bench in Jan by outgoing Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, to win a seat on that court in a close election Tuesday evening. And Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Angela Stokes, won too, trouncing nearest opponent Ed Wade and sending a clear message to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Ohio's Largest newspaper, since it unsuccessfully opted to take on Cleveland's old Black political guard and the Stokes name, obviously to no avail.
Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Pinkey Carr, who won on 82 of 83 counts for the State of Ohio as to since convicted serial killer Anthony Sowell, and who edged Cleveland Municipal Court Judge Lynn McLaughlin Murray to take the judgeship in Tuesday's election.
McLaughlin Murray lost in spite of an endorsement from Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson
Cleveland Municipal Clerk of Court Earle B. Turner, who soundly won reelection in spite of controversy surrounding his leadership as Clerk.
East Cleveland Mayor Gary Norton, who won Tue. as to his support of red light traffic cameras that voters approved at the ballot box
Story continued.....Among others, Carr was endorsed by the Plain Dealer and Call and Post Newspapers , the firefighters and other unions, and practically every Black elected official of Cuyahoga County except for Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson, and Cuyahoga County Council members C. Ellen Connally and Yvonne Conwell, who supported McLauglin Murray. She won with 31, 776 votes to McLaughlin Murray's 27,577 votes, unofficial results from the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections reveal. And Stokes won with 35, 407 votes to Wade's 19,572, with third place finisher Marlene Ridenour getting 8, 670 votes.
Issue 1, which would have amended the Ohio Constitution for judges to retire by age 75 instead of 70 loss as did the controversial Issue 2, a referendum on the ballot that would have upheld Senate Bill 5, a state law passed earlier this year by the Republican controlled state legislature with the push from Republican Gov. John Kasich that would have dismantled collective bargaining by stripping public sector unions of binding arbitration and the right to strike on working conditions and wages, among other provisions. Issue 3, a constitutional amendment that allows Ohio's to opt out of a federal mandate to purchase heath care per the federally heath care overhaul plan passed by a 2-to-1- margin, the margin that Issue 2 lost by, though legal experts say that Issue 3 is essentially moot because in this instance federal law trumps state law.
"Hopefully we can start with a new relationship with the governor," Steve Loomis, who leads the Cleveland Police Patromen's Association, told reporters at an anti- Issue 2 victory party Tuesday night. "But if not we will push right back."
In other races former NBA basketball player Brad Sellers defeated Warrensville Hts. Mayor Clinton Hall with the support from U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge, a Warrensville Hts. Democrat who was mayor until 2008 when she became a congresswoman. And William L. Dawson, a community activist and brother of FOX 8 news anchor Wayne Dawson, upset East Cleveland Judge Sandra Walker to win the judgeship in the predominantly Black impoverished city. Also, Cleveland Municipal Court Clerk of Court Earl B. Turner, a popular former city councilman whose campaign literature bragged of convenient pay-by-phone ticket schedules and other amenities, trounced nearest opponent Phil Paverini Jr. by a 2-to-1 margin, at least.
The controversial red light traffic cameras issue in East Cleveland promoted by Mayor Gary Norton and opposed by grassroots groups such as Black on Black Crime and its founder Art McKoy won the support of voters on Tue. In campaigning for the cameras Norton told voters that a defeat on the issue would be financially devastating to the city and would necessitate more layoffs of safety forces and other city personnel. McKoy argued that the traffic cameras lack validity and are a scheme to secure monies unnecessarily.
Gale-Williams Byers, the only Black of three candidates in the race for judge on the South Euclid Court, initially lost to Mary Riley Casa, who got 2, 519 votes to Williams-Byers 2,514 votes, unofficial results revealed. But Williams-Byers won the judicial seat after a subsequent recount.
