Update — 11/9, 8 a.m.
In front of a sea of supporters at Downtown's Masthead Brewing Co., including local business leaders and former and active politicians, Chris Ronayne declared victory over Lee Weingart in Tuesday's race for Cuyahoga County executive.
In his acceptance speech, which you can watch on Cleveland Magazine's Instagram, Ronayne laid out his vision for a "new Cuyahoga."
"We will be the best location in the nation on the fresh water basin of the Great Lakes," he said. "We will be a place where people live, where people stay, where we attract new comers. We will also be a place that builds up our brothers and sisters all throughout this town and everybody has a shot for a prosperous future."
Original Story — 11/4
Lee Weingart and Chris Ronayne are vying for the Cuyahoga County Executive, the county's top spot formerly held by Armond Budish for two terms.
Weingart, the president of the lobbying firm LNE Group, has faced an uphill battle in a county that overwhelmingly votes blue. But the former county commissioner held out hope, leaning into his Cuyahoga 2030 plan — involving housing, workforce and criminal justice initiatives — throughout his campaign.
"We’ll make sure our cities have the revenue they need to deliver critical public safety services," Weingart told Cleveland Magazine in a final interview before the election. "It’ll make our county more competitive so we can draw more employers and more jobs to employ our people in Cuyahoga County."
Previously the president of University Circle Inc. for 16 years, Ronayne also worked as the City of Cleveland’s planning director and as the Chief of Staff and Chief Development Officer. Now, the longtime Cuyahoga County resident aims to take his skills to a higher level, emphasizing a new approach to county government systems.
"At the core of the county work is providing our citizens the safety net for when they fall through the cracks of life," Ronayne told Cleveland Magazine in a final interview before the election. "That safety net includes children and family services, health and human service dollars, justice affairs and senior services, to name a few."
In July, both candidates listed their top five priorities and issues in an interview with Cleveland Magazine:
Republican Lee Weingart
1. Freeze property taxes for seniors on fixed incomes.
2. Promote urban investment to create 10,000 private homes, 4,000 jobs and 250 small businesses.
3. Oppose $600 million jail and $1 billion Justice Center.
4. Sell the Hilton Cleveland Downtown and the Global Center for Health Innovation.
5. End corruption and bring back vision to county government.
Democrat Chris Ronayne
1. Reduce gun violence and increase equitable justice.
2. Improve access to health care and affordable housing.
3. Strengthen health and human services for those in need.
4. Leverage our strengths to bring new jobs, support small businesses and grow our workforce.
5. Make county government more accountable and effective.
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