History Made As Cuyahoga GOP Elects First Woman Chair

There is a changing of the guard at the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County (RPCC) following June’s reorganizational election. Lisa Stickan was elected Chairman of the Central Committee in a resounding victory over incumbent Rob Frost in an intra-party duel that resulted in a 206-113 vote.

Stickan, who has served as an officer of the party for over a decade, is currently the President of Highland Heights Council. She has a reputation as a skilled campaigner who has had great success running multiple candidates in municipal elections as well countywide. Her “boots on the ground” mentality is evidence that Stickan is ready to lead from day one.

“I look forward to serving as the first woman Chair of the RPCC Central Committee. I am committed to unifying our Republican grassroots and finance leaders to ensure the success of our candidates and party message,” Chairman Stickan stated.

As a former Young Republican National Federation Chair, Stickan organized many national deployments for targeted districts in federal races throughout the country. This bodes well for the future of the RPCC as Stickan is more than capable of hitting the ground running for the November elections. She also served as Chairman of the Ohio Young Republicans and Greater Cleveland Young Republicans. She also is the President of Greater Cleveland Republican Women.

“Over the coming weeks, your new RPCC leadership will conduct a top-level review of the Party and develop a strategy and plan to make our Party more connected to all of you, more energized, and transparent,” Stickan said. “Our goal is to make the RPCC competitive and influential in our local communities across our County to counter the pervasive staleness, corruption, and inaction of our Democratic opponents.”

The Executive Committee also made its mark by electing Donna Walker-Brown as the Committee’s first Black Chairman and also the first woman Chairman.

Walker-Brown has been active for years in the Inner City Republican Movement, which she founded and leads. The new Executive Committee Chair has long been active in GOP campaigns in the City of Cleveland.

With its reorganizational meeting behind it, the RPCC now is looking forward to November and victory for the President Trump and the rest of the Republican slate.

Capri Cafaro Says Richard Cordray “Not Particularly Well Liked”

Capri Cafaro gave Richard Cordray a swift kick to help him begin his gubernatorial general election campaign against Mike DeWine. The former Minority Leader of the Ohio Senate candidly announced in an interview that Cordray is “not particularly well liked.”

The Mahoning County Democrat was on “The Bill Press Show” to discuss the race when she rolled Cordray under the bus. She also reminded listeners that this is a rematch from the 2010 election when DeWine ousted Cordray from his role as Attorney General.

“Here’s a fun fact: Mike DeWine beat Rich Cordray when Rich Cordray was the sitting attorney general in 2010,” Cafaro said. “So, that’s a thing that makes me scratch my head, like, ‘Why are we signing up for this rematch?'”

WATCH:

OUCH! Cordray’s running mate, Betty Sutton, also has a reputation of not being liked. As a former constituent of hers, this is a gripe I heard often from both Democrats and Republicans. Perhaps is a match made in heaven – or hell.

H/T: Free Beacon

Here’s Why You Should Vote For Lucy Stickan For SCC District 24

It’s rare to find a new candidate who earns support from both party leaders and grassroots leaders during a primary. That is a big gap to bridge during a contentious primary. Those of us who know Lucy Stickan understand why she has accomplished this during her short candidacy.

Stickan is running for State Central Committee in District 24. These races are often overlooked but are vital to the health of the party as they elect the Chairman of the Ohio Republican Party and make other important decisions. These positions don’t come with a salary, but they do come with quite a bit of power and responsibility. That’s why it’s imperative to make the right decisions.

Lucy puts her heart on the line for Republican candidates. When so many Republican leaders abandoned Donald Trump after he was the nominee, Lucy actually quit her job in the U.S. Senate to volunteer full-time as a Cuyahoga Co-Chair for the campaign. She was a Kasich delegate to the convention, but when the Governor drew a line in the sand, Lucy crossed it and stood with Trump.

Lucy Stickan’s resume is filled with positions that are vital to the Republican Party. In addition to being the Chairwoman of the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County Executive Committee, Lucy is a board member of the NEO USO and the Purple Heart Homes of Cleveland. She is very devoted to causes involving assisting, supporting, and honor our veterans.

When a candidate needs support in Cuyahoga County, Lucy is one of the first people who is typically called. She is incredibly well respected by members of both the RPCC Central and Executive Committees. Stickan is so well regarded that she earned the unanimous endorsement from the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County.

There are four candidates running for this position. Nancy Suhadolnik has held the position for decades, but she is rarely seen in the district anymore as she spends a good portion of her time with her husband Gary in their Florida home. In fact, the Suhadolniks spend so much time in Florida that Gary, a Republican who supported Ted Strickland, is a registered voter in the Sunshine State while Nancy is registered to vote in Strongsville.

The current Committeewoman’s failure to properly represent the district is so noticeable that Republican Mayors and other elected officials throughout the district have endorsed Stickan. Lucy has even earned important endorsements right where the incumbent “lives.”Strongsville Mayor Tom Perciak endorsed Lucy. The Strongsville GOP also unanimously endorsed Stickan.

The 24th District deserves to have proper representation. We deserve to have a Committeewoman who seeks our input and votes our district. We need someone who will come to Republican clubs in the district to update us on the ORP. Lucy already does this, so the choice is rather clear.

It would be impossible to list all of the candidates Lucy Stickan has volunteered and led to victory over the years. But, she certainly is a candidate we all should support now.

 

Why Does Christina Hagan Slam Trump And His Allies When She Claims To Be “Pro Trump?”

While most campaigns are making their best pitch to voters, Christina Hagan and her staffers are acting like they are hitching a ride on a clown car. These stars of Amateur Hour are clearly not ready for the big show.

Hagan likes to bill herself as a “Pro Trump” candidate but in under 24 hours, her campaign has managed to slam Trump and one of his key allies in Congress.

On Tuesday morning, Hagan attempted to paint House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy as a “big government Republican.” There is a serious problem with a candidate attempting to run under the illusion of being “Pro Trump” making that claim.

Kevin McCarthy is considered to be one of Trump’s strongest allies in the House of Representatives. McCarthy was so instrumental in passing this year’s tax cuts that he earned praise from the President on Twitter.

McCarthy is such a loyal ally of Trump, that many view him to be Trump’s pick for Speaker of the House after Paul Ryan concludes his final term this year.

Hagan would have learned this had she spent a couple minutes on Google. Instead, she took to social media to slam one of the President’s allies while she claims to be “Pro Trump.”

When you’re explaining, you’re losing. Hagan has a lot of losing to do this final week of her campaign.

Christina Hagan’s staffers often trip over themselves lashing out at potential supporters. Even if they know someone doesn’t support their candidate, it is rarely wise for the campaign to ridicule people on social media. It’s often viewed as petty and childish. They are supposed to be professionals. As staffers, they represent the campaign.

Staffer Allan Betz took to Hagan’s Facebook page to slam someone for being engaged to a Democrat. Julie Jakmides is an Alliance Councilwoman. Betz felt it was appropriate to take a dig at her relationship for crossing party lines.

Campaign manager Brian Wollet also dabbled in petty politics when he oinked/snorted at former Hagan supporter Ralph King during the Republican Party of Cuyahoga County endorsement meeting. Not only is that not nice, it’s a foolish move that most people heard.

On Tuesday, I wrote at RedState that Hagan’s consultant Harlan Hill tweeted that Anthony Gonzalez’s use of the “unhinged” is “sexist.” Clutching your pearls without checking the facts is never a good idea. Two hours before, President Trump used the word “unhinged” in a tweet. Oops!

Petty politics is never wise. A campaign or its staffers should not be lashing out.  Oinking, ridiculing, and posting screenshots of former supporters doesn’t help Hagan’s cause.

Social media can be your friend or foe. People have a front row seat for when you act like a fool online. Hagan’s staffers have many of us reaching for the popcorn.

This all makes her look UNHINGED.

 

Visions Of Hillary: Why Is Hagan’s Campaign Coordinating With A Government Email Account?

Christina Hagan is continuing to run a hypocritical campaign on her quest to head to Capitol Hill. The State Representative who was appointed to her position while she was in college, repeatedly complains about politicians and her desire to “drain the swamp.”

It doesn’t take much research to discover that Hagan is knee deep in the swamp that she claims she is going to drain.

Family has become an important topic in the Republican Primary for the 16th Congressional District. Christina Hagan has charged Anthony Gonzalez’s campaign is coordinating with his Super PAC, which is run by his father.

It’s rather interesting that Hagan is referencing anyone’s “Daddy” in a derogatory manner given that numerous State Representatives believe she was appointed to her position in the Ohio House as a favor to her father, former State Representative John Hagan.

This is an also odd accusation as Hagan’s Super PAC is run by her husband’s stepfather. Even more interesting is the fact that Hagan’s mother-in-law, Kimberly Marshall is the Economic Development Director of the City of Medina.

Medina is not in Hagan’s State House District, so it’s hard to imagine a reason for Marshall to use her city email during city business hours to coordinate with Hagan and her campaign. But, she did.

Hagan, who should have plenty of knowledge about the inappropriateness of using a city email for apparent campaign coordinated activities, also emailed Marshall on her city email account a public records request exposed.

City resources should not be used for partisan activity, but that didn’t stop Kim Marshall from using her city email. She even did this during business hours on a Tuesday as you can see in the email screenshot below.

Hagan email

Hagan often replied to the City email account without much of a concern for the appropriateness of using government resources.

Hagan

Hagan does not represent Medina County. However, it is in the 16th Congressional District so she can benefit from being made aware of events as she is actively campaigning there.

Hagan

Marshall invited Hagan to be her guest at a Power of the Purse event. She suggested that the Congressional candidate make a donation, presumably for exposure to potential voters.

Hagan

Using her city email, Marshall invited Hagan and others to be the guest of her husband’s company, Beacon Marshall, at the Power of the Purse event. Hagan replied to Marshall’s city email.

Hagan

There are a number of Medina County events that Marshall suggested the Stark County State Representative attend. The City of Medina Economic Development Director sent these emails to both Hagan’s official campaign accounts. A couple of them are below.

Hagan

Hagan

Kimberly Marshall should know better than to use her government email account for campaign-related activity. Given that she is the City of Medina Economic Development Director, it’s important to look at the donors to the Hagan Super PAC that her husband Charles Marshall runs.

Hagan’s stepfather-in-law ponied up $100,000 to the PAC. Mark Sandridge also donated $25,000 to the Drain The Swamp Ohio PAC. Sandridge’s Sandridge Foods got a five-year Job Creation Grant from the City of Medina just last year. Perhaps this is coincidental, but for a candidate who repeatedly screams about “the swamp,” her campaign and PAC should want to steer clear of the implication of anything suspicious.

Hagan

Hagan is likely to claim this is an attack on her family, but as Hagan and Marshall should have learned from Hillary Clinton’s email scandal, these emails and more are government documents and subject to public records requests.

 

 

 

 

 

A name was misspelled. It has been corrected.

RPCC Chair Rob Frost Skewered In New Ad

The State Central Committee races are underway. These races are always important, but there is added meaning this year as Republican Party of Cuyahoga County Chair Rob Frost recruited candidates across the state in a bid to take control of the Ohio Republican Party.

A brutal new ad was just released that looks to paint Frost as a liberal who doesn’t support President Trump.

WATCH:

President Trump Came To Cleveland, So Where Was Rob Frost?

When Air Force One touched down in Cleveland today, there was someone noticeably absent – Rob Frost.

It was quite telling that when President Trump descended from the airplane, he was greeted by Congressmen Renacci and Gibbs, Ohio Republican Party Chairman Jane Timken, and Summit County GOP Chairman Bryan Williams. Even though Trump was in Frost’s home county, the embattled local Chairman was not there.

It’s interesting that Bryan Williams was there. Frost’s Executive Director Becca Armstrong initially pulled State Central Committee petitions against Committeewoman Debbie Walsh, an ally of Bryan Williams. Like Williams, Walsh is also loyal to Timken. After Cleveland.com reported about Armstrong’s unusual candidacy, she dropped out.

When the President was in Cuyahoga County, Williams was there but Frost wasn’t. 

The Republican Party of Cuyahoga County Chair may have found himself to be a persona non grata after making a power play by recruiting candidates for State Central Committee, in what clearly appears to be an attempt to take control of the party.

The races that Frost apparently targeted are currently filled with Jane Timken loyalists. For example, Gene Allen is challenging Scott Kayser. Allen has been quite vocal in telling people that Frost recruited him to run. Kayser is a strong supporter of Ohio Republican Party Chair Jane Timken and in his first term on the Committee.

Frost had Alex Thomas help him recruit these candidates. Thomas, who is an SCC candidate himself, works at Roetzel and Andress with former ORP Chairman Matt Borges. Prior to that, he worked closely with John Kasich.

Frost tried to distance himself from the unpopular Governor at last week’s RPCC Central and Executive Committee meeting. That’s a hard pill to swallow as Kasich appointed Frost to the Kent State Board of Trustees just a few days prior.

John Kasich rules with an iron fist and a vindictive attitude. If Frost truly had been as disgusted with the Ohio Governor as he claimed to be, it’s hard to believe that Kasich would appoint him to anything.

It is often muttered that Rob Frost is the best Chairman the Cuyahoga Democrats could ask for. His repeated absence appears to be reinforcing that point.

These races are getting more interesting as primary election closes in.

Nick Mascari: A Life Well Lived And A Legacy To Remember

“How lucky I am to have known somebody and something that saying goodbye to is so damn awful.” – Evan Valens

The best friendships leave a lasting impression on your heart. They also make saying goodbye excruciating. That is what so many of us are feeling as we say goodbye to Nick Mascari for the final time.

Nick was a friend who always had an ear to listen to your concerns. He’d have a friend’s back in times of battle, but he wasn’t afraid to tell friends when he thought they had it wrong. His witty sense of humor provided many of us with endless laughter. His friendship was balanced and completely authentic.

Even in this era of hyperpartisan politics, Nick didn’t have a litmus test for friendship. He considered Joe from the left-wing site, Plunderbund to be a friend. Nick believed in there being a time to campaign and a time to lead. We tried to find common ground on bipartisan issues that we could both promote. Nick talked about all of us getting together for a drink. He thought it would shock all the right people.

Nick was also humble. He didn’t toot his own horn. He played down the impact his Ohio-based website, Third Base Politics had. Each time a story was referenced by a respected publication, he acted as if it had never happened before. Over time, we discussed revamping the site. Nick wanted to shake things up and add more contributors.

Then in August 2016, Nick received a cancer diagnosis.

Nick was incredibly brave in his battle. He was optimistic, but realistic as well. A few months ago he confided that he understood the five-year survival rate for the type of lung cancer he had was grim. He told me his big regret was that he didn’t meet his beloved wife Ady earlier. He said nine years of marriage with her was simply not enough.

Nick’s loyalty can be exemplified by the fact that he remained a frustrated Cleveland Browns fan to the end. Yes, the Cleveland Browns that went 0-16. I told him many times that he was in a lifelong abusive relationship with the Browns. He was apparently aware of this but just couldn’t quit this awful team no matter how many times they betrayed him.

While he recognized the Browns weren’t going to have anything resembling a winning season anytime soon, his true sporting love was baseball and the Cleveland Indians. He relished every moment of the 22 game winning streak the Tribe put together in 2017. His heart broke when they lost in the playoffs, but he was looking forward to next season in hopes that the Tribe would end their drought and win the World Series.

On Wednesday, Nick became one of the 422 people to die of lung cancer just that day alone. Of course, he will never be just a statistic, but Nick certainly would want that number highlighted to shine a light on those still struggling with this dastardly disease. Cancer ended his life, but it will never define it.

People keep asking me how they can honor Nick. Being that he was very humble, I think he would encourage you to make a memory at a Cleveland Indians game. Head out to the Jake next season (sorry Progressive) and be part of the Tribe’s future quest to win the World Series.

If someone would like to make a financial contribution in honor Nick, please consider sending it to Taussig Cancer Institute, American Cancer Society or Compassion International.

As the tears fall on my keyboard, I realize it is nearly impossible for me to pay tribute to Nick properly. He was such a dear friend to so many. While so many of his friends grieve this wonderful man, the sadness felt by his family must feel insurmountable at this time. Please keep Ady, Paige, Nicholas, Nick’s parents, siblings, and the rest of their family in your prayers.

Goodbye, Nick.

Blackwell Speaks Out About How Crony Richard Cordray Hurts College Graduates

We have been bracing for Richard Cordray to announce that he is running for Governor of Ohio. The head of the CFPB has been using the power of his position to apparently earn favor with liberal donors in preparation for a run.

Former Secretary of State Ken Blackwell has some comments below on how Cordray’s actions have harmed Ohioans and college students in particular.

Crony Cordray Hurts College Graduates

Ken Blackwell

There is no doubt about it. Richard Cordray, the far-left head of the Consumer Financial Protection Board (CFPB) wants to run for governor of Ohio. Speculation is growing that an official announcement could come at any moment.

I have no doubt that my fellow Ohioans will reject Obama-era holdover Cordray’s radical philosophy on Election Day, just like they did when he ran for Attorney General in 2010.

One might assume that a government agency with “consumer financial protection” in its name might actually protect consumers. Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth. Cordray’s agency, with more than a $600 million annual budget, has developed a lengthy track record of mismanagement, heavy-handed mandates, and outright corruption.

Cordray knows his time is limited, which is why he is desperate to use his rogue agency to garner political support from the political swamp for his future gubernatorial campaign.

In a stunningly brazen move, we are just learning of a secret deal Cordray made last month with hedge fund manager David Uderitz of Vantage Capital to manage student loan collections for the same delinquent student loans his firm owns through the National Collegiate Student Loan Trusts.

As too many students and parents are aware, more than 1.1 million students are in default on their school loans, and more 40% of student borrowers are not making any payments. This is a financial disaster that cannot be sustained.

Part of the trusts’ problem is many of their ownership details of loans are incomplete. But instead of this being fought out in court through a lengthy process with borrowers, Corday’s CFPB has agreed to give Udertiz’s firm full control over the collection process.

This is crony capitalism at its worse. This deal would allow a hedge-fund manager profit from the CFPB’s decision by circumventing the legal system. This hedge fund now has CFPB’s blessing to charge fees and administer a $21.6 million government settlement trust owed to students. And, as the fund owns some of those delinquent, they will be pocketing the remaining funds.

Why would Cordray and the CFPB intervene? The Ohio Republican Party recently filed a FIOA request to get answers. But there is no doubt that this move would not only give Cordray an empty campaign talking point about doing something on student loans, even though in reality he simply turned over student loan collections to a well-connected hedge fund.

Cordray and the CFPB have far exceeded their authority in this matter, and are only making things worse. This difficult situation for students and lenders should be settled in court, not by politically motivated bureaucrats who invent their own rules.

Obama is no longer in the White House, but his legacy of unconstitutional overreach and unchecked regulations lives on through the CFPB. President Donald Trump should have fired Rich Cordray and replaced him long ago.

Ken Blackwell served as the mayor of Cincinnati (1979–80), the Ohio State Treasurer (1994–99), and Ohio Secretary of State (1999–2007). He was the Republican candidate for Governor of Ohio in 2006. Most recently, he served as Domestic Policy Advisor to the Trump Presidential Transition Team.

 

Cordray Does Big Favors For Liberal Donors; Is Campaign Announcement Next?

Speculation continues to swirl that current director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray may wind up running for Governor. So far, President Trump doesn’t seem to have helped him along that path; early in Trump’s term, there was chatter that he’d fire Cordray, which would have immediately freed Cordray up to run and potentially given him a better platform for doing so, at least among Elizabeth Warren-idolizing, Trump-hating Democrats. Cordray remains in office, with his options left open. And he’s finding plenty of things to do in his current job that will help him a lot if he decides to take the step to run to succeed Gov. Kasich.

Case in point: Under Cordray, the CFPB just recently put on the books an “anti-arbitration rule” that pushes financial services companies away from arbitration and towards the regular court system. By virtue of that simple fact, it’s a huge boon to trial lawyers—a great fundraising base for a future Democratic gubernatorial candidate who could very well get in the race at the very last minute, and need immediate, big fundraising hauls as a result. Is that calculation behind Cordray’s action here? Or is he just another liberal who inherently views going to court as better than arbitration, per what he’s probably been hearing for years and years from his trial lawyer pals?

According to the House Financial Services Committee, “Even the CFPB’s own study shows that consumers who use arbitration actually gain more favorable outcomes than those who hire trial lawyers for class action lawsuits. The average payout for consumers in a class action is $32, while the average trial lawyer receives nearly $1 million. Making consumers pay more for less is the exact opposite of ‘consumer protection.’”

It appears that Cordray is using his position to bolster his financial base in a Democratic primary. The CFPB is expected to roll out new payday lending regulations any day now. This is red meat for the liberal Democratic base. It also would greatly appease Google who has invested heavily in personal lending services, LendUp and Lending Club. Appeasing Google by knocking its competitors out at the knees might give him political capital with the internet giant.

Talk show host Jerry Springer is also considering jumping into the Democratic primary. The former mayor of Cincinnati who wrote check to pay a prostitute, describes himself as a “populist, liberal progressive.” While his talk show and prostitute past might prove to be a liability to some voters in a general elections, Springer has immediate name ID for a Democratic primary.

If Cordray is to actually face Springer, he will need to shore up the Democratic base. This is likely why he is using the CFPB to his own political advantage.

Springer is planning to make an official decision in the next two weeks. Perhaps Cordray will follow.