Tomorrow, voters in East Cleveland will decide if they want to remove Mayor Brandon King from office. But who would take over as mayor if the recall is passed?
East Cleveland’s charter addresses what would happen in the event the mayor dies, resigns or is removed, which is what Pat Blochowiak, a member of city council, hopes voters decide to do on Election Day.
“President of city council would become mayor," Blochowiak said, "and our current president of city council is Nate Martin.”
Rumors spread that Blochowiak was gunning for the mayor's seat herself in an effort to oust Black leadership in the city. She said these claims were false, especially since Martin is Black.
"People are saying I would become the unelected mayor, which is totally ridiculous, because to become that, I would have to first be elected president of city council," Blochowiak said. "And I don't have the votes, so I will not become an unelected mayor."
According to East Cleveland's charter, the line of succession for mayor is president of council, vice president of council, then ranking council member based on seniority.
Organizers of the effort to recall the mayor accuse him of allowing the police to abuse their power, circumventing the authority of city council, theft, using city contractors for personal work and lying under oath.
City council president acting as mayor would only be temporary, said lead organizer William Fambrough.
“Next year, the year following, there would be an election in East Cleveland for mayor," Fambrough said.
King became East Cleveland Mayor in 2016 when he was vice president of council after the sitting mayor, Gary Norton, and president of council were recalled. He was reelected in 2017 and 2021.
Also up for recall is Council Vice President Ernie Smith, who was found to have been illegally appointed to council by King in 2017. Organizers accuse him of misusing city property and not properly reporting income to the IRS.
King has not commented on the effort to recall him.
The effort to recall King was certified by the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections in August, after the campaign gathered 322 valid signatures.
