Ronayne seeks second term as Cuyahoga County executive

Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne faces no major-party challenger in the Nov. 3 general election as he seeks a second four-year term leading Ohio's most populous county.

Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne faces no major-party challenger in the Nov. 3 general election as he seeks a second four-year term leading Ohio's most populous county.

Ronayne, a Democrat and the incumbent, is the only candidate whose name will appear on the printed ballot for county executive, according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. However, Christopher Michael Litwinowicz, a Euclid resident who has run for office multiple times, qualified as a write-in candidate.

Tariq K. Shabazz, a Cleveland native and Navy veteran, also announced an independent campaign for county executive. However, the Board of Elections' official candidate list shows that his filings were removed by board action. Shabazz therefore is not a qualified candidate in the November general election.

Ronayne faces no Democratic or Republican challenger, leaving Litwinowicz as the only qualified opponent in the race.

Signal Cleveland reported that Litwinowicz, a Euclid resident who has run for office multiple times, is a write-in candidate. Shabazz, a Cleveland native and Navy veteran, announced in January 2025 that he would run as an independent, cleveland.com reported at the time.

What the county executive does

The county executive oversees departments, budgets and appointments across Cuyahoga County. The office manages public health and hospital oversight, housing, economic development, public safety, children and family services, senior programs, disability services and transportation infrastructure.

An 11-member County Council serves as a check on the executive's authority, approving budgets and confirming appointments. Three charter amendments on the Nov. 3 ballot (Issues 12, 13 and 14) would shift some of that balance, according to Ideastream.

Issue 12 would require County Council approval before the executive could remove certain appointed members of county boards and commissions, including members serving on the Port Authority, Regional Transit Authority and MetroHealth boards.

Issue 13 would clarify the division of legal responsibilities between the county law department and the county prosecutor. The law department would handle matters such as legal advice, disputes and union negotiations, while the prosecutor would represent county government in court.

Issue 14 would change the appointment process for the nine-member Charter Review Commission. Four members would be appointed by the county executive and four by County Council. The ninth member would be nominated by the executive and require council approval.

The changes come amid ongoing disagreements over executive authority, appointments and oversight of county government, according to Ideastream Public Media.

Ronayne's record and priorities

Ronayne told cleveland.com in a February interview that he is running on his first-term record. He pointed to establishing a Women's Health Commission, opening a Welcome Center for immigrants and overseeing a $35 million return of real estate assessment funds to communities.

He also cited progress on a new county jail in Garfield Heights, a project that has drawn criticism over its estimated cost of about $1 billion, cleveland.com reported. Ronayne pushed through a 40-year extension of a 0.25% county sales tax to fund the jail without a public vote, cleveland.com reported separately.

His first term has also included conflicts with County Council, County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley and Sheriff Harold Pretel over executive authority and the sheriff's budget, cleveland.com reported. A second term would focus on finishing the jail, deciding on a future courthouse location and expanding mental health co-responder programs countywide, Ronayne said.

Shabazz's platform

Shabazz, 30 at the time of his January 2025 announcement, is a program manager at Case Western Reserve University's Solar Durability and Lifetime Extension Research Center. He previously ran for county executive in the 2022 Democratic primary, losing to Ronayne with 34% of the vote to Ronayne's 66%, cleveland.com reported.

Shabazz campaigned on affordable housing, workforce development in sectors like artificial intelligence and green technology, and reducing public funding for professional sports stadiums. He also called for making the county sheriff an elected position.

How to vote

Polls open Tuesday, Nov. 3, at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m., according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections. Ohio law requires voters to present a valid, unexpired photo ID, according to the Ohio Secretary of State. As we reported Oct. 31, 66 polling locations in Cuyahoga County have changed for this election.

Early in-person voting ended Sunday, Nov. 1. Fox 8 reported that more than 54,000 Cuyahoga County residents cast early ballots, more than double the early turnout in the last two midterms combined. Absentee ballots must be returned to the Board of Elections by 7:30 p.m. Nov. 3.

Election-night results are unofficial. The Board of Elections has scheduled certification of the Nov. 3 results for its Nov. 24 board meeting. Results will be posted on the Board of Elections' election results page.

The county executive serves a four-year term. Eligible Cuyahoga County residents who are U.S. citizens and at least 18 years old may vote in this countywide race.