Introduction
On March 19th, Cuyahoga County will decide between two Democrats contending for the County Prosecutor position in the Primary Election. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor is elected to set sentencing guidelines, recommended charges, and other prosecutorial policies. Hotly contested issues between incumbent Prosecutor Mike O’Malley and progressive challenger Matthew Ahn include juvenile bind-overs, the protection of victims’ rights, how criminal complaints are charged, and how guilty criminal defendants are sentenced.
The Incumbent: Michael C. O’Malley
Michael C. O’Malley was sworn into the County Prosecutor’s seat in January 2017, unseating his predecessor, Timothy McGinty. Prior to serving as the County Prosecutor, O’Malley served as the Safety Director of Parma, Councilman for the City of Cleveland, and worked as an Assistant Prosecutor.
Prosecutor O’Malley believes recidivism can be reduced through diversion and second chance. O’Malley was a leader in the creation of the Adult Diversion Center in the General Division of Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, and of the Juvenile Intervention Center in the Juvenile Division. O’Malley also states he works with mental health centers to allow police to transport people in mental health or addiction crisis directly to the center for treatment rather than jail.
The Challenger: Matthew Ahn
Matthew Ahn announced his bid for the County Prosecutor seat on July 27, 2023. Ahn, prior to joining CSU Law faculty as a visiting professor in 2021, was a federal public defender for the Northern District of Ohio. Ahn’s background, although lacking experience as a prosecutor, includes internships with the NAACP as well as the Federal Trade Commission. Ahn was also a Sinsheimer Children’s Right’s Fellow with Mobilization for Justice.
Ahn is no stranger to local politics, having actively campaigned last year against building a new county jail. He was also a staunch supporter of Issue 1, publishing an article in favor of the ballot measure on Cleveland.com in August. His platform for County Prosecutor is to “…build an office in the people’s interest, work to break the cycle of trauma, and support rehabilitation through services."
A Party Split
On Saturday, January 6th, 2024, members of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party’s Executive Committee met to vote for whom to endorse in the 2024 primaries. The Executive Committee is made up of elected and appointed members from every precinct. The party endorsement is invaluable; the party endorsement means the selected candidate will receive not only campaign funding, but all literature produced by the party for the upcoming election will likely include the candidate’s face and name. A candidate must receive 60% of the vote to earn the endorsement.
It is historically quite unusual for the party not to endorse Democratic incumbents against challengers. However, only 58.4% members voted to endorse O’Malley, and 38.8% members voted to endorse Ahn. The party will therefore remain officially neutral.
Conclusion
The County Prosecutor holds the power to alter the trajectory of an individual’s life with their stance on criminal policy and reform. The Primary Election will be March 19th, 2024, and the deadline to register in the Primary is February 20th.
If you would like to ask the candidates questions and learn more on their stances on the issues, a forum will be held at The City Club on March 5, 2024 at 11:30 A.M.
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