Friends I wasn't sure if I was going to do a traditional campaign video. But then last night I'm at Cle Urban Winery talking to this local political consultant who gave me the vibe he thought I had no chance. So I went home and threw together this bootleg campaign video. The Citizens United Supreme Court ruling is rotting this country from the inside. I’m running a $0 campaign because we should expect better than politics-as-usual in Cleveland Heights. Vote Dew November 4th.
Dew Diligence - Episode 40 - Councilman Craig Cobb
We wrap up our series of Cleveland Heights City Council candidate interviews on the Park Synagogue campus with Councilman Craig Cobb. Interim Mayor Tony Cuda, who is the sixth council candidate, will have to wait until after Election Day sadly as he’s understandably buried with city business. Councilman Cobb and I get caught up on what’s been a busy few weeks in Cleveland Heights. Behind the scenes of the Park Synagogue development deal to the Heights High pool opening to residents to big changes in leadership at Cain Park and in the finance department to his current stance on funding immigrant legal defense with city dollars.
Dew Diligence - Episode 39 - Dan Heintz, Kathi Howard-Primes, Tom Hodgkiss-Lilly
Short interviews with three of the four CH-UH School Board Candidates Dan Heintz, Kathi Howard-Primes, Tom Hodgkiss-Lilly. If anyone knows how to get in touch with the fourth mystery candidate, Rakhel Davidoff, let me know I’d love to give her equal time. But no one I know knows how to reach her.
Dew Diligence - Episode 38 - Anthony Mattox
I admit I was a little nervous about how this one would go. But then Councilman Anthony Mattox started off this episode of Dew Diligence with nothing but kind words for interim Mayor Tony Cuda, I picked my jaw off the ground and we rolled on from there. Councilman Anthony Mattox and I are the only two city council candidates running solo campaigns. Will one or both of us break the slate? We will find out November 4th.
Dew Diligence - Episode 37 - Joe Dewitt-Foy
This week on Dew Diligence, get to know City Council Candidate Joe DeWitt-Foy. I have serious concerns that a stint on Cleveland Hts City Council might ruin Joe's relentless positive vibes, but he says he's ready. We dig into why he's running as well as recapping what was a big week in Cleveland Hts politics- Kahlil Seren is no longer mayor, Tony Cuda is our interim mayor and Law Director Bill Hanna was fired and re-hired in the span of 24hrs. Its been wild. And we are just a month away from election day.
Dew Dilgence - Episode 36 - Jessica Cohen
The "inevitable" Jessica Cohen for Cleveland Heights City Council sits down with the evitable me for one of my favorite conversations I've had on Dew Diligence. I think if Jessica lived in Minnesota or Illinois or some New England state, you'd be looking at someone just getting started, on her way to being elected state-wide. For now, she's stuck with us.
After 12 years of service on various Cleveland Heights boards and commissions, her path to a seat on city council looks pretty clear. From the "Livable Neighborhoods" initiative, to vouchers, to her experience being dragged into the public spotlight through a pending lawsuit against the city, we cover a lot of ground.
Dew Diligence/Cohen Confidential - Episode 35 - Adam Dew (hosted by Jessica Cohen)
Guest host and fellow Cleveland Heights City Council Candidate Jessica Cohen interviews me, her competition, Council Candidate Adam Dew, on the first-ever episode of Cohen Confidential. This is the first episode following the recall of Mayor Kahlil Seren. We dig into my background and why I’m running. But we also get caught up on the transition, and the current state of the race for both mayor and council in Cleveland Heights.
Dew Diligence - Episode 34 - Jim Petras
Cleveland Heights mayoral candidate interview #5 with Councilperson Jim Petras. Jim looking to go from first-time city council candidate to mayor in just two years. Those two years have been anything but typical.
Dew Diligence - Episode 33 - Laura Hong
Cleveland Heights mayoral candidate interview with Laura Hong. Fresh off receiving the endorsement from the Cleveland.com editorial board, Hong, a partner at Tucker Ellis, makes her pitch to Cleveland Heights voters.
Dew Diligence - Episode 32 - Davida Russell
2025 Cleveland Heights Mayoral Candidate Interview #3: Davida Russell
When last we spoke with Davida Russell May 15, she was deciding between running for reelection to city council and running for mayor. A lot has changed in the last three months, she is putting it all on the line in her run to the next Cleveland Heights mayor.
Dew Diligence - Episode 31 - Marty Gelfand
2025 Cleveland Heights Mayoral Candidate Interview #2: Marty Gelfand
Marty sat down with us in his childhood backyard, Cain Park. In nine years on South Euclid City Council, he developed a reputation as a collaborative colleague who always put the interests of residents first. He hopes to bring that energy to the top job in Cleveland Heights.
Dew Diligence - Episode 30 - Deanna Bremer Fisher
2025 Cleveland Heights Mayoral Candidate Interview #1: Deanna Bremer Fisher
Deanna Bremer Fisher is currently Chief of Staff for University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan. She is a 30-year resident of Cleveland Heights and the former Executive Director of Future Heights. This the first of five candidate interviews leading up to the September 9 primary.
Dew Diligence - Episode 29 - Rhonda Lovejoy
Word broke Monday that Mayor Seren will not be on the September 9 primary ballot, but Rhonda Lovejoy says the recall effort should move forward. The former chairperson of the Racial Justice Taskforce says its been tough to advocate for change in Cleveland Heights but she's optimistic about the future.
Dew Diligence - Episode 28 - Councilwoman Davida Russell
Cleveland Heights Councilwoman Davida Russell has a huge decision to make. Will she run to retain her council seat or will she run for mayor? She must make a decision by June 11.
Dew Diligence - Episode 27 - University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan
Its been a roller coaster year at City Hall in University Heights between the threats of a recall and the major development projects. And Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan has made the momentous decision that this will be his last ride. He talks to Dew Diligence about his recent decision to not run for reelection in 2025.
Dew Diligence - Episode 26 - Councilman Craig Cobb "The Budget"
Councilman Craig Cobb is not happy. He and five other members of Cleveland Heights City Council voted to approve a temporary 3-month budget, rejecting Mayor Seren's full-year 2025 budget. Mayor Seren says this is petty politics and has made his feelings known over city social media channels. Council says chaos in the city finance department, delays in getting hands on budget materials and holes in the budget as presented made passing the Mayor's 12-month budget as impossible.
Dew Diligence - Episode 25 - Jaime "Jaques François" Hosticka
The growing pains continue for our still new-ish form of government. Our outgoing Cleveland Heights Rec Director lights City Hall a love letter on the way out the door which set off a chain of events ending with Mayor Seren announcing he is investigating members of City Council for meeting in secret (violating Sunshine Laws). The collaboration everyone says they desire might tough moving forward given the events, and heated rhetoric, of the last week. Jaime Hosticka, who goes by Jaques François online, is a clinical psychotherapist and a former moderator of the Cleveland Heights Neighborhood Chatter Facebook Group. He gives us his impressions on the state of discourse at City Hall.
Dew Diligence - Episode 24 - The Rooster DJ Byrnes
Citizen journalist DJ Byrnes is doing his best to make life miserable for the GOP supermajority (and some Democrats) at the Statehouse in Columbus. I sat down with him at Franklin Park, not far the Statehouse, just an hour after Joe Biden announced he was dropping out. We talk about the effect his withdrawal could have on Sherrod Brown and the rest of the ballot, the school voucher lawsuit, the ongoing HB6 investigation, his recent surprise appearance on Last Week Tonight with John Oliver and much more. Subscribe to the Rooster newsletter at www.rooster.info
Dew Diligence - Episode 23 - Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan Recall Effort Follow-Up
There will be no recall vote for University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan. Was the recall “called off” a few days before signatures were due? Or did they organizers simply fall short of the 1200 signatures needed to put the recall on the ballot for a special August election? Mayor Brennan offers his take on why the effort failed and what we can expect from University Heights and the many projects in the pipeline moving forward.
Dew Diligence - Episode 22 - Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan Addresses Recall Effort
A group of five University Heights citizens filed notice with the city that they have begun a recall effort against Mayor Brennan. Moving University Heights Forward is a PAC formed by citizens Daniel Cohen, Scott Soeder, Bonnye Klein, Paul Lindner and Kelly Sheehy to lead the effort. Mayor Brennan pulls no punches as he assesses who he thinks is behind the effort to have him recalled.