The executive director for the County Dems, Ryan Puente, told Scene that Brancatelli was removed in accordance with the party’s bylaws, which state that he will be unable to receive a local endorsement for four years. Per Puente, no one has yet been appointed to fill Brancatelli’s spot on the executive committee.
Brancatelli told Scene that he endorsed O’Leary in light of his record as the incumbent judge, particularly for his work pursuing the right to counsel for evicted tenants. He said that he’d endorsed O’Leary before any Democratic competitors had pulled petitions and that neither his name nor face appeared on any of the judge’s literature.
Nevertheless, O’Leary’s challenger — and ultimate victor — Democrat Mona Scott, filed a formal complaint against him. At a hearing after the election, Brancatelli pleaded his case before the party’s Unity Rules committee, but was denied.
“They said, ‘at the end of the day, you endorsed a Republican,'” Brancatelli said.
According to Puente, Brancatelli may still run as a Democrat (in 2021, for Cleveland City Council, say) but will have to do so without the benefit of the local party’s imprimatur for one election cycle.
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This article appears in Nov 27 – Dec 3, 2019.
Brancatelli was thumbing his nose at the party. As late as the Sunday before the election, O’Leary had a big ad on placemats at the councilman’s pancake breakfast and strolled around the event shaking hands and greeting voters.
Do people still think that the party’s endorsement matters? How’d it work out for Sam O’Leary and Joseph F Russo in 2019? Or all of the endorsed candidates who lost in the 2018 primary? Sam – you wrote an entire article about that embarrassment. Didn’t Welo lose the endorsement bc of something like this, and yet she was fine?
Just watch how many endorsed D candidates lose in the March ‘20 primary and/or in the general. The vast majority of voters dgaf about an endorsement.
Well, it looks like it’s the same old, same old shenanigans in city Clowncil!!!
Despite O’Leary being the far superior candidate, just because of his party affiliation he lost by a landslide to an unknown, (and incompetent!), Democratic, female, and non-Caucasian opponent!!!
The politics in this corruption-filled city and county are a complete joke!!!
“Unity Committee”. In other words, stop thinking for yourselves, MFer!
Who was on the “Party’s Unity Rules Committee?
Cuyahoga Country Democratic Party is despicable. And the reason I am now an Independent. Shame on them.
Brancatelli does more good for more people than most councilmen. The idea that the rest of them punish him for voting for a better candidate, despite the party, tells you everything about why county and city council achieve so little, and our city/county goes nowhere fast.
Brancatelli has ALWAYS been dirty. He supported O’Leary because they don’t want their dirty scams of stealing property for the land bank (which Brancatelli is chair) so they can transfer it to cronies stopped, or exposed.
Blindly voting according to party lines rather than qualifications is damaging our future. The councilman should be praised not punished. The rules should be changed.
Brancatelli deserves to be indicted for racketeering and using his council position and position at the Land Bank to facilitate land/property transactions – please google Brancatelli and REALNEO. I have been documenting his criminal behavior for years (w/the help of many anonymous folks in SV who despise this crook). This guy is as shady as you get – and forget the labels – dems and republicans are part of this syndicate that goes back to Tony Sinagra in Lakewood. How certain players have evaded indictment shows the extent of the protection racket (which includes media) in this town.