Court Confirms Sandra Morgan as East Cleveland Mayor

East Cleveland City Hall in 2022. Sandra Morgan will be mayor of the city, a judge confirmed last week, until at least this November. Credit: Google

Sandra Morgan, a longtime East Cleveland resident, is secured as ousted Mayor Brandon King’s successor, an Ohio Supreme Court judge determined last week.

In late February, Morgan was chosen by Judge Anthony Russo as East Cleveland’s interim mayor, months after King was indicted for three felonies, ranging from theft in office to unlawful interest in a public contract.

King was suspended from office, but kept his mayoral title until February, when deliberation began in the courts surrounding who—legally, and in line with state and city law—should succeed King.

A city charter from 1912 suggested the president of East Cleveland City Council; one legal interpretation said the East Cleveland law director should serve; Ohio Law suggested a probate court judge, Russo in this case, should decide.

Last week, the Ohio Supreme Court ruling sided with state law: Morgan will be East Cleveland mayor until November elections.

The granddaughter of Cleveland inventor Garrett Morgan, best known for constructing the three-way traffic light, Sandra Morgan’s new post comes after working as an outreach director for Kent State University. She’s also served on East Cleveland’s Fiscal Oversight Commission board for years, along with the board of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

Yet, it seems Morgan was selected, out of 34 applicants, for her knowledge of East Cleveland’s highs and lows. Morgan has lived in the city for the past 18 years.

Which gives her a kind of credibility to begin to address the city’s myriad issues.

“My motivation here in East Cleveland was just understanding that we really need to tighten things up,” Morgan told Signal Cleveland. “The people of East Cleveland deserve better governance, stronger leadership and a more clear-eyed and strategic view of our future. The people here need to be empowered, so it’s important that we give them a voice.”

A voice that boils down to, Morgan added, three main points of political focus: “The budget, strengthening public safety and investing in public works.”

Morgan will also be running to keep her seat, Signal Cleveland reported. If she wins, she’ll spearhead East Cleveland until 2029.