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The Power 100: Sixth Sense
By Edited by Erick Trickey Cuyahoga County’s political revolution — the passage of Issue 6, the new charter government — caused extraordinary movement on our Power 100 list. It accelerated some political careers, endangered some and finished others. Here’s our guide to who’s up and who’s down.
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 Chris Ronayne
President, University Circle Inc.
His optimistic debate-circuit support of Issue 6 created buzz for Ronayne’s possible run for county executive. The energetic leader of University Circle, formerly Jane Campbell’s top idea man, is admired as a progressive innovator, but he’s never been on a ballot before. That’d hurt him in a normal year, but when voters want change, will it help?
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Nina Turner
State Senator
The threats and caricatures meant to punish Turner, the only major black official to support Issue 6, gained her more friends than they drove away. Because she stood up to bullies and sensed that black voters supported reform more than established black leaders, lots of influential people will now listen to what Turner has to say and support her if she chooses to defend her Senate seat in May.
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 Joe Cimperman
Cleveland City Councilman
Cimperman held on to his reputation as a leader of a new political generation by supporting Issue 6. Downtown’s councilman always has clout with developers and campaign donors. And with his winter meetings about the Medical Mart, he’s stepping up on a big issue as the county commissioners recede and positioning himself as a possible candidate for the new government’s top job.
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Martin Zanotti
Former Mayor, Parma Heights
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Judy Rawson
Former Mayor, Shaker Heights
Already respected as mayors and advocates for regional cooperation, this triumvirate of Issue 6 framers has emerged as the voice of reform. Although only one of the three still holds office, they’ll wield a transitional power in 2010. Their New Cuyahoga Now group has partnered with the county administrator to help with the transition to the new government they designed.
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Bill Mason
County prosecutor
By joining the reform effort early, Mason showed his survival instincts and finally scored a victory over Jimmy Dimora for power in the Democratic Party. The last county official standing, he doesn’t even have to run in the new elections this year. He keeps his job through 2012. Still, critics may ask why he didn’t notice when others corrupted the old government. |
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Peter Lawson Jones
County commissioner
He could’ve withstood the voters’ revolt if he’d stayed neutral. Instead, he led the argument against Issue 6 and put a vague alternative on the ballot. Now, Jones faces long odds if he runs for county executive: Every opponent will tag him as the old-guard candidate. He may leave politics, just two years after a decisive re-election.
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Tim Hagan
County Commissioner
His efforts on the Medical Mart may still bear fruit. But Hagan fatally wounded his influence with his key role in buying the Ameritrust Tower and his angry defenses of the status quo last year.
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Jimmy Dimora
County Commissioner
No. 4 on our 2008 Power 100 list, now gone. But in one way, Dimora still wielded influence this fall. The FBI probe of him, and his obnoxious live-TV rant about it, did more to convince voters to topple the government than anything else.
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