Dimitri McDaniel Several strong Democratic primary candidates are seeking to replace term-limited state Rep. John Barnes Jr. in the 12th Ohio House District, which reaches from a slice of southeast Cleveland to Bedford, Bedford Heights, Highland Hills, Maple Heights, Mayfield Heights, North Randall, Orange, Pepper Pike and Warrensville Heights.
*Juanita Brent, 34, of Cleveland, niece of the late state Rep. Vermel Whalen, is a former Ohio Democratic Party field director who says she left a job (the nature of which she oddly wouldn't specify) at the Defense Finance and Accounting Services office last year to run for office.
*Yvonka Hall, 50, of Cleveland, is program administrator for the Northeast Ohio Black Health Coalition and helped found the Cleveland Lead Safe Network.
*Dimitri McDaniel, 24, of Bedford Heights, is a law student and the first male in his family to graduate from college, and worked as senior legislative aide to state Sen. Sandra Williams.
All three spoke passionately about the need for improved re-entry programs for previously incarcerated young black men and for more efforts to address gun violence, including via an assault weapons ban. McDaniel and Brent were notably focused on pragmatic solutions.
Also in the race are Patrice Brown, 51, of Cleveland, an independent Ohio Medicaid provider; Earl W. Campbell Sr., 61, of Cleveland, a manufacturing manager; and Isaac Powell, 65, of Bedford Heights, a perennial candidate who is a retired school custodian and former union official.
McDaniel says his determination to effect change partly reflects his own father's stints in prison. He understands how Columbus works and said he would take the time off from law school needed to serve District 12.
Many of Brent's opponents groused about the way she systematically lined up endorsements from officials in the district -- but we regard such outreach as an asset. Nonetheless, we were troubled by Brent's refusal to reveal the nature of her most recent job and her recent admission she'd let her driver's license lapse.
It's a close call, but Dimitri McDaniel's life experiences and Statehouse experience make him the best choice for 12th District Democratic voters.
No Republican is running. Early voting in the May 8 Democratic primary has begun.
Juanita Brent, Patrice Brown, Earl W. Campbell Sr., Yvonka Hall, Dimitri McDaniel and Isaac Powell, candidates in the May 8 Democratic primary for the open seat to represent Ohio House District 12, were interviewed by the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer as part of its May 8 primary endorsement process on April 9, 2018. Listen to audio of the full interview below:
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