Here’s a phrase that will get recycled in a few months: Cleveland Heights is getting a new mayor.
Cleveland Heights residents on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to recall Mayor Kahlil Seren, the first elected mayor in the city’s history. The results are unofficial, but as of Tuesday night, more than 82% of voters elected to recall Seren.
Tuesday’s primary election also included five mayoral candidates, which voters narrowed down to councilmembers Jim Petras and Davida Russell for the general election in November.
“We know that the things that we've dealt with before, we're now alleviated from that and we can move forward,” said James Bates, who petitioned for the recall. “There's no hard feelings. We wish Mayor Seren the best in whatever his future endeavors bring and all, but unfortunately, that won't be leading the city any longer.”
Seren and his communications director did not respond to requests for comment but did issue a written statement hours before polls closed.
“I hope that the residents of Cleveland Heights can recognize today that removing a sitting mayor with three months left in the term is not the best choice for Cleveland Heights,” Seren said in the statement.
Once the vote is certified, City Council President Tony Cuda will serve the remainder of the mayoral term, which concludes at the end of the year. Cuda declined an interview Tuesday evening but made a written statement.
“This is not a moment to celebrate. It is an opportunity to right the ship; to stabilize, and to bring our city together,” Cuda's statement said. “Tomorrow, I will call the mayor to ask for his thoughts on the best way to conduct an orderly transition.”
About 24% of voters turned out for the primary election in Cleveland Heights — a much higher turnout than every other Cuyahoga County city with a primary election Tuesday. Voter turnout in Cleveland was 7%, 12% in East Cleveland, 9% in Garfield Heights and 9% in Lakewood.
As of Tuesday night, 6,829 people voted for the recall. Back in 2021, 6,899 people voted for Seren in the general election.
Who’s next?
Petras and Russell separated themselves from the pack but were neck and neck with each other as the top two vote recipients in Tuesday’s primary. They will run against each other in the November general election for mayor.
As of Tuesday night, Petras received 28.43% of the votes.
“People in Cleveland Heights are exhausted. There's been so much in the news, we're ready to turn the page and start a new chapter,” Petras said.
Russell was not far behind with 27.94% of the votes.
“I think we need to put aside everything that's happened in the past. I think need to look forward to the future and start to mend and heal and come together and collaborate to try to move our city forward,” Russell said.
Former community development corporation executive Deanna Bremer Fisher, attorney and former South Euclid councilmember Marty Gelfand and attorney Laura Kingsley Hong also ran in the primary.
Seren failed to get enough valid signatures to run for re-election. Cuda did not run for mayor.
How did we get here?
In 2019, Cleveland Heights residents voted overwhelmingly to ratify its city charter to replace its city manager form of government with a mayoral government, and two years later voted Seren as its first elected mayor.
Earlier this year, a former city employee filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission, claiming Seren and his wife, Natalie McDaniel, created a hostile work environment at city hall.
The complaint accuses McDaniel of making antisemitic and homophobic comments while acting as a de facto representative of the mayor.
The campaign to recall Seren started shortly after the complaints against the political couple became public.
In addition to the workplace complaints, the petition for the recall listed other reasons for the recall effort, including high staff turnover and the submission of an incomplete 2025 budget, which the petition said lacked required information for city council to review.
“We’re glad that he's going to be leaving office early. We certainly wish him well. But we think it's the right thing for the city, and the city can now have a much more orderly and stress-free transition to the new mayor after we know who that's going to be in November,” Michael Bennett, who petitioned for the recall, said Tuesday night.
