Euclid Politics and the Illusion of Choice
Op Ed About County Council 11 Race
For the first time in a long while, Ohio’s primaries feel like they offer real choices. At least on the surface.
From my perspective as a Euclid resident, that comes with a heavy dose of reality. The apathy here is real, and so is the frustration. What you hear from residents and what you see out of City Hall often feel like two completely different things. Local politics has started to resemble an exclusive club, one that protects itself at all costs. The priority too often looks like maintaining control, not serving the people.
The Euclid Democratic Club and the Euclid Democratic Party put real resources behind the candidates they want. I have seen it firsthand. I have run for City Council and for Council President, and even as a registered Democrat, I could not align myself with how this city operates politically. That is not a casual statement. That is lived experience.
That said, this is not about Euclid’s city races. This is about the County Council race, where the stakes go well beyond one city.
There are real differences between the candidates, and those differences matter.
Shirley Smith brings decades of legislative experience and a long record of public service. Ebony Spano, a veteran, activist, and nonprofit leader from Highland Heights, represents a younger generation that is motivated, engaged, and deserves serious consideration.
Then there is Christine McIntosh, often promoted as “Euclid’s own.”
McIntosh was appointed to Euclid’s Ward 5 Council seat, chosen over candidates with significantly more legal and community experience. She served nearly a full term before moving into a position at City Hall that, to many observers, appeared to be created along the way. Despite not having formal qualifications at the time, the city funded her education so she could grow into the role she was already holding. She stepped away from her council seat shortly after that opportunity opened up.
Her record also includes a vote in the controversial 2019 decision involving Euclid’s tax collection. Residents made their position clear. They voted to keep the city’s tax department and reject RITA. That decision was overturned by the mayor and council anyway. McIntosh voted to override the will of the voters.
For a lot of people, that moment was not just policy. It was a line. Council members are supposed to represent their constituents, not work around them when it is inconvenient.
McIntosh, along with congressional candidate Maria Jukic, who is running in a district where she does not live, reflects what many see as a broader pattern. A system that rewards proximity to power more than it rewards accountability to residents.
Endorsements are another piece of this.
After going through that process myself, I do not look at endorsements the same way anymore. During my campaign, I sat down with groups like the North Shore AFL CIO. With my family’s union background, I expected consistency. At candidate meetings, leadership made it very clear that using non union labor would cost support.
But those standards did not hold. We saw public protests at Sims Park over the use of non union labor on the pier project, and then saw the same leadership turn around and re endorse the officials involved. That disconnect matters.
In this race, Shirley Smith has secured support from federal level figures and PACs. Ebony Spano has earned endorsements from groups like the Ohio Young Democrats, NEO Democratic Veterans, and the Cuyahoga Democratic Women’s Caucus.
McIntosh’s endorsements come largely from individual political figures, including Mayor Kirsten Holzheimer Gail, Mayor Georgine Welo, State Senator Kent Smith, State Representative Eric Synenberg, County Council President Dale Miller, Euclid Council President Kristian Jarosz, and a range of current and former local officials.
Some will look at that and see strength. Others will look at it and see a tightly connected political network reinforcing itself.
Campaign funding adds another layer. Support from established figures like Kent Smith and County Executive Chris Ronayne raises a fair question. Is this about shared policy direction, or is it about maintaining influence over the seat? Voters can draw their own conclusions, but it is hard to ignore the perception that this support is more about control than about the residents of District 11.
There is also a practical concern that should not be brushed aside. McIntosh has said she does not plan to step down from her role at Euclid City Hall if elected. That creates an obvious conflict. It would likely require her to recuse herself from issues involving Euclid.
If that happens, Euclid effectively loses a voice at the county level on matters that directly impact the city. That is not a small detail. That is a structural limitation voters should take seriously.
At the end of the day, everything described here is legal. The system allows it. That is part of the problem.
If anything is going to change, it is not going to come from inside that system.
It is going to come from the voters deciding they have had enough.
Stay Angry
This op-ed by Dani Pajak breaks down the County Council District 11 race from a local perspective. If you want to contribute to The Angry Ohioan, send over your ideas or drafts.
Dani Pajak is a Euclid resident and community advocate who has run for local office, including Euclid City Council and Council President, building a reputation as an outspoken critic of the city’s political establishment. While not currently holding elected office, Pajak has remained active in local politics and public debate, focusing on accountability, neighborhood investment, and resident representation. Public election records show Pajak has previously run in municipal races but has not secured a win to date.