'You will all have a new Mayor in 2026': Embattled Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren fails to qualify for election ballot

'You will all have a new Mayor in 2026': Embattled Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren fails to qualify for election ballot

Kahlil Seren, Cleveland Heights' first directly elected mayor whose time in office has been plagued by infighting with City Council and allegations that he and his wife helped foster a "hostile work environment," has failed to qualify for the 2025 ballot in his bid for a second term.

In its updated list of candidates for the Sept. 9 primary, the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections states that Seren did not have enough verified signatures from Cleveland Heights voters prior to the June 11 deadline. State law required Seren and all other potential candidates to turn in at least 342 such signatures, and while the mayor did present a list to election officials before time ran out last Thursday, the board officially ruled Monday that not enough of them were valid.

This will bring Seren's rocky mayoralty to an end no later than midnight on Jan. 1, 2026, when his four-year term is set to expire. 3News has since obtained a letter sent by Seren to Cleveland Heights city employees, where he all but confirmed he will not appeal the board of elections' decision.

The letter reads:

"I am writing all of you to let you know that I will not be on the ballot in the Mayoral election this year, which means that you will all have a new Mayor in 2026. I was not able to collect enough valid signatures to participate as a candidate in this election, unfortunately there were about 44 people who signed other candidates’ petitions first, which meant that I was 39 signatures short.

"I have been honored to work with you on behalf of this city over the last three and a half years, I hope that I have been of benefit to you and your work. I know that budget and staffing cuts, disinvestment in equipment, vehicles, and facilities has made the job harder than it needs to be, but you all have gone out there for years working hard for the City in spite of that. We've just begun turning it around, and I hope that we continue to after my time here is done. I believe that we have accomplished a lot, against some pretty strong headwinds, and I thank you for the work that you do. I will keep working with you for as long as I am in this seat, and I feel certain that for the rest of my time with the City of Cleveland Heights, we will get more good things done."

Five other candidates did turn in enough signatures that were verified by the board of elections, meaning they will all be part of the nonpartisan primary on Sept. 9. The top two vote-getters will advance to the general election in November.

Those candidates are:

• Deanna Bremer Fisher, chief of staff for University Heights Mayor Michael Dylan Brennan
• Former South Euclid City Councilman Marty Gelfand
• Laura Kingsley Hong, attorney and partner at the Cleveland-based firm Tucker Ellis
• Cleveland Heights City Councilman Jim Petras
• Cleveland Heights City Council Vice President Davida Russell

SEREN'S POLITICAL BACKGROUND

A lifelong Greater Clevelander who gained recognition as a policy wonk, Seren was first appointed to Cleveland Heights City Council in 2015 before being elected to a pair of full terms. At the time, Cleveland Heights had a council-manager form of government that saw City Council elect a mayor and vice mayor from its own ranks (Seren himself briefly served as vice mayor), but in 2019, residents voted to scrap that system in favor of a "strong mayor" structure, meaning the mayor and council would essentially have equal power and citizens of the community would directly vote for their chief executive for the first time ever.

That first election came in 2021, with Seren initially finishing second behind nonprofit and business executive Barbara Danforth in a three-person primary. In November, however, Seren overtook Danforth and won the race with more than 60% of the vote, and took office as Mayor of Cleveland Heights on Jan. 1, 2022.

Things mostly appeared tame, at first, with Seren garnering headlines with his LGBTQ+ advocacy and his promotion of initiatives like "No Mow May." He and legislators were also generally aligned on most issues, with Council President Tony Cuda noting earlier this month that lawmakers had approved "99 percent" of the mayor's proposals since he took office.

But towards the end of 2024, cracks in the foundation began to emerge.

'THE BAD HAS BEGUN TO OUTWEIGH THE GOOD'

Last December, City Council was forced to pass a temporary three-month budget in order to keep critical services running. At the time, lawmakers blamed Seren for presenting a late budget proposal they say lacked critical information, while Seren claimed his team had "provided certainly more information than we have in the previous 10 years to the council in making their budgetary decisions."

A full budget was eventually approved, but in March, City Administrator Dan Horrigan abruptly resigned, citing the "improper and un-ethical" conduct of Seren's wife Natalie McDaniel as a reason. Horrigan's departure was just the latest in a number of high-profile exits from City Hall, and council began to take notice of McDaniel's high-profile presence in the building.

"It doesn't matter to me that a family member comes in and aids and assists and provides guidance, but this almost seems like this has crossed the line," Councilman Jim Posch said in an April meeting. "In the spirit of trying to protect the city, we've had 12 major directors leave this city, and we're concerned about this."

At the time, Seren denied that his wife "had the authority to give directives to my staff." However, the biggest bombshell came in May, when the mayor's former special assistant came forward with claims that McDaniel had fostered a "hostile work environment" inside City Hall while also making various antisemitic and homophobic remarks.

Patrick Costigan, who says he was fired from the administration in March, first filed a complaint with both the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Ohio Civil Rights Commission before expanding on his accusations in a discrimination lawsuit last week. Costigan's allegations include:

• McDaniel referring to City Planning Commission Chair Jessica Cohen, an Orthodox Jew, as a "brood mare" who is "destined for the glue factory."
• McDaniel purportedly calling City Planning and Economic Development Director Eric Zamft a "pawn" for the Orthodox Jewish community.
• McDaniel attacking proposed new zoning requirements for places of worship and allegedly claiming they would improperly benefit the Orthodox Jewish community in the Taylor neighborhood.
• Costigan claiming to have heard McDaniel referring to an Orthodox Jewish resident who complained about city services as "that Jewish b----."
• McDaniel allegedly referring to 2025 mayoral candidate Marty Gelfand as "one of them," meaning a Jewish candidate recruited to run against Seren.
• McDaniel allegedly using "what can be described as a stereotypical New York Jewish accent" to mock residents or others, including using such accent to tell Costigan that "black people don't grow up with generational wealth and things like a Jewish accountant."
• McDaniel allegedly using a homophobic slur in reference to a member of council "on numerous occasions."

Although McDaniel is not an official Cleveland Heights employee, Costigan stated that she "has been personally involved in official Cleveland Heights business," with Seren frequently referring to her as the "First Lady." For his part, Seren has been adamant that neither he nor his wife are antisemitic, and claims her remarks were either "altered" or taken out of context (he did admit that she called Cohen a "brood mare"). He has vociferously resisted calls to resign, and even evoked the late author and civil rights activist James Baldwin during a meeting last month when he told councilmembers "I am not your Negro."

Council's frustrations continued to grow, but without a mechanism to remove Seren from office, legislators instead approved a motion of no confidence against the mayor. While taking care to highlight what he saw as Seren's good qualities, Cuda nonetheless expressed his lamented what he described as Seren's "inability to retain staff, get along with council, the school board, and so many of our residents."

"It's the residents I hear from most often," Cuda said prior to the no confidence vote. "So many of them have lost confidence in the mayor to be accountable, responsive, and deliver the services they so richly deserve. To summarize: The bad has begun to outweigh the good."

'DRAGGED THIS CITY THROUGH THE MUD'

More concerns arose regarding key card access for both the mayor and his wife, with McDaniel at one point having been photographed holding what appears to be Seren's city badge. Seren had previously denied he had access to the city law offices, but 3News media partner Cleveland.com later obtained video showing the mayor using a card to enter the department. WKYC has since independently verified the footage.

Then, this past Friday, 3News learned that Cleveland Heights Police Chief Christopher Britton had sent a letter to the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation on April 30 requesting "to review and consider for investigation an incident for which we have a conflict of interest." According to the letter, on April 3, a paralegal discovered a laptop in the city's law department "concealed from plain sight between the refrigerator and a stack of boxes." The computer was plugged in, opened, with the user name of the locked screen visible. The name was redacted in the letter obtained by 3News. 

Britton noted that investigators were conducting interviews that day regarding McDaniel's conduct in the office. As Cleveland.com's Cory Shaffer previously reported, surveillance video captured Seren swiping into the law department at 7:09 a.m. on April 3 — more than an hour before business hours began — and leaving roughly four minutes later. Britton's letter stated no other personnel were present at the time.

Shaffer also reported that Seren later swiped into the law department at about 7:05 p.m. that evening. The letter stated that he encountered an employee working late. The mayor apparently told the employee that he was "just stopping by to say good night and this was highly unusual." 

The letter said that Seren returned to the law department on April 4 and told an employee he had left his laptop there, but the employee said she had not seen it. On Saturday, April 5, Britton reports that Seren returned to the law department for a short time. The laptop was gone when a staffer came into the office later that day. 

Britton told the BCI that employees suspected that Seren was using the laptop to "illegally record or attempting to record/intercept the interviews" that were taking place. The FBI had declined to investigate the matter, with BCI also opting not to review the case. 

Nevertheless, City Council called an emergency meeting last Friday after Britton's letter was made public and unanimously approved a resolution that would initiate an investigation into the matter. The measure also called for Seren to refrain from making any personnel decisions in an effort to prevent any retribution, and asked him to consider resigning as mayor "so the community can move forward."

"Today is yet another sad day for Cleveland Heights," Cuda said following the vote. "We have to get to the bottom of this. During the last six months, the mayor and his wife have dragged this city through the mud."

'A POLITICAL LYNCHING'

Seren made a quick appearance at last Friday's meeting, but declined a chance to speak. Afterward, however, he released fiery statement where he claimed to be a victim of a "political lynching" and added that he would now allow "racists, demagogues or special interests" to distract him "from the work that matters."

The mayor wrote, in part:

"As the mayor of this great city, I fully expect political opposition - that comes with the job and it's fair. But what is not fair, what is not acceptable, is the persistence of a false and deeply harmful trope: that I, as a Black man, lack the intelligence, the work ethic, and the moral character to lead. That narrative is not new. It is a relic of America’s darkest chapters, used for generations to justify slavery and the systematic subjugation of Black people - by denying our capacity for thought, leadership and self-determination. To see that same trope weaponized against me today is not just a personal attack - it's an attack on progress, on truth and on every Black person who has ever been told they are less than. I reject it fully - and I will continue to lead this city with the strength, integrity and vision our residents deserve."

As all of this was back-and-forth was occurring, Seren was hard at work plotting his reelection campaign. Prior to Monday's decision, he had previously thanked residents for "working hard to put me back on the ballot this week despite the best efforts of some who have tried for my entire term to overturn the will of the voters by consistently undermining the person they chose to lead."

"While the validation of my candidacy is currently in the hands of the Board of Elections, I am your Mayor for the remainder of 2025," Seren stated last week before learning today that his candidacy was over.

MONDAY'S REACTIONS

Hours after the board's ruling came down, Seren addressed the public during a lengthy town hall at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, defending both himself and McDaniel against claims of wrongdoing. He also took questions from reporters and the audience, but with certain "ground rules" regarding decorum and what topics could be discussed, citing ongoing investigations.

The mayor said he was "disappointed" with failing to make the primary ballot, and admitted he began the petitioning process a little late. He also echoed the sentiments made in his Friday statement, blaming many of the attacks made against him and his wife on racism.

"The people of Cleveland Heights heard that accusation and decided it must be true," an emotional Seren told those assembled. He also pledged to stay on as mayor until his term is over, declaring, "When the damn building burns down, you don't just give up."

While many in the crowd applauded Seren multiple times during the meeting, others expressed aggravation, with some walking out of the church in annoyance. James Bates, one of the mayor's most vocal civilian opponents, took particular issue with the comparisons to lynching.

"It's disgusting," Bates, who is Black, told 3News. "It's disgusting because it actually denigrates the memory of actual people who were actually lynched."

Bates and others were outside St. Paul's working to gather their own signatures for a recall effort against Seren. If the group can get roughly 3,000 signatures by July 9, then the question of whether or not to remove Seren from office could potentially be put to voters on Sept. 9 — the same day as the mayoral primary.

As Seren spoke at St. Paul's, councilmembers were across town holding their regular biweekly meeting. For the most part, they focused on normal business, but Seren remain a hot topic of conversation for both residents and the ever-exasperated legislative body.

"I am disgusted that the mayor continues to play the race card," Councilman Craig Cobb said. "And although he isn't here tonight because he's having a meeting at St. Paul Church, I am pretty sure he is playing the race card again there."

Cobb is biracial, and recalled as a young boy journeying to South Carolina before the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. With Jim Crow laws still in effect, Cobb says he was forced to drink at segregated water fountains, an experience that had a deep impact on him and led to his anger over Seren's most recent remarks.

"I do not need to be educated on systematic racism or the vestiges of slavery, because I have lived that experience firsthand," Cobb stated. "When you use race as a shield from criticism or accountability, all you do is sow mistrust in this community, and that is what the mayor has done and continually does."

As Cobb mentioned, Seren did not make an appearance at the meeting. Council did vote to add two additional meetings to its calendar — one in June and one in July — during what would have been a scheduled summer recess, with some members saying they felt they could not take the time off with so much work to be done.