Former CSU law professor Matthew Ahn loses Democratic primary for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor – The Cauldron
Matthew Ahn, North Royalton native, lawyer, and former visiting professor at Cleveland State University College of Law, fell short of the Democratic nomination for Cuyahoga County Prosecutor on Tuesday, March 9.
Destined to be an uphill battle from the start, the 32-year-old Ahn challenged 60-year-old two-time incumbent Democrat Michael O’Malley, who unseated his incumbent challenger in 2016 and ran uncontested in 2020 for the position.
O’Malley defeated Ahn with 59% of the vote before the clock struck midnight on Election day, after which his campaign released a celebratory statement on social media.
“Under my leadership, victims’ voices will remain central to our pursuit of justice,” O’Malley said. “I am resolute in running the Prosecutor’s Office in a manner that ensures public safety and serves the interests of all Cuyahoga County residents.”
O’Malley added that he and the residents of Cuyahoga County “defeated out-of-state radical interests from meddling in our local justice system,” calling his opponent, Ahn, a “radical progressive” and expressing gratitude toward his fellow Democrats for his success.
Although O’Malley’s incumbency proved a disadvantage along the campaign trail, Ahn did manage to block O’Malley from the local Democratic party’s endorsement. However, Ahn’s experience in law and academia couldn’t overtake O’Malley’s long-time experience as a prosecutor for voters, with the former ultimately falling short.
After the election was called, Ahn took to social media with a picture of his supporters and a statement:
“No matter what the result was tonight, we have a lot of work to do in this town. People don’t feel safe. People don’t feel heard. And this reality isn’t changing in only a 4-year term…I hope that in the next 4 years, we do not lead the state in a disproven approach to juvenile crime. We do not lead the state in wrongful convictions. We do not lead the nation in death sentences. I am grateful for all of you. Please know we’re just getting started.”
Ahn’s campaign focused on combating what he deemed shortcomings of the current prosecutor’s office led by O’Malley, which included a high rate of trying children as adults, wrongful convictions, targeting of marginalized groups, jail overcrowding and “abuse” of the death penalty.
His campaign’s tagline, “Justice, For All,” highlighted four major initiatives: targeting harmful crime within the community, building a prosecutor’s office “in the People’s interest,” breaking the “cycle of trauma” and promoting rehabilitation services.
Election Day
O’Malley will take on Republican challenger and write-in candidate Anthony Alto in November in a seemingly uncompetitive contest. Indeed, the incumbent is projected to win given the strong Democratic hold on the county, and the fact that his opponent is a political newcomer.
Election Day is Nov. 5, 2024. The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 7. Military and overseas absentee voting begins Sept. 20. Early in-person voting and absentee voting by mail for the remainder of voters begins Oct. 8.
Learn more on election deadlines, photo identification and more here.