Cassandra McDonald
From Ballotpedia
This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.
Cassandra McDonald (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Ohio House of Representatives to represent District 8. McDonald lost in the Democratic primary on May 8, 2018.
McDonald was a 2016 Republican candidate for District 8 of the Ohio House of Representatives.[1]
Biography
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McDonald received her B.A. in urban studies with a focus on urban planning and development. She also earned her master's degree in legal studies with a focus on administrative/regulatory law and criminal law and procedure. She is pursuing a doctorate in law and public policy. McDonald's professional experience includes working as a legal analyst and research associate, an addictions therapist, a corporate trainer, and a legal journalist.[2][3]
McDonald has been associated with the following organizations:[3]
- Founder of the Legal Advocacy and Writ Resource Services (LAWRS) Foundation
- Member of the Black Women's Political Action Committee
- Member of the National Action Network
- Member of the Ohio State Bar Association
- Member of the American Bar Association
- Member of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association
- Member of the Cuyahoga County Progressive Caucus
- Trained Civil Rights Advocate through the ACLU
- Prospective Founder/President of a new NAACP Chapter
- Former Radio Talk Show Co-Host at WERE 1490
- Formerly appointed member of the Cuyahoga Community College Financial Advisory Committee
- Legal Research Assistant through Cleveland Marshall College of Law for the City of Cleveland Consent Decree
- Legal Aid Society, Pro Bono Legal Clinic Advocate/Intake
- Member of the Black Law Student Association (BLSA) Cleveland Marshall College of Law
Elections
2018
General election
General election for Ohio House of Representatives District 8
Incumbent Kent Smith won election in the general election for Ohio House of Representatives District 8 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kent Smith (D) | 100.0 | 36,688 |
| Total votes: 36,688 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 8
Incumbent Kent Smith defeated Cassandra McDonald in the Democratic primary for Ohio House of Representatives District 8 on May 8, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kent Smith | 59.2 | 6,890 |
 | Cassandra McDonald | 40.8 | 4,749 | |
| Total votes: 11,639 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Elections for the Ohio House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on March 15, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was December 16, 2015.
Incumbent Kent Smith defeated Cassandra McDonald in the Ohio House of Representatives District 8 general election.[4]
| Ohio House of Representatives, District 8 General Election, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic |  Kent Smith Incumbent |
79.81% | 40,634 | |
| Republican | Cassandra McDonald | 20.19% | 10,280 | |
| Total Votes | 50,914 | |||
| Source: Ohio Secretary of State | ||||
Incumbent Kent Smith ran unopposed in the Ohio House of Representatives District 8 Democratic primary.[5][6]
| Ohio House of Representatives District 8, Democratic Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Democratic | Kent Smith Incumbent (unopposed) |
100.00% | 13,057 | |
| Total Votes | 13,057 | |||
Cassandra McDonald ran unopposed in the Ohio House of Representatives District 8 Republican primary.[5][6]
| Ohio House of Representatives District 8, Republican Primary, 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Cassandra McDonald (unopposed) |
100.00% | 3,423 | |
| Total Votes | 3,423 | |||
Campaign themes
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Cassandra McDonald participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on April 11, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Cassandra McDonald's responses follow below.[7]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | 1) Education Reform: Affordability, Automation and Technology 2) Criminal/Judicial Reform - Reclassification |
” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | The areas of public policy that I am very passionate about are those related to children’s safety and welfare, homelessness, and epa and educational disparities to name a few. As someone who engages consistently in ensuring human/civil/social justice I have a plethora of things that I commit myself to for better life chance opportunities for us all. I do these things because I truly believe in not just helping humanity, but also showing people the way in order to help themselves. We can’t expect them to do this if we lead the way to where they start, but don’t provide the road map through our policy making to help them find their rightful and productive place in life. Policy making is crucial to the development of sound judgement from efficiency in Administration right down to the confines of our homes.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[9]
|
” |
Ballotpedia also asked the candidate a series of optional questions. Cassandra McDonald answered the following:
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
| “ | Legislators who have made history. Also, Congressional seats that have never been occupied by a woman and/or African American.[9] | ” |
| “ | I believe that my philosophy is comparable to many of the peacemakers of our time. Not that I am as great as them, but I do bring people together and teach individuals the beauty of the world amid the evil we see.[9] | ” |
| “ | I think the characteristics of being able to stand alone when in heavy opposition is a good characteristic; especially if it is something you believe in that is for the betterment of the majority. Also, someone who has demonstrated strong participation in civic engagement, and not just during election time. Likewise, someone who shows humility and humbleness. Leaders should know when it is time to step down or step up![9] | ” |
| “ | I have always had a heart for people, but very steadfast in my beliefs. I do believe in Christ and it keeps me grounded. I am a true activist/advocate and I have been this way since a child. I don’t expect perfection; but I do expect that we recognize that human beings just simply aren’t. Likewise, I am educated, hardworking, and experienced in Law. I also don’t shy away from standing in the gap in a time when people need me to be their voice. I am strong, I am resilient, and I will continue as I have to put people first.[9] | ” |
| “ | The core responsibility of someone in this position is to be a proactive and not reactive thinker. Often those things that need to be done to help constituents are not done until “after” something provokes a response. We can get ahead of some legislative curveballs by examining what we see around us as related to issues. We shouldn’t be overzealous in making new laws to fix problems, but revisit and amend those that we already have on the books. We should be visible in our Districts as often as possible and meet people where they are. We should be able to mediate between government and the people so that needs can be met. Our decisions as a legislator have a profound and direct impact on many lives. We should never make a decision without first considering, “what does that mean, or how will it impact people as a whole?” We have to be mindful that laws we make not only impact the constituents in our District but Ohio as a whole.[9] | ” |
| “ | I would like to leave the legacy of, “Against odds, she got it done.”[9] | ” |
| “ | My first job, which was unpaid was a volunteer position at a hospital as a candy stripper working in the oral surgery department. I was there about 6 months before I found a paying job.[9] | ” |
| “ | My most awkward date was a guy who sucked his teeth and hummed for no reason during dinner![9] | ” |
| “ | My favorite holiday is Christmas. It is both spiritual and a day to love on my family - as I do all the time.[9] | ” |
| “ | If I could be a fictional character it would be Wonder Woman - Linda Carter.[9] | ” |
| “ | My favorite thing in my home is my comfy red couch.[9] | ” |
| “ | The struggles in my life have been understanding why people find it so hard to forgive and understand people make mistakes. We are to critical and judgmental of each other.[9] | ” |
| “ | Overcoming the community/policing issues that are present, reframing our educational system, gaining control of the drug epidemic, and curtailing our housing crisis as a start.[9] | ” |
| “ | Yes. Important especially when the House or Senate is unbalanced by Party number, and it also makes a Bill more likely to be able to get passed.[9] | ” |
| “ | Yes, the Education Committee, Judicial Committee, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.[9] | ” |
| “ | Yes, U.S. Congress.[9] | ” |
2016
McDonald issued the following statement regarding her bid for office:
| “ | I am hoping to influence problem solving at the legislative level by moving past theoretical ideology and operating in more practical and sensible manner. I believe we have come upon a time when we have to address head first those taboo issues regarding race relations, civil rights, addictions/mental health that we tend to shy away from. We have to talk about immigration, domestic violence, and human trafficking. We have to make sure that the laws that are on the books are in sync with our present times. Our decisions as legislators affect to many people for us to move through our decision making recklessly and with bias. | ” |
| —Cassandra McDonald, [2] | ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Cassandra McDonald Ohio House. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Ohio House of Representatives
- Ohio House of Representatives District 8
- Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2016
- Ohio State Legislature
- State legislative elections, 2018
- Ohio House of Representatives elections, 2018
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Candidate Listing By Office," accessed February 8, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Information submitted through Ballotpedia's biographical submission form on February 10, 2016
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Marielle Bricker, "Email communication with Cassandra McDonald," February 17, 2018
- ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Official election results," accessed December 21, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ohio Secretary of State, "Candidate Listing By Office," accessed February 8, 2016
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ohio Secretary of State, "2016 Official Elections Results," accessed August 29, 2016
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Cassandra McDonald's responses," April 11, 2018
- ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 9.17 9.18 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
Current members of the Ohio House of Representatives
Leadership
Speaker of the House:Jason Stephens
Majority Leader:Marilyn John
Minority Leader:Dani Isaacsohn
Representatives
District 1
District 2
Latyna Humphrey (D)
District 3
Ismail Mohamed (D)
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
Allison Russo (D)
District 8
Anita Somani (D)
District 9
Munira Abdullahi (D)
District 10
Mark Sigrist (D)
District 11
Crystal Lett (D)
District 12
Brian Stewart (R)
District 13
Tristan Rader (D)
District 14
Sean Brennan (D)
District 15
Chris Glassburn (D)
District 16
District 17
Mike Dovilla (R)
District 18
Juanita Brent (D)
District 19
Phil Robinson (D)
District 20
District 21
Eric Synenberg (D)
District 22
Darnell Brewer (D)
District 23
Dan Troy (D)
District 24
Dani Isaacsohn (D)
District 25
Cecil Thomas (D)
District 26
District 27
Rachel Baker (D)
District 28
Karen Brownlee (D)
District 29
Cindy Abrams (R)
District 30
Mike Odioso (R)
District 31
Bill Roemer (R)
District 32
Jack Daniels (R)
District 33
Veronica Sims (D)
District 34
Derrick Hall (D)
District 35
Steve Demetriou (R)
District 36
Andrea White (R)
District 37
Tom Young (R)
District 38
Desiree Tims (D)
District 39
Phil Plummer (R)
District 40
Rodney Creech (R)
District 41
Erika White (D)
District 42
Elgin Rogers (D)
District 43
Michele Grim (D)
District 44
Josh Williams (R)
District 45
Jennifer Gross (R)
District 46
Thomas Hall (R)
District 47
Diane Mullins (R)
District 48
Scott Oelslager (R)
District 49
Jim Thomas (R)
District 50
Matthew Kishman (R)
District 51
Jodi Salvo (R)
District 52
Gayle Manning (R)
District 53
Joe Miller (D)
District 54
Kellie Deeter (R)
District 55
Michelle Teska (R)
District 56
Adam Mathews (R)
District 57
Jamie Callender (R)
District 58
Lauren McNally (D)
District 59
Tex Fischer (R)
District 60
Brian Lorenz (R)
District 61
Beth Lear (R)
District 62
Jean Schmidt (R)
District 63
Adam Bird (R)
District 64
Nick Santucci (R)
District 65
David Thomas (R)
District 66
Sharon Ray (R)
District 67
Melanie Miller (R)
District 68
District 69
Kevin Miller (R)
District 70
Brian Lampton (R)
District 71
Levi Dean (R)
District 72
Heidi Workman (R)
District 73
Jeff LaRe (R)
District 74
Bernard Willis (R)
District 75
Haraz Ghanbari (R)
District 76
Marilyn John (R)
District 77
Meredith Craig (R)
District 78
Matt Huffman (R)
District 79
District 80
Johnathan Newman (R)
District 81
James Hoops (R)
District 82
Roy Klopfenstein (R)
District 83
Ty Mathews (R)
District 84
Angela King (R)
District 85
Tim Barhorst (R)
District 86
Tracy Richardson (R)
District 87
Riordan McClain (R)
District 88
Gary Click (R)
District 89
D.J. Swearingen (R)
District 90
Justin Pizzulli (R)
District 91
Bob Peterson (R)
District 92
Mark Johnson (R)
District 93
Jason Stephens (R)
District 94
Kevin Ritter (R)
District 95
Ty Moore (R)
District 96
Ron Ferguson (R)
District 97
Adam Holmes (R)
District 98
Mark Hiner (R)
District 99
Sarah Fowler (R)
Republican Party (65)
Democratic Party (34)
