Erick Walker

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Erick Walker

Nonpartisan

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 2, 2021

Military

Service / branch

U.S. Army

Years of service

1992 - 2000

Personal

Birthplace

Cleveland, Ohio

Religion

Baptist

Profession

Senior clerk; Cleveland Public Library, Government Documents Department

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Erick Walker ran for election to the Cleveland City Council to represent Ward 4 in Ohio. He lost in the general election on November 2, 2021.

Walker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Erick Walker was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He served in the United States Army Reserve from 1992 to 2000. He attended the University of Akron and graduated from the Neighborhood Leadership Institute. His career experience includes working as the senior clerk at the Cleveland Public Library in the Government Documents Department.

Walker has been affiliated with the following organizations:

• SEIU1199
• Olivet Institutional Baptist Church
• NAACP

Elections

2021

See also: City elections in Cleveland, Ohio (2021)

General election

General election for Cleveland City Council Ward 4

Deborah Gray defeated Erick Walker, Antoine Tolbert, and Dontez Taylor in the general election for Cleveland City Council Ward 4 on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Deborah Gray (Nonpartisan)	61.3	1,989
		Erick Walker (Nonpartisan)	35.9	1,164
	Submit photo	Antoine Tolbert (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	1.2	38
	Submit photo	Dontez Taylor (Nonpartisan) (Write-in)	0.1	3
		Other/Write-in votes	1.6	52

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 3,246
= 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.

Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Cleveland City Council Ward 4

The following candidates ran in the primary for Cleveland City Council Ward 4 on September 14, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Deborah Gray (Nonpartisan)	26.7	670
✔		Erick Walker (Nonpartisan)	19.1	478
	Submit photo	Craig Willis (Nonpartisan)	12.8	320
	Submit photo	Ashley Evans (Nonpartisan)	9.7	243
		Kenneth L. Johnson (Nonpartisan)	7.6	190
	Submit photo	Mario Snowden (Nonpartisan)	5.9	149
		Cecil Ekechukwu (Nonpartisan)	5.6	141
	Submit photo	Mike Shomo (Nonpartisan)	3.8	95
	Submit photo	Arnold Shurn (Nonpartisan)	3.7	92
	Submit photo	Vanessa Crumb (Nonpartisan)	2.9	72
	Submit photo	Rowland Mitchell (Nonpartisan)	2.4	59

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,509
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• S. Xavier Allen (Nonpartisan)
• Antoine Tolbert (Nonpartisan)
• Dontez Taylor (Nonpartisan)
• Torrean Williams (Nonpartisan)
• LaShorn Caldwell (Nonpartisan)

Campaign themes

2021

Video for Ballotpedia

Video submitted to Ballotpedia Released August 10, 2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Erick Walker completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2021. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Walker's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born and raised in Cleveland. I’ve lived in Ward 4 for forty plus years. I attended Cleveland Public Schools, Robert Fulton, until the 6th Grade. My mother was a single working woman who kept a close eye on me growing up. In the7th grade, she transferred me to Lutheran Schools where I studied until I graduated Lutheran High School East. After high school I attended the University of Akron and joined the United States Army Reserves. I served in the Reserves 8 years to help pay for college. I am presently employed by Cleveland Public Library where I have worked for 26 years. I’m very active in my Union, SEIU 1199, as an Executive Board member. In that role, I represent 485 union members and have successfully negotiated a number of contracts to ensure they were fair and equitable to unionized workers. In 2013 I was accepted into the Neighborhood Leadership Institute (NLI) class 30, where I learned about the City of Cleveland and how to productively advocate for the residents of my community. I attended Mt Olive Baptist Church on 126th and Kinsman for 13 years and since 2012 I have been a member of Olivet Institutional Baptist Church on 89th and Quincy. This past September 26th, 2020 after the murder of George Floyd, I led an event in my community sponsored by Reclaim Ward 4 called “A Call 4 Change.” The event’s purpose was to get people in my neighborhood registered to vote and to complete the census. We were successful in getting about 100 people registered.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• I am committed to increasing the voter participation in Ward 4
• I want to see a trade school on the East side of Cleveland like that of Max Hayes on the West side.
• I will have regular ward meeting to listen and inform the community of Ward 4.

Community Question Featured local question

Do you think the downtown area is healthy? What is your definition of a healthy downtown? What changes, if any, would you like to make?

I want to see us take some innovative action to build on our water front.

Community Question Featured local question

If you were to receive a $1 million grant for Cleveland, how would you use it?

I want to start getting affordable home built in the community, this would give a great start in achieving that.

Community Question Featured local question

What do you think about the city's current approach to public safety? Would you take any different positions?

I believe we have to deal with poverty if we want to see a reduction in crime. Increasing the minimum wage to $15 an hour, providing access to health care which includes mental health, access to fresh foods, having job training programs in the community.

Let re-imagine how we are policed in the City of Cleveland.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Making sure we get Public Comment in City Hall

Attacking Poverty in Ward 4

Finding innovative ways to deal with crime in Ward 4 by seeking the help of the Cleveland Peace Alliance

Bringing job training in the trades to Ward 4

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

I currently work for Cleveland Public Library in the Government Documents Department and I pay close attention to the workings of the Federal Government. I am an Executive Board member for SEIU1199 where I serve and represent 300 plus members. I have been instrumental in negotiating labor contracts which includes livable wage and safe working environment. Prior to Covid-19 I was present regularly at City Council meeting every Monday.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I read about the heroic action of Robert Small who was born into slavery, escaped and became a United States Congressman and purchased the home where he was enslaved. He saw the need to take action and he was prepared to give up everything for his freedom and the freedom of his family.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Be Free or Die by Cate Lineberry

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

Our Time is Now by Stacy Abrams

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, Transparency and Integrity

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

My passion and care for the well being of Human Beings

Leadership

Integrity

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To listen to their constituency and to act in their best interest.

What legacy would you like to leave?

That I was trans-formative in my community.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Taking a trip to Egypt and learning about the Kemetic people and their civilization I was 50 years of age.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Bagging groceries for about a year.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Be Free or Die, The Story of Richard Smalls escape from slavery.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

Marvels Iron Man

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Leave the Door Open-Bruno Mars/Anderson Paak

Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics?

I do think it beneficial to know how our three branches of government works, to be politically astute and to care about the people you are representing.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

I bring the expertise of negotiating. This is going to be very important when trying to pass legislation.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Note: Community Questions were submitted by the public and chosen for inclusion by a volunteer advisory board. The chosen questions were modified by staff to adhere to Ballotpedia’s neutrality standards. To learn more about Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection Expansion Project, click here.

See also

2021 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

Documenting America's Path to Recovery The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel Union Station

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Cleveland City Council Ward 4

Website

Facebook

Personal

LinkedIn