Robert Schleper is no stranger to being first. In 2021, he became the first independent candidate ever elected to the school board in the Cleveland suburb of Chagrin Falls, and about a decade earlier, he became the first unaligned candidate – and youngest – elected to the board of the same village.
“For me, being first just means that I have kicked the door open and there will be more behind me. I take this responsibility seriously,” Schleper said.
Now Schleper is running on another potentially historic bid, this time to represent District 6 on the Cuyahoga County Council. After winning the March primary election (he ran unopposed), his goal is the November general election. If he wins, not only will he become Cuyahoga County’s first council member; will also remove Republican Jacek Schron, who has represented the 6th District since 2010.
The shelter is one of three Republicans who voted against the county’s 2018 LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination ordinance. While the ordinance still passed thanks to the eight Democrats who voted for it, there is a sturdy appetite for change in the district, Schleper said.
“People are looking for newer, younger and more affirmative voices,” he said. “The Democratic Party won District 6 in the last presidential election, so it’s an easy district to win.”
Buckeye Flame spoke with Schleper about his run, his family and his goal of helping create “Cuyahoga County for All.”
Why Cuyahoga County Council and why now?
I have lived in Cuyahoga County for over 20 years and grew up in Portage County. We continue to witness the erosion of the rights of LGBTQ+ people, women and other disenfranchised groups, and those responsible are becoming increasingly aggressive. I believe in responding to bullies with force, so here I am!
Tell me about an experience you think will be useful to you as a member of the Cuyahoga County Council.
My husband and I lived in Denver, Colorado for about four years before moving back to Northeast Ohio. We actually adopted a child from foster care through the Denver Health & Human Services program. It’s true that it was in a different state, but going through that experience and seeing firsthand the difficulties of the process and the inequities that come with access to health care, housing, financial aid and all these different areas made a huge impression on me. During our adoption journey, I was appointed by the Mayor of Denver to the LGBTQ+ Commission and the Crime Prevention and Control Commission, serving as a liaison to the Denver Public Schools where I worked at the time. These experiences opened my eyes to what people have to deal with, and it’s not unique to Denver. This is a problem that exists in most urban spaces in the country, especially in Cuyahoga County. We are in the ranking last place in the country among urban counties when it comes to maternal and newborn mortality rates.
If elected, what will be your first duties on the board?
My campaign slogan is “Cuyahoga County for All” and my platform is based on a three-pronged approach. As an educator, the first thing for me is to close the gap in the workforce and access to education in our community.
Health equity is also extremely critical to me. When I think about the disparity in health outcomes for Black and Brown women in Cuyahoga County, and that Cleveland prides itself on having some of the best health care systems in the world, the disparity is unacceptable. We have created task forces to address health equity issues in the county, but they need more momentum.
The third critical thing for me is social justice and fair social policy. As an openly gay person living in this county, I have faced discrimination. Although we finally passed an LGBTQ+ anti-discrimination ordinance in 2018, we lagged behind other huge urban counties in this regard.
All of these issues lead to what I think is our biggest problem, which is people leaving the county. Since the 2020 census, we’ve lost approximately 30,000 Cuyahoga County residents — the enormous majority of whom are not moving to other parts of Northeast Ohio, but are in fact leaving the region entirely. This is a disturbing trend. I believe that by addressing issues around access to educational and employment opportunities, health equity, and social justice, we can begin to reverse this trend.
What advice would you give to others in the LGBTQ+ community who might be interested in running for office?
Find your people. Contact the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party – they want recent voices, recent faces and younger people. I know it’s scary, but I have faith that whatever will truly be worth it will happen. So take a deep breath, find the right people and dive in. You will be taken care of; it’s an amazing experience. What better way to spend your life than serving others?
If elected, you will be the first-ever member of the Cuyahoga County Council. You have broken this barrier before by being elected to other offices in the area. What does being “first” mean to you?
In all aspects of my life, I have done my best to be my legitimate self and not let fear dictate how I enter spaces. The most critical thing about being first is that it creates a space for others to come after me and continue the work of ensuring that everyone who lives here has the opportunity to thrive. 🔥
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