Embattled Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren fails to qualify for election.ballot
CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — 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.
https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/politics/elections/cleveland-heights-mayor-kahlil-seren-will-not-be-on-2025-election-ballot-failing-to-collect-enough-signatures/95-0584efe1-deda-4895-8bb0-deb3a83455bf