NEWBURGH HEIGHTS, Ohio — It's unusual to start looking at a November suburban mayor's race in June. Then again, the circumstances in Newburgh Heights are anything but normal.
On Tuesday, incumbent Mayor Gigi Traore formally announced her candidacy to remain in office after being elevated to the post last year in the wake of the resignation of Trevor Elkins.
Elkins, who pleaded guilty on misdemeanor charges related to an investigation of his campaign finances, is seeking to return to his old job after serving time in jail and completing his probation requirements.
How did we get here?
Before his resignation, Elkins had not only been the mayor of Newburgh Heights since 2011, he had become a key figure in local Democratic Party politics.
The probe into Elkins' activities first became public in April 2021, according to previous reporting from 3News' Mark Naymik and Phil Trexler. The investigation came amid allegations Elkins had funneled roughly $134,000 from his campaign coffers over a period beginning in 2017.
In April of 2022, Elkins made a plea deal in the case with the following terms in his plea agreement:
- Elkins will resign from office
- Elkins will avoid jail
- Five years of probation
- He will pay a $750 fine
- His campaign account will be closed
- He won’t run for any political office in Cuyahoga County for the 2024-28 term
However, when he was sentenced in June of 2022, Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Joan Synenberg announced a different punishment that included jail time. "I’m imposing six months concurrent. I’m suspending 150 days of it, placing you in one year of community controlled sanctions with the condition of serving 30 days in jail and 200 hours of community work service. If you finish the 200 hours of community work service sooner than the one year, I will consider early termination," she said.
The condition that Elkins would not run for office was apparently part of the "early termination" or is simply not applicable for this fall of 2023.
According to Elkins' court docket, by February 6 of this year, he had completed his 200 hours of community service and "has satisfied all costs and fees ordered by this court during sentencing, as well as serving 30 days in the county jail."
"It's a great opportunity"
With Elkins' resignation from office, Gigi Traore was sworn in as Newburgh Heights' first Black mayor on May 2, 2022.
“It’s phenomenal, it’s a great opportunity,” she told 3News' Neil Fischer after assuming office. “Over the 118 years, we’ve developed, we’ve become more progressive and so this really says a lot for the community.”
In the aftermath of the Elkins controversy, Traore emphasized the importance of building trust in the community. “Because of the history and how I landed here, you know, making sure we have an open and transparent government that’s welcoming to our residents, our businesses and our community partners."
Traore was appointed to Newburgh Heights Village Council in 2018. She was elected to a four-year term the following year and became the council's president pro tempore in 2021.
"A brighter, more prosperous future"
On May 27, Elkins posted a video on his Facebook page and YouTube announcing his candidacy to return to the post of mayor of Newburgh Heights. He filed petitions with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections last week.
"We're at a pivotal moment in the village's history," Elkins stated in the opening moments of his announcement. "Because of this, I stand before you today to announce my candidacy for mayor of the community we love."
For residents that have questions about his legal issues that he termed "the fight of my career," Elkins posted a long letter on his website explaining his actions and apologizing for any wrongdoing. "I am sorry for making the campaign finance reporting violation that led to the conclusion of this chapter. I let my wife and children down. I let my mother down. I let my family down. I let my friends and supporters down. And I let you, the residents, down," he wrote.
In her mayoral announcement, Traore's campaign did not mention Elkins by name, but took several shots at his past. For instance, stating that Traore had served as Newburgh Village Council President Pro Tempore "until the resignation of the former mayor – who resigned after being convicted of over 650 campaign finance violations."
The Traore campaign then added this line: "Despite the intentional discriminatory targeting of the former mayor and members of council she is committed to continuing the work started 5 years ago and to Village residents who deserve to have a trusting and accessible local government."
There were no specific examples of "intentional discriminatory targeting" provided by the Traore campaign in its announcement.
