Maple Heights Mayor Blackwell runs for Ohio auditor

Maple Heights Mayor Annette M. Blackwell is running for Ohio auditor as a Democrat in the Nov. 3 general election. She faces Republican Frank LaRose.

Blackwell, who has served as mayor since 2016, said on her campaign website that she wants to "tackle this corruption and safeguard our tax dollars by holding bad actors accountable" and partner with communities across the state to provide safe, affordable places to live for working families in every corner of Ohio.

Candidate information

Office sought: Ohio auditor
Party: Democratic
Opponent: Frank LaRose (Republican)
Residence: Maple Heights, Ohio
Education: High school diploma, St. Joseph High School (1980); bachelor's degree in public relations and corporate communications, Ursuline College (2016)

Blackwell moved to Ohio from Selma, Alabama, at age 2, according to the Ohio Democratic County Chairs Association. She was sworn in as Maple Heights' 16th mayor in January 2016, the first woman and first African American to hold the office in the city's 100-year history, according to the city's website.

She is serving her third elected term.

Upon graduating from Ursuline College, Blackwell received the Sister Diana Stano, OSU, PhD, Award for Excellence in Academics, Leadership and Service, according to Ursuline College.

Experience and public service

Blackwell has held roles in property tax, finance and health care over a career spanning several decades, per her BallotReady profile:

Administrative coordinator, University Hospitals of Cleveland (1987–1999)
Property tax associate II, Deloitte (1999–2007)
Senior property tax associate, Thomson Reuters (2007–2012)
Lead analyst, Ryan LLC - Property Tax (2013–2015)
Mayor and director of safety, City of Maple Heights (2016–present)

She also worked in installment lending at KeyBank, formerly Ameritrust, according to Ursuline College.

On the issues

Government, fiscal management and accountability: Blackwell said on her campaign website that when she took office as mayor, Maple Heights was in fiscal emergency and on the state's fiscal watch list. She said she "turned my living room into a war room and poured through the books" to write a five-year turnaround plan. The city received the state auditor's Clean Audit Award every year from 2021 to 2023 under her leadership, according to the Ohio Democratic County Chairs Association.

As auditor, Blackwell said she plans to partner with communities so they can provide safe, affordable places for working families across Ohio.