Kate Warren is a champion for Cleveland, Old Brooklyn, and women. Warren served on the board of The Old Brooklyn Community Development Corporation and as a research fellow at The Center for Community Solutions; Warren advocated for women-friendly policies by developing statewide fact sheets on the status of women in Ohio. Warren is running to represent the people of Ward 13 to provide quality city services, reduce poverty, improve public health, and increase government transparency.

Volunteer with Kate! Warren for Ward 13

Meet the Candidate

Can you tell our members a little bit about your journey to filing as a candidate?

I have always loved community work and democracy. I’ve been the friend who reminds (nags?) my friends about the importance of voting. I’ve also always wanted to make a difference in my community. Last year, I really started to have this sense that if I really wanted to make a difference in my community, I should run for City Council, so I started asking neighbors what they thought and heard a resounding “YES!” So here I am, a year later, on the ballot for Cleveland City Council.

Tip O’Neill famously said that “all politics is local.” What are the top two issues your community faces today and how do you plan to address them?

My community is facing a breakdown in city services – residents don’t feel they are being responded to when they have issues on their streets and they feel worried about the future of our neighborhood. I see the bigger picture – these issues are connected to increasing poverty in our city. I plan to work hard to listen to and respond to my neighbor’s concerns while working behind the scenes to help fix the systems that provide services so that we can provide better service to residents. I also plan to work on strategic public policy to help address poverty in Cleveland. I believe our future as a city depends on it.

What stands out in our values as most important to you and your experience (or expected experience) in public office? Our values are:

∙      Economic empowerment

∙      Equity and independence

∙      Dominion over our bodies

∙      Access to education

∙      Safe communities in which to live and raise our families

I believe economic empowerment is one of the most important ways we can improve our communities. Cleveland has crippling poverty, and women, particularly women with children, are more vulnerable to poverty. If we can do work to increase access to well-paid jobs, childcare supports that make work more accessible, and more, we will lift our whole communities.

What does a Matriots PAC endorsement mean to you and your campaign?

As a woman running for office for the first time, knowing I have the Matriots behind me is so vital – I feel as though I am a part of something bigger. We share a goal to have more representation in government and elevate the voices and concerns of women. I’m so thankful to be a part of such a smart, capable cohort of women who are changing the face of local government, one by one.