Tariq K. Shabazz is a 28-year-old veteran of the U.S. Navy who is looking for a path to elected office.
He has run twice for Congress. Now, he鈥檚 competing in the Democratic primary for Cuyahoga County executive. Shabazz is running on a platform of criminal justice reform, cybersecurity and aid to those in economic need.
In 2020, he ran against U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge in the Democratic primary. He won about 3 percent of the vote. Last year, he jumped into the special election to fill Fudge鈥檚 House seat. He finished ninth in the 13-candidate race.
鈥淚鈥檓 a husband, I鈥檓 a Navy veteran, I鈥檓 a political scientist,鈥� he said at a City Club of Cleveland congressional forum last year. 鈥淎s I say all the time, before all those things, I was just a young man who grew up in inner-city Cleveland, Ohio.鈥�
This time, Shabazz is in the running to lead Cuyahoga County government. He said this is why he鈥檚 in the race:
鈥淲e're at a pivotal point in America,鈥� he said. 鈥淓verywhere in America, we're talking about crime, crime, crime, crime. And everywhere we're talking about crime, the first answer to it is, 鈥楳ore police.鈥欌��
But Shabazz said more police should not be the first answer.
鈥淭he first answer should be, 鈥楻emove the condition that is contributing to these crimes.鈥欌��
Those conditions, according to Shabazz are economic and housing insecurity. He said there are two Cuyahoga counties.
鈥淧eople don鈥檛 understand, we're living in two different Cuyahogas,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 two tales of Cuyahoga. It鈥檚 a Cuyahoga where everything is beautiful. It has the right resources for our children to grow in.鈥�
In the other Cuyahoga, he said, are neighborhoods facing gun violence that don鈥檛 have grocery stores nearby. It鈥檚 this economic and social inequality that鈥檚 at the heart of his criticism of current elected officials.
鈥淭hey'll say, you know, 鈥楻acism is a public health crisis.鈥� They'll say, 鈥楨quity, diversity and inclusion,鈥欌�� Shabazz said. 鈥淭hey'll say those things, but truly if that is not your priority, then it will never be a reflection of what your administration will be like.鈥�
As county leaders prepare to build a new county jail, Shabazz said they should put more money toward helping young people and their families with what they lack 鈥� rather than locking more people up.
鈥淢ake sure there鈥檚 more resources for all of them, make sure that they actually, their houses can be repaired, make sure all these things can happen,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is not going to occur if we keep allowing the same type of individuals get in office.鈥�
When the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party met in late January to endorse a county executive candidate, Shabazz wasn鈥檛 allowed to speak.
He needed a nomination from the floor on the party鈥檚 Zoom meeting that included hundreds of committee members. Shabazz didn鈥檛 get one.
鈥淪o that was something I really was a little upset about in some, some extent,鈥� he said, 鈥渢hat we wish we were able to at least reach the body and actually disseminate what our plan and our message was.鈥�
The party endorsed Chris Ronayne. The only other Democrat running, former State Sen. Shirley Smith, dropped out days later. The party鈥檚 endorsement, months of early campaigning, connections and sizable fundraising all give Ronayne a substantial advantage.
Shabazz said he didn鈥檛 expect to get the party鈥檚 endorsement.
鈥淨uite frankly, we know that the party didn't expect us to be the nominee,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ecause I mean, let's be realistic. The nomination happened, what, a week and a half prior to the actual filing deadline? So it created a perception in which, where obviously the party can potentially select someone first.鈥�
Nevertheless Shabazz is still in the race. A week after the endorsement vote, he filed the signatures he needed with the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections to make the ballot.
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