Among the Democratic Party primary races Signal Cleveland is following is the one for Ohio House District 19, which has drawn three major candidates to the open seat. (Incumbent Phillip Robinson Jr., of Solon, is term-limited.) The district includes Cleveland’s Old Brooklyn neighborhood and all or portions of a string of eastern and southeastern suburbs. 

The Cuyahoga County Democratic Party’s endorsed candidate is Nicole Sigurdson, a Cleveland resident and union organizer with SEIU District 1199 who narrowly won enough support to secure the party’s influential backing. 

But Sigurdson has been under fire from fellow party members and others for a comment she made on social media in 2025 about the Israel-Hamas war. Her comment – which she has since deleted – especially stood out because her district includes communities with sizable Jewish populations, including Solon and Pepper Pike. 

In the post, Sigurdson shared an image of the Palestinian flag that read, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” It was a phrase used by protesters against the war. Prior, it was used for years by some advocating for the elimination of the state of Israel. And it’s been a slogan used by terrorist groups. 

She posted a video earlier this year apologizing for the post. 

“The post contained an image with an antisemitic slogan of which I failed to grasp the full significance of,” she said. “At the time, several people reached out to me expressing their hurt and sharing the full context of the phrase. After listening carefully to their concerns, I immediately deleted the post, but I should have known not to post it at all.”

Signal asked Sigurdson what motivated her original post. She said it was made in reaction to seeing a lot of coverage of Palestinian civilian deaths in Gaza during the war. (The Hamas terrorist attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed 1,200 civilians and Hamas took 250 people hostage. Israeli’s military response left tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza dead.)

“I made them out of humanitarian concern, wanting autonomy for all people, wanting safety for all people,” Sigurdson said. “And part of what has driven me to politics is I never want to shy away from controversial topics.” 

Fliers were recently mailed to residents in Solon attacking Sigurdson for her antisemitic comments. One flyer featured the headlines from a Cleveland Jewish News story about the comments. “Nicole Sigurdson is wrong for Ohio,” it read.

Sigurdson is campaigning around workers’ rights, including increasing the minimum wage, protecting the environment and the need to be more “caring about people.”

She faces two candidates in the primary: Dionne M. Gore of Solon, who works for Medical Mutual and is backed by Robinson; and Cheryl Perez, a small business owner from Brecksville, who was endorsed by Cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer. 

(There was only one Republican primary candidate, but he recently died unexpectedly.)

My Cleveland History
https://myclevelandhistory.com/

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums
Spiegel Grove, Fremont, OH 43420
https://www.rbhayes.org

Underground Railroad Museum 
121 High St, Flushing, OH 43977
https://www.ugrrm.org

Fort Laurens Museum
11067 Fort Laurens Rd.
Bolivar, Ohio 44697
https://www.fortlaurensmuseum.org

WACO Air Museum
1865 South County Road 25A Troy, OH 45373
https://www.wacoairmuseum.org

Millbury Classic Cars and Trucks Museum
26929 Cummings, Millbury, OH, United States, Ohio
https://www.facebook.com/people/Millbury-Classics/61557016196078/?sk=about

McKinley Presidential Library and Museum
800 McKinley Monument Drive NW
Canton, OH 44708
https://mckinleymuseum.org

Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park
137 Juliana Street, Parkersburg, WV 26101
https://wvstateparks.com/park/blennerhassett-island-historical-state-park/

Anne Frank Haus  
Westermarkt 20
1016 DK Amsterdam
https://www.annefrank.org/en

D-Day Ohio WWII Museum
851 Harbor St., Conneaut, OH
https://ddayohio.us

William G. Mather Steamship
601 Erieside Ave, 
Cleveland, OH 44114
https://greatscience.com/explore/exhibits/william-g-mather-steamship

The John & Annie Glenn Museum
72 West Main Street
New Concord, Ohio 43762
https://www.johnandannieglennmuseum.org

Cleveland History Center
10825 East Boulevard
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
https://www.wrhs.org/plan-visit/places-to-visit/cleveland-history-center/welcome

The Garfield Trail of Ohio
https://www.garfieldtrail.org

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – There are several temporary road closures in downtown Cleveland on Monday morning due to filming.

The city said the following roads will be closed intermittently to traffic from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.:

• Euclid Ave. from 9th St. to Public Square
• E. Roadway from Euclid to Superior
• Superior from Public Square to 9th St.
• 9th St. from Superior to Euclid

Parking Restrictions

• Euclid Ave. from 9th St. to Public Square
• 9th St. from Superior to Euclid

Cleveland Police officers will be assisting with pedestrian and car traffic.

The city asks drivers to plan and allow for extra time.