Today is Election Day. As I looked over the brief Bay Village ballot, I smiled to realize that for Rocky River Municipal Court, I could choose only a CSU|Law alumnus—Brian Hagan or Thomas J. Kelly. They are just two of more than a dozen of our graduates appearing on ballots across Ohio today, seeking to serve as judges, council members, and other offices.
I’m incredibly proud of these and our many other graduates who are using their law degrees to pursue careers in public service. Their courage to open themselves up to public scrutiny and to endure the intense and exhausting effort of running for office inspires hope. They are a living testament to the power of a legal education to instill the belief that our democratic process—even in the most partisan of times—offers the possibility of real and meaningful change.
I grew up in politics. My dad, Roy Ray, served one term as Mayor of Akron and four terms in the Ohio Senate. I worked on each campaign—though my early contributions mainly involved wearing a hand-lettered “Elect my Dad Mayor” T-shirt and shaking hands at summer parades. Campaigns in our house were total immersion: door-to-door canvassing, late-night phone banks, endless fundraisers and events. During a campaign, the opponent was the enemy—simple as that.
But when the race ended, everything shifted. I still remember, as a third grader, watching my dad concede the mayoral race to Tom Sawyer. I don’t recall what he said. But I remember how it felt. The calm dignity and quiet humor in his voice were a total surprise. Wasn’t this the guy we were supposed to hate?
My dad was a terrible candidate—he hated campaigning. But he was a consummate legislator, happiest in the slow art of negotiation, where party lines were points of reference, not barriers. He came home on Fridays from Columbus with stories of deals struck over late-night drinks, of compromises hammered out in hallways. For him, politics wasn’t about winning for a party—it was about delivering for people.
That kind of deal-based governing feels rarer now. The tone of politics has grown sharper, the grace notes fainter. Yet here, at CSU|Law, I’m reminded daily that the commitment to serve—to listen, to learn, to believe in the public good—is alive and well.
Our alumni who put their names on ballots, who serve as prosecutors, judges, legislators, and advocates, embody that spirit. And our students, who come to CSU|Law driven by a desire to make the world fairer, more just, more humane, renew my faith in it each year.
They inspire me every day. Their choices offer renewed hope that our democracy—though tested and imperfect—will not only endure but also thrive.
Warmly,
Brian