I didn’t meet Fallon Radigan on the campaign trail. I didn’t meet her at a political fundraiser, a candidate forum, or an endorsement meeting.
I met her doing something that told me a great deal about who she was long before she ever decided to run for judge.
It was in 2019, and Fallon was working in the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office, where she served as director of the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Her work involved protecting children from sexual exploitation, investigating crimes against children, and educating families about the dangers their children faced, particularly online.
I encountered her in the heart of Cleveland’s Black community, giving a presentation about protecting our children.
What struck me wasn’t simply how much she knew. It was how much she cared.
She was passionate, knowledgeable, and genuinely concerned about the safety and innocence of children in our county. She wasn’t going through the motions. You could see that she believed in what she was doing.
I was impressed enough that I asked whether she would come and make that same presentation to our Ministerial Alliance.
She didn’t hesitate.
She came, shared her knowledge, answered questions, and helped our clergy better understand the threats facing children and what we could do to protect them.
And it didn’t stop there.
When our churches or other community organizations reached out to her, she responded. She made herself available. She was gracious, approachable, and willing to help.
There were no cameras following her around. No campaign signs. No election to win.
She was simply doing her job, and doing it with a level of passion and commitment that stayed with me.
That matters to me.
Over the years, I’ve encountered plenty of people who discover the importance of our communities when they need something from us. They attend our churches, visit our neighborhoods, and seek relationships when an election approaches.
That wasn’t my experience with Fallon Radigan.
She was already here.
She was working with our churches, educating our families, and helping protect our children when there was no political benefit to doing so.
And she was comfortable with us. She didn’t approach our community like an outsider checking a box. She treated people with dignity and respect. She listened, she engaged, and she made people feel that their concerns mattered.
I saw that personally.
My support for Fallon today grows out of those experiences. It wasn’t something she had to ask me for. It developed because I had the opportunity to see her character when there was nothing politically at stake.
I believe we have a responsibility to take judicial elections seriously. The people we put on the bench make decisions that affect families, children, victims, defendants, and entire communities. Their judgment, fairness, temperament, and respect for people matter enormously.
And when I consider who should hold that responsibility, I don’t begin with campaign literature or political endorsements.
I begin with what I know.
I know how Fallon treated our community when she wasn’t asking for votes. I know the commitment she demonstrated to protecting children. I know the respect she showed our ministers, our churches, and the families we serve.
I watched someone who understood that public safety isn’t just about what happens after a crime has been committed. It’s also about educating people, preventing harm, and giving families the information they need to protect themselves.
That kind of commitment tells me something about how a person approaches public service.
I don’t expect everyone to support a candidate simply because I do. People should examine the qualifications, experience, temperament, and records of those seeking to become judges. They should talk to people who have worked with these candidates and seen them carry out their responsibilities.
That’s exactly the kind of firsthand experience that informs my own decision.
My responsibility is to advocate for what I believe is in the best interest of our community. That means supporting people who have demonstrated the ability, character, and commitment to serve it well.
For me, Fallon Radigan has demonstrated those qualities.
I believe she is the best person in this race to serve as judge.
And I can say that with confidence because my opinion of her wasn’t formed during this election.
It was formed years ago, watching her serve our community when she had absolutely nothing to gain politically.
Fallon Radigan didn’t have to run for judge to earn my respect. She had already earned it.
Jerry Primm is a Minister, Cleveland community leader and founder of The SOLUTION, a community-based think tank.