Evan Nolan sworn in to Cincinnati City Council: 'I may not be everybody's top choice'
Attorney Evan Nolan was sworn in Thursday as Cincinnati's newest council member.
Councilwoman Meeka Owens appointed Nolan, 42, of Oakley, to replace Reggie Harris , who resigned from council to take a job with the Biden administration. Nolan is white; Harris is Black and a member of the LGBTQ community. The appointment flipped council from a majority of Black members to a majority of white members, setting off a firestorm of criticism in the Black community.
Nolan will earn $60,000 and finish Harris' term, which runs through the end of next year.
During the swearing in, there was mention of criticism, but there was lots of praise. Nolan pledged to do his best for Cincinnati. There was a touching moment when Nolan's father, Gregory M. Nolan, who was the law director of Cheviot, told his son he loved him.
Notably though, only six of the eight council members showed up for the swearing in. Council members Mark Jeffreys and Jeff Cramerding are on vacation. Councilman Scotty Johnson, who had been vocal that the appointment should have gone to a Black man, did not show up. But the appointment didn't need a vote.
Nolan said it was an honor to be appointed and serving on City Council was "something I dreamed about my whole life."
"I sought out ways to give back and make Cincinnati a better place," Nolan said.
Nolan thanked Owens and he acknowledged the criticism levied by the Cincinnati NAACP , which wrote in a statement: "The Cincinnati NAACP is deeply disappointed and profoundly disheartened by Councilwoman Meeka Owens' decision on the appointment to the vacant Cincinnati City Council seat. Her choice sends a harmful message − that the importance of Black representation, particularly Black male representation, can be easily disregarded."
"I know it has not been an easy decision," Nolan said. "The process for an appointment is challenging. I recognize I may not be everybody's top choice. All I can do is show up every day recognizing the experiences I have had in my life."
Before the swearing in, Nolan and Joe Mallory, the president of the NAACP, talked in the hallway.
Mayor Aftab Pureval, who knows Nolan from his own political campaigns where Nolan served as his treasurer, told Nolan during the swearing in: "It is an incredible honor to get an opportunity to serve your community. You come to council at an exciting time and also challenging time. The position you are filling was filled by one of the leaders of council ... those are big shoes to fill. Given your professional experience, life experience ... you will not only fill those shoes but be a strong member of council."
"I sought out ways to give back and make Cincinnati a better place," Nolan said.
Owens said she looks forward to the community getting to know Nolan as she does.
"I know you as an empathetic, compassionate and knowledgeable leader," Owens said. "I look forward to others seeing it."
