EAST CLEVELAND, Ohio — In East Cleveland, it’s a mayor’s race pitting the former interim mayor appointed after Mayor Brandon King was indicted, against the man judges named mayor after King was convicted on felony charges.

But both Sandra Morgan and Mayor Lateek Shabazz see brighter futures ahead for the embattled city.

“People are excited for change,” said Morgan, who served as interim mayor from March until mid-July. “They remember the way East Cleveland used to be and they’re excited for what East Cleveland can be.”

“I have to be optimistic,” said Shabazz, who took over the mayor’s office after a court ruled Morgan’s appointment ended with King’s conviction. “I don’t believe in losing and that’s why I put a team together and we’re doing great.”

But their times in office revealed the

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