Ed Brzezinski Voted In as Council President
In a controversial race, Brzezinski was backed by Witherspoon, Winarski, and Keys
On the morning of Wednesday, January 6, Ed Brzezinski was voted in as Erie City Council President.
He was supported by fellow council members Jim Winarski, Mel Witherspoon, and Michael Keys.
Erie City Council member Liz Allen opposed Brzezinski, and had the support of council members Kathy Schaaf and David Brennan, making for a four-to-three vote.
All seven members of Erie City Council are Democrats.
During a Dec. 18 Erie City Council meeting, Brzezinski referred to Allen – lifelong journalist and regular contributor to The Erie Reader - as a "broad" and a "nut."
Public outcry against Brzezinski and his comments against Allen were many, making a loaded race for close followers of local politics.
Jim Winarski – who voted for Brzezinski – served as Council President from 2019 to 2020. Brzezinski was nominated by councilman Witherspoon.
On Twitter, Allen displayed a photo of her wearing a shirt featuring Ed Asner as Lou Grant in The Mary Tyler Moore Show, and joked that "sadly, 4 council members hate spunk and I lost my bid for council president."