“Evan Nolan Sits Down with CityBeat to Discuss New City Council Appointment, Backlash," by Zurie Pope Evan Nolan became the newest member of Cincinnati City Council after Reggie Harris resigned in September to join the Biden administration. An attorney for law firm Katz Teller with extensive ties to the Hamilton County Democratic Party, Nolan was selected by council member Meeka Owens, but Owens’ decision was met with some criticism. On Oct. 15, Cincinnati’s chapter of the NAACP issued a statement saying they were “deeply disappointed” by Owens’ decision to appoint Nolan. Former council member Chris Seelbach also questioned the decision, writing on X, “Appointing a cis-gender, straight, white man to fill the term of Cincinnati’s first openly gay man of color is disappointing and a setback for our city.” A protester even interrupted the annual State of the City address to criticize Owens for choosing Nolan as Harris’ successor. CityBeat’s news intern Zurie Pope sat down with Nolan and Owens to discuss the backlash, with Owens saying of her pick: “Identity politics don’t serve us well. So when I was thinking about what’s most important to me and my colleagues and the city of Cincinnati is someone who is ready on day one.” Photo: Via Katz Teller

Evan Nolan will be joining Cincinnati City Council after the departure of council member Reggie Harris, who resigned in September to join the Biden administration.

“This is an exciting day,” Nolan told a crowd of reporters and Democratic operatives at a press conference outside City Hall Friday morning. “I cannot begin to tell you how special it is.”

Receiving his bachelor’s at the University of Pennsylvania and a Juris Doctor degree at Georgetown University, Nolan is an attorney with the Katz Teller law group, working on private company acquisitions, corporate governance matters and real estate transactions.

Nolan has a long history with the Democratic party. He’s served as a legal fellow for Sen. Sherrod Brown, a treasurer for Aftab Pureval’s 2018 Congressional campaign and as a member of the Hamilton County Democratic Party coordinated campaign, which helps candidates get elected. Nolan previously applied to fill the vacancy on City Council left by the departure of Greg Landsman to serve in Congress

Nolan praised his predecessor, assuring audience members that he would carry on Harris’ legacy.

“I admire and greatly appreciate the zeal with which he approached his time in City Hall. I have big shoes to fill. I promise that I share that same passion and fire, and I commit to bring that spirit to work every day, whether that’s here in City Hall or out in our 52 beautiful neighborhoods.”

Nolan emphasized that he shared the priorities of his council colleagues, including on public safety, balancing the budget, economic development, affordable housing, reducing gun violence, pedestrian safety and climate change.

“At the backbone of all of these priorities is, and should always be, a requirement to approach every issue with ethics and good governance and a focus on equity, especially racial equity, and an understanding of how the actions here at City Hall can have a positive or disparate impact on any members in our community,” Nolan said.

Evan Nolan addresses reporters as the newest member of Cincinnati City Council outside City Hall on Oct. 11, 2024. Photo: Zurie Pope

Council member Meeka Owens, who was selected by Harris to choose his successor, said she wanted to appoint someone she knew was “ready on day one […] to push our priorities forward and grow this city.”

According to Owens, there were six finalists for the position, all of whom she interviewed along with an advisory committee of 11 community leaders. Including Nolan, finalists included:

  • Darrick Dansby
  • Storm Boyd
  • Ozie Davis
  • Gabe Davis
  • Colleen Reynolds

Nolan will serve out the rest of Harris’s term through to the end of 2025. All nine City Council seats will be on the ballot next year.

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This article appears in Oct 2, 2024 – Oct 15, 2043.