CLEVELAND (AP) — The Cleveland Browns' push to move out of the city and play in a proposed domed stadium has encountered a new road block.
Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb sent a letter to owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam, saying the city intends to invoke the “Modell Law” to prevent them from leaving the Browns' current lakefront stadium. The lease expires in 2028.
Bibb said he wants a response from the Browns by Jan. 9 and to comply or the city will “take appropriate legal action,” the letter states.
The Modell Law was passed in 1996 after former Browns owner Art Modell moved the franchise to Baltimore. It states that no owner of a professional sports team in Ohio playing in a tax-supported stadium can go elsewhere without an agreement with the city in which it plays or unless that city is given six months' advance notice with an opportunity to buy the team.
The team previously filed a federal lawsuit in hopes of getting “clarity” on the law. That case is pending.
In response to Bibb's letter, the Browns said “the statute and the city's actions create uncertainty and do not serve the interest of Greater Cleveland.”
The city's threat to use the Modell law is just the latest maneuver in what has become an ugly back-and-forth battle with the Browns.
The Haslams, who have owned the team since 2012, want to build a $2.4 billion domed stadium and surrounding entertainment complex in Brook Park, about 10 miles south of Cleveland. The team wants to split the cost of the stadium with the city and county in a private/public partnership.
The city has proposed paying for half of renovation costs at the current 65,000-seat stadium, which opened in 1999 when the NFL awarded Cleveland an expansion franchise.
The Haslams have argued that repairing the team's stadium don't solve bigger issues with parking and overall access. They believe a dome would spur wider regional growth with the ability to attract and host major sporting events and concerts.
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FILE - Cleveland Browns Stadium during an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Voters in Virginia will begin the new year filling state Senate and House vacancies on Tuesday in a trio of special elections that could determine control of the narrowly divided chambers.
In the Washington suburbs of Loudoun County, Democratic state Sen. Suhas Subramanyam’s election to Congress in November has triggered a special election for his seat in state Senate District 32, as well as in state House District 26, where the Democratic incumbent resigned after winning the nomination to fill the state Senate vacancy.
The nominees to replace Subramanyam are Democratic state Del. Kannan Srinivasan and Republican Tumay Harding. Running to replace Srinivasan in the House of Delegates are Democrat JJ Singh and Republican Ram Venkatachalam.
In state Senate District 10 to the west of Richmond, voters will elect a replacement for Republican state Sen. John McGuire, who was elected to Congress. In August, McGuire defeated U.S. Rep. Bob Goode in the Republican primary in Virginia’s 5th Congressional District. The nominees are Republican Luther Cifers and Democrat Jack Trammell.
The state Senate and House seats in Loudoun County are both reliably Democratic. Former Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe carried the overlapping districts with more than 60% of the vote in his failed 2021 reelection bid. In presidential elections, President Joe Biden carried Loudoun County with about 62% of the vote in 2020, while Vice President Kamala Harris received about 57% of the vote in 2024. Meanwhile, voters in state Senate District 10 preferred Republicans Donald Trump and Gov. Glenn Youngkin in previous elections. McGuire ran unopposed for this seat in 2023.
Democrats hold slim majorities in both the state Senate and state House of Delegates. Assuming Republicans hold McGuire’s Senate seat, Democratic losses in either Loudoun County seat could throw control of the state Senate to Republicans or force a power-sharing agreement in the state House of Delegates, where Democrats had reclaimed control after the 2023 elections.
The AP does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it’s determined there is no scenario that would allow the trailing candidates to close the gap. If a race has not been called, the AP will continue to cover any newsworthy developments, such as candidate concessions or declarations of victory. In doing so, the AP will make clear that it has not yet declared a winner and explain why.
Here’s a look at what to expect on Tuesday:
Virginia’s state legislative special elections will be held Tuesday. Polls close at 7 p.m. ET.
The Associated Press will provide vote results and declare winners in three contests in state Senate Districts 10 and 32 and state House District 26.
Voters registered in state Senate Districts 10 and 32 and state House District 26 may participate in the special election in their district.
As of November, there were about 177,000 registered voters in Senate District 10, 155,000 in Senate District 32 and 58,000 in House District 26. Voters in Virginia do not register by party.
In the last state legislative elections in 2023, turnout was 38% of registered voters in Senate District 10, 42% in Senate District 32 and 40% in House District 26.
In the 2024 presidential election, the AP first reported results at 7:11 p.m. ET, or 11 minutes after polls closed. The election night tabulation ended at 3:56 a.m. ET with about 95% of total votes counted.
As of Tuesday, there will be 301 days until Virginia’s general elections for governor and state House of Delegates.
FILE - House of Delegates members walk past the south portico at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, Va., Wednesday, April 22, 2020. (Bob Brown/Richmond Times-Dispatch via AP, Pool, File)
