[1][self-published source] Patmon was a member of Cleveland City Council from 1990 to 2001, and served as the chairman of its Finance Committee from 1999 to 2001.
[2] Patmon initially was in the running for the Congressional seat available following the death of Stephanie Tubbs Jones, but failed to gain momentum.
Patmon is known for having introduced several pieces of legislation in his first term with a counted eighteen bills that ranged in topics from education to healthcare.
Patmon also introduced legislation for specialty license plates that highlight Cleveland as the starting point for Superman, to celebrate Superman's 75th anniversary in 2013, and to acknowledge Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster as the co-creators of the best-known superhero in the world.
[4][5] Patmon has seen much success in his second term as State Representative including the passage of House Bill 147, also known as the Lizzie B. Byrd Act, named in honor of his mother who was diagnosed with breast cancer.