Former state Sen. Nina Turner made her bid official for Rep. Marcia Fudge’s congressional seat in Northeast Ohio. She was also a Bernie Sanders presidential campaign co-chair earlier this year.
What We Know:
- Former Sen. Turner recently made her bid official for Rep. Marcia Fudge’s congressional seat in Northeast Ohio, becoming the third candidate to jump into what will likely be a crowded primary. This will be the third time since 1968. Fudge is Biden’s nominee to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner has held multiple elected offices in both the city and state before becoming a national name.
- Turner was appointed to the Ohio Senate in 2008, winning a full term in 2010 and being elected Senate Minority Whip. She ran for Ohio Secretary of State in 2014 but lost to Republican then-Secretary of State Jon Husted. In 2015, Turner stunned Democrats in the state by rescinding her endorsement of former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the presidential election to back Sanders’ upstart bid, a move that would eventually make her a nationally known figure as a surrogate for the Sanders campaign.
- Turner’s early base of support includes her former fellow co-chair of the Sanders campaign, Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., Black Lives Matter activist and Missouri Representative-elect Cori Bush, actor Danny Glover, as well as Progressive PACS Democracy for America and Our Revolution. “Nina will bring a phenomenal commitment to a $15 minimum wage, Medicare for All, and free public college. I am all in for her,” Khanna said in a statement to Politico.
It’s official! I am running for Congress. I am asking you to join me today as part of a historic grassroots campaign–one that centers the voices of everyday working Ohioans. We have so much to do and I hope we can do it together!
Please donate 👇🏾https://t.co/BXxAz1pNDt pic.twitter.com/Hw5ENHR7LI
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) December 15, 2020
- A special election is expected to draw a number of Democratic contenders, including former Cleveland city councilman Jeff Johnson. According to Fox News, a vocal Biden supporter, Johnson, recently suggested in an interview with Buzzfeed News that his more moderate stance would allow for closer collaboration with the incoming administration.
There hasn’t been any announcement as to when this special election will happen. Congratulations to Nina Turner for making her announcement.
