2016 Congressional Election, Ohio 11th District: Marcia Fudge has stood in her constituents’ shoes
By Sophia Cromwell
In Philadelphia, at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge accepted her unexpected, last-minute nomination as the convention chair from Sen. Hillary Clinton with poise and a bright smile. Her circular black glasses, contrasting with her bright red pantsuit, represented the boldness that Fudge projected on stage. Fudge appeared to get nervous when protestors started to become agitated in the large auditorium, then proceeded to do what she does best: She related to the crowd and explained to them that respect is her № 1 priority.
“There are many of you who do not know me in this room, but let me make a point to you. I intend to be fair and I want to know the varying opinions here. I am going to respectful of you but I want you to be respectful of me,” Fudge says.
The crowd responded positively to Fudge’s speech and showed their respect for her by quieting—at least temporarily.
Fudge is a national leader, but she is also a leader in Cleveland, Ohio. First elected congresswoman in 2008, she has represented the people of the 11th Congressional District for the past eight years, and before this she was mayor of Warrensville Heights.
She is also the newly elected, permanent chair of the Democratic National Convention. She lives a very busy life, managing her time evenly between her offices in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, and Washington D.C. She takes pride in her efforts to make her district thrive, because she was born in raised in Cleveland.
“For the East Cleveland folks, and her (other) constituents, she is an example of the fact that she grew up exactly where they grew up, lived the young lives that they lived and is now a proud leader in their community,” said Mary Frances McGowan, a John Carroll senior who was an intern in Fudge’s district office this past summer.
Ohio’s 11th Congressional District is located in the northern part of the state and includes portions of Cuyahoga and Summit counties. It includes some of the poorest inner city areas as well as some of its wealthiest suburbs.
“The summer I worked in her office, race relations were really tense with the police. A lot of reports were coming out saying that they (Cleveland police) didn’t not support the African-American community,” McGowan said, adding, “She advocates for her African-American constituents because she has been there.”
Fudge serves on the House committees on agriculture, education and the workforce. She is also the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education. She is also a member of several congressional caucuses, such as the Congressional Black Caucus, which she chaired from 2013 to 2015. She cares deeply about improving the lives of the young in Cleveland, and her efforts are listed on her website www.fudge.house.gov.
Fudge’s website also illustrates her fight for quality education from preschool through secondary school, child nutrition, food stamp recipients, access to locally grown healthy foods, fair labor practices, and civil and human rights. She was an early and consistent voice for voter rights when state governments attempted to reduce early voting and require photo IDs of all voters. And she is currently an advocate to improve Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare.
“Cleveland is the № 1 city in the country for child hunger and Fudge is making efforts to change this,” McGowan said.
Fudge states on her website that another goal is “to change the course of our economy and bring sustainable growth to Ohio. This includes a strong focus on infrastructure investment, resources for small businesses, and training workers for the jobs of the future.”
Fudge is also creating efforts to improve early childhood education through different academic programs planned for East Cleveland schools.
“Fudge is reintegrating programs like Head Start and STEM programs for math and science fields, to help provide future job opportunities for students,” said McGowan.
Fudge also aims to improve higher education for her district. She wants to ensure that all American citizens have the opportunity to attend college, and has worked to protect Pell grants, which are a subsidy the federal government provides for students who need it to pay for college.
Education is held in highest esteem in Fudge’s eyes. She is a graduate of The Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in business. She then attended the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University. She sets an example for her constituents in that she came from the same life that they have, she worked hard and she is now making a difference in the world.
As the U.S. Rep. incumbent for the 11th congressional district, Fudge has an advantage over her opponent, Beverly Goldstein, who has never held office before but is seen as a city leader in Beachwood. Goldstein has stood as a candidate for different boards and committees, which are listed on her website www.beverly4congress.com.
Fudge declined to participate in candidate forums by the League of Women Voters and the City Club, according to cleveland.com.
“It is normal for incumbents to refuse to participate. It is a strategic decision, by and large,” said Colin Swearingen, a political science professor at John Carroll University. There are two reasons incumbents do this, he explained. “One, you may not want to give their opponent the legitimacy of being on stage with you, especially if you are Marcia Fudge and are winning the election by 90 percent. The second thing is that you do not want to make a mistake by debating your opponent.”
Fudge is running a grassroots campaign, which fits well with Democratic Party values and objectives.
“Fudge is currently working with Hillary Clinton now, and voter registration helps both of these candidates. From a Democratic perspective, the more people who are registered, increases the amount of people who will vote,” McGowan said.
“Marcia Fudge is the best person for the district because she has served her constituents for 16 years,” McGowan said, when asked if the election is seen as an easy win.
At the Democratic National Convention in July, Fudge showed her support for presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine. “Hillary and Kaine want to build an economy where everyone pays their fair share,” Fudge said, adding, “Hillary Clinton, this is your time.”
“She has a way of meeting people where they are,” McGowan said. “She understands the needs of her constituents very well. She has a lot of respect for them because she is one of them.”
Another aspect of Fudge is her modest approach.
“She is a quiet leader and is not a ‘big politician’ sort of person,” McGowan said. “Her community is the reason she wins, because she knows her district and knows it well.”
Fudge is hoping that her constituents will continue to show their support for her, especially on Nov. 8.
