Gov. Mike DeWine said he has received a resignation letter from Marcia Fudge, the Cleveland Congresswoman who had served the 11th District since 2008. She was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
"We wish her all the best. It's great to have a Buckeye in the cabinet," DeWine said Thursday. "We're very proud, and we wish you Madam Secretary all the best."
Because of Fudge's resignation, according to Ohio law, DeWine set a special election on Nov. 2, 2021 to fill the seat. The primary will be held August 3, 2021.
Secretary of State Frank LaRose also congratulated Fudge, and explained that he chose the August and November dates – instead of in May – because of the preparations required for elections.
“The Boards of Elections really begin [preparing] 100 days out before an election," LaRose says. "It follows a very predictable schedule, and so it's good where possible to stick with that schedule and not deviate from it.
LaRose said that moving the timeline several weeks earlier would have been costly for taxpayers.
“In a year like 2021… I always remind people how important those local elections are," LaRose says. "People tend to focus on, you know, elections for the White House, but [local] elections for the courthouse and the schoolhouse and City Hall really matter just as much.”
Fudge was elected in 2008 to fill out the term of the late Stephanie Tubbs-Jones. The area covered by the 11th District, which includes parts of Akron and Cleveland, has been represented by Black Democrats for the past 52 years.
Seven candidates have already entered the race to replace Fudge, including Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Shontel Brown, former Cleveland City Councilman Jeff Johnson, and former state Sen. Nina Turner – who briefly challenged Fudge for her seat in 2011.
