CLEVELAND — As Rep. Shontel Brown prepares for a Democratic primary rematch against former State Sen. Nina Turner, Brown landed a major endorsement on Tuesday. 

What You Need To Know

  • Rep. Shontel Brown is facing Nina Turner for the second time in nine months in May in the Ohio 11th House district

  • Brown earned a key endorsement from new Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb

  • The electorate for the May primary could look somewhat different depending on how the Ohio Redistricting Commission redraws the state’s U.S. House district boundaries

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced he is endorsing Brown in her reelection bid. 

Brown and Turner faced each other last August in a contentious special election primary. After defeating Turner by a 50-44 margin, Brown easily won the November special election in the heavily Democratic district with 79% of the vote over Laverne Gore. 

Brown is fulfilling the remainder of Marcia Fudge’s term, the now Secretary of Housing and Urban Development who left her seat in the U.S. House. Bibb cited voting rights as a key issue facing the country. 

“We need leaders in Washington that are going to fight every single day,” Bibb said. 

Bibb also credited Brown and President Joe Biden with providing the City of Cleveland with infrastructure funds. 

“We won’t be that city of opportunity unless we have a strong voice in Washington that will fight for Cleveland every single day,” Bibb said. “As mayor, I can’t do that alone.”

Leading up to the August 2021 primary, then Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson announced his support for Turner. 

While Turner will need to gain ground from the August 2021 special election primary, boundaries for Ohio’s 11th U.S. House district could look different. The Ohio Redistricting Commission is being tasked with redrawing boundaries amid a legal battle. The Ohio Redistricting Commission is meeting Tuesday to discuss new boundaries for Ohio’s 15 U.S. House seats.

Related Stories