Turner’s candidacy, which was suspected when she filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission in September to keep her campaign committee operating, sets up a re-match with congresswoman Shontel Brown, who defeated Turner in last year’s special election to replace Marcia Fudge.
Turner was considered the heavy favorite entering that race, with national name recognition and a substantial fundraising advantage. Brown closed the gap in the final weeks with the support of PACs, who sent an onslaught of negative campaign mailers to voters in Northeast Ohio.
Though Turner won in the city of Cleveland, Brown scored huge margins of victory in the east side suburbs, particularly in areas with a high concentration of Jewish voters, as Brown styled herself as a champion of Israel and Turner was considered antagonistic for supporting Palestinian rights.
Turner’s new campaign is much like her previous one. She says she will support Medicare for All, advocate for raising the minimum wage, stand with working people against powerful corporations and fight for childcare and climate justice, among other things. In her video, she references Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and says she would be a leader like him, working tirelessly for the “poor, working poor and barely middle class.”
“Greater Cleveland needs a changemaker,” she said, “not someone who will go along to get along.”
(This is a direct reference to Brown, whose campaign platform last year centered on her willingness to cooperate with the Biden administration.)
Brown will be the incumbent this year, but the shape of the district remains in flux. The Ohio Supreme Court rejected a new gerrymandered map proposed by Republicans, and a new version can be expected from the state legislature next month.
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This article appears in Jan 5-11, 2022.
