Nina Turner
Nina Turner | |
---|---|
Member of the Ohio Senate from the 25th district | |
In office September 15, 2008 – December 31, 2014 | |
Preceded by | Lance Mason |
Succeeded by | Kenny Yuko |
Member of the Cleveland City Council from Ward 1 | |
In office January 1, 2006 – September 16, 2008 | |
Preceded by | Joe Jones[1] |
Succeeded by | Terrell Pruitt |
Personal details | |
Born | Nina Hudson December 7, 1967 Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Jeffery Turner |
Children | 1 |
Education | Cuyahoga Community College (AA) Cleveland State University (BA, MA) |
Website | ninaturner |
Nina Hudson Turner (born December 7, 1967) is an American educator and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she was a Cleveland City Council member from 2006 to 2008 and a member of the Ohio Senate from 2008 until 2014. Turner was the Democratic nominee for Ohio Secretary of State in 2014, but lost in the general election against incumbent Jon Husted, receiving 35.5 percent of the vote.
Turner supported Bernie Sanders in his 2016 presidential campaign, and became president of the Sanders-affiliated group Our Revolution in 2017. She served as a national co-chair of Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. Turner ran in the Democratic primary for 2021 special election for Ohio's 11th congressional district, and conceded the race after losing to Shontel Brown.[2] Turner decided on January 26th, 2022 to run for the seat again, challenging Brown to a congressional primary rematch.[3]
Early life and education[edit]
Turner is a native of Cleveland, Ohio. She was born Nina Hudson, to parents, Faye and Taalib, the first of seven children.[4][5] Her father and mother separated by the time Turner was five years old. Her mother worked as a preacher and as a nurse's aide in a senior home, struggled with high blood pressure all her life and died in 1992 at the age of 42.[4][5]
Turner graduated from Cleveland's John F. Kennedy High School in 1986. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and a Master of Arts degree from Cleveland State University.[6] She has an Associate in Arts degree from Cuyahoga Community College where she is now a tenured assistant professor of history.[7]
Career[edit]
She began her professional career as an aide in 2001 to then-state Senator Rhine McLin.[8] Turner worked for Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White. She later lobbied for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District at the state and federal levels.[9]
Cleveland City Council (2006–2008)[edit]
Turner made a run for Cleveland City Council in 2001, but was defeated by the incumbent, Joe Jones. In November 2004, Jones resigned his City Council seat. His wife, Tonya Jones, was the top vote-getter in a September nine-way, non-partisan primary race to select a candidate to fill Jones' seat. In the November 2005 election, Turner defeated Tonya Jones to become the Council Member for Ward One, the first African American woman in the seat.[8]
Turner served on Cleveland City Council from 2006 to 2008.[10]
Ohio State Senate (2008–2014)[edit]
In September 2008, Senator Lance Mason resigned his 25th District seat in the Ohio Senate to accept an appointment to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas. Turner was unanimously selected by the Ohio Senate Democratic caucus to serve the remainder of Mason's four-year Senate term. She resigned her City Council seat to accept the appointment on September 15, 2008. In the 128th General Assembly, Turner was the Ranking Minority member on the Senate Highways & Transportation and Judiciary Criminal Justice Committees.
Turner won a full term in 2010, running unopposed in the general election. She was elected as Minority Whip halfway through the 129th General Assembly. She was Minority Whip in the following General Assembly. By then her district consisted of the eastern side of Cuyahoga County as well as half of Lake County (including the Village of Fairport Harbor, the Village of Grand River, the City of Painesville and parts of Painesville Township; but excluding the City of Kirtland, the Village of Kirtland Hills, the Village of Waite Hill, the City of Willoughby Hills and most of the City of Mentor).
Turner considered running against incumbent Marcia Fudge in the 2012 Democratic primary for Ohio's 11th congressional district but declined, opting to stay in the State Senate.[11]
As a political statement against legislation attempting to restrict women's access to contraception and abortion,[12] in March 2012, Turner introduced a bill to regulate men's reproductive health. Before getting a prescription for erectile dysfunction drugs, a man would have to get a notarized affidavit signed by a recent sexual partner affirming his impotency, consult with a sex therapist and receive a cardiac stress test. She said the proposed statute would be parallel to recent legislation written by male legislators restricting women's reproductive health and that she was equally concerned about men's reproductive health.[13] The proposed legislation was not meant to be passed, but as a way of bringing attention to similar bills targeted towards women.[12]
In January 2014, Turner led unsuccessful efforts to change Ohio's rape custody law. It permits visitation and custody by men who father children via rape or sexual assault against a woman or girl. Turner wanted to protect rape victims/survivors and children conceived as a result of rape by preventing parental custody rights from being provided to rapists who fathered their children. She said it may be difficult for people to contemplate that a person would desire parental rights for a child conceived due to rape, though it occurs.[14] She and fellow Democrat Charleta Tavares introduced SB-171. It would allow rape victims to file court claims terminating their attacker's parental rights and permit a mother to place her child up for adoption without being required to seek her attacker's approval. The bill was stalled in the senate.[15]
2014 Secretary of State election[edit]
On July 1, 2013, Turner declared her candidacy for Ohio Secretary of State, challenging Republican Jon Husted.[16] On September 18, 2014, Bill Clinton officially supported Turner's candidacy.[17] Turner was defeated 60%–35% by Husted.[18]
Community college professor[edit]
Turner has been a member of the faculty at her alma mater Cuyahoga Community College since 1998.[19] She is currently a tenured assistant professor of history there, where she teaches African-American history, African-American women's history, American history, and women's studies.[7]
2016 presidential election[edit]
In the 2016 presidential election, Turner initially supported Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination but switched her support to Bernie Sanders.[20][21] After Clinton won the nomination, Turner was invited by Jill Stein to become the Green Party's nominee for Vice President, but she declined saying, "I believe that the Democratic Party is worth fighting for."[22] Turner went on to decline to endorse Hillary Clinton in the 2016 United States Presidential Election against Donald Trump, saying that she would endorse the party's platform in the election not an individual.[23]
In December 2016, Turner served as a member of the DNC Unity Reform Commission in Washington D.C. to address concerns that arose regarding the presidential nominating process, particularly regarding the roles of caucuses, superdelegates, and corporate donations.[24]
Our Revolution[edit]
In 2016, Turner became the president and public face of Our Revolution, a progressive political action organization spun out of Bernie Sanders's 2016 presidential campaign.
According to a May 2018 review by Politico, Our Revolution had become "flailing" and "in disarray" a year into her leadership.[25] By May 2018, the organization's monthly fundraising totals were one-third of what they had been May 2017. According to Politico, the group operated primarily as a vehicle for Sanders and had "shown no ability to tip a major Democratic election in its favor—despite possessing Sanders' email list, the envy of the Democratic Party—and can claim no major wins in 2018 as its own." There was infighting within the group as figures in the organization speculated whether Turner was using the organization for a presidential run of her own. They questioned whether she was settling scores with the Democratic National Committee from 2016 and criticized her hiring of associates to senior positions within the organization. Our Revolution also endorsed Dennis Kucinich in the race for the Democratic nomination for the 2018 Ohio governorship; questions were raised about Turner's close relation to Kucinich's running mate.[25]
Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign[edit]
On February 21, 2019, Turner was named a national co-chair of the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign.[26] She appeared on Hardball with Chris Matthews,[27] Meet the Press,[28] Politics Nation, State of the Union,[29] and other programs in support of Sanders.[30]
A few weeks before the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Turner expressed her disdain for being forced to choose between presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden and incumbent Donald Trump. She told Peter Nicholas of The Atlantic, "it's like saying to somebody, ‘You have a bowl of shit in front of you, and all you’ve got to do is eat half of it instead of the whole thing.’ It’s still shit."[31] Turner declined to endorse Joe Biden in the 2020 United States Presidential election after Biden officially become the Democratic nominee.[32]
In September 2020, in partnership with Mercury Public Affairs, Turner launched the progressive public affairs firm Amare Public Affairs.[33]
2021 Ohio's 11th congressional district special election[edit]
On December 9, 2020, the media began to report that President-elect Joe Biden had plans to appoint Congresswoman Marcia Fudge as his nominee for Secretary of Housing and Urban Development,[34] The same day, Turner filed paperwork to register a committee by the name of "Nina for Us" with the Federal Election Commission (FEC).[35] On December 10, Fudge's nomination was made official; five days later, Turner announced her candidacy in the special election for Ohio's 11th congressional district.[36] Turner raised more than $3 million for her campaign. As early as April, Turner spent more than half a million dollars on advertisement.[37]
She was considered the frontrunner in the Democratic primary for the seat, but lost to Shontel Brown in August 2021.[38][39] In her concession speech, Turner blamed corporate donations and Super-PAC money for her loss, saying, "We didn’t lose this race. Evil money manipulated and maligned this election."[40][41] According to HuffPost, "Turner’s campaign mismanaged its budget, spending too much on consultants, and other non-essential expenses, while neglecting to set aside enough cash to stay on the TV airwaves once it began advertising. The campaign also came up short strategically, failing to preempt, and later, adequately respond to the inevitable attacks on Turner’s history of conflict with key figures in the Democratic Party."[42]
2022 Ohio 11th congressional district election[edit]
In September 2021, Turner filed paperwork with the FEC to run for Congress in the same district in 2022. Although she did not officially declare her intention to run for the seat at that time, her filing "leaves the door open. Turner has conceded in the past that she will make another run for Congress," according to The Plain Dealer.[43]
In January 26, 2022, Turner announced her intention to run against Brown for the second time.[3]
Television appearances[edit]
Turner has worked for CNN as a contributor. In June 2017, she began a regular segment on The Real News Network called The Nina Turner Show.[44] In 2018, Turner portrayed a fictitious version of herself in the pilot episode of the television series Black Lightning, praising actor Cress Williams' character Jefferson Pierce.[45]
On September 14, 2021, Turner was hired by The Young Turks as a contributor and co-anchor. [46]
Electoral history[edit]
Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2010 | Nina Turner | 73,694 | 100.00% | Unopposed |
Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | Libertarian | Votes | Pct | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Nina Turner | 1,074,475 | 35.5% | Jon Husted | 1,811,020 | 59.8% | Kevin Knedler | 141,292 | 4.7% |
2021 Ohio 11th congressional district special election[edit]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Shontel Brown | 37,666 | 50.18 | |
Democratic | Nina Turner | 33,420 | 44.52 | |
Democratic | Jeff Johnson | 1,349 | 1.80 | |
Democratic | John E. Barnes Jr. | 773 | 1.03 | |
Democratic | Shirley Smith | 546 | 0.78 | |
Democratic | Seth J. Corey | 483 | 0.65 | |
Democratic | Will Knight | 176 | 0.24 | |
Democratic | Pamela M. Pinkney | 170 | 0.24 | |
Democratic | Tariq Shabazz | 128 | 0.17 | |
Democratic | Martin Alexander | 97 | 0.13 | |
Democratic | James Jerome Bell | 91 | 0.13 | |
Democratic | Lateek Shabazz | 59 | 0.08 | |
Democratic | Isaac Powell | 46 | 0.07 | |
Total votes | 72,576 | 100.00 |
Personal life[edit]
Turner is married to Jeffery Turner, Sr. They have a son, Jeffrey Turner, Jr., a lieutenant in the Ohio National Guard.[8] They reside in Cleveland while Turner works out of Washington, D.C.[47]
Turner is a Christian and has publicly stated how her faith forms a basis for her political convictions.[48]
References[edit]
- ^ "Our Campaigns - Cleveland City Council- Ward 01 Race - Nov 08, 2005".
- ^ Mutnick, Ally. "Establishment prevails as Brown beats Turner in Ohio special election". POLITICO. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ a b Gomez, Henry. "Bernie Sanders ally Nina Turner seeks rematch with Rep. Shontel Brown in Ohio". NBC News. Retrieved January 26, 2022.
- ^ a b Gomez, Henry J. (November 22, 2009). "Nina Turner's future bright due to gutsy stand on Issue 6". The Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2011 – via Cleveland.com.
- ^ a b Walsh, Joan (June 28, 2021). "Nina Turner is Running to Join the Squad".
{{cite magazine}}
: Cite magazine requires|magazine=
(help) - ^ "Nina Turner." Who's Who Among African Americans. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2017. Retrieved via Biography in Context database, June 30, 2017.
- ^ a b "Former state senator Nina Turner reflects on her education journey". Cuyahoga Community College. March 30, 2017. Archived from the original on August 5, 2019. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ a b c Troy, Tom (July 1, 2013). "Politics: State Sen. Nina Turner from Cleveland to run for Ohio secretary of state Archived November 10, 2017, at the Wayback Machine". The Blade (Toledo). toledoblade.com. Retrieved 2017-06-30.
- ^ "Ladies Gallery: Nina Turner". Ohio Statehouse. 2009.
- ^ "Voting rights at center of hot race". mydaytondailynews. Archived from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ Eaton, Sabrina (December 30, 2011). "State Sen. Nina Turner drops congressional primary bid against Rep. Marcia Fudge". cleveland.com. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
- ^ a b Tomassoni, Teresa (March 15, 2012). "In Protest, Democrats Zero In On Men's Reproductive Health". NPR. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
- ^ Borchardt, Jackie (March 12, 2012). "Bill introduced to regulate men's reproductive health; Part of a trend, she likens the bill to men legislating 'a woman's womb.'". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- ^ Bourgeois, Caleigh (January 15, 2014). "Ohio senator trying to change rape custody law". woub.org. Archived from the original on February 28, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^ "Do rapists have parental rights?". bdfamilylaw.com. June 2, 2014. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- ^ Gomez, Henry J. (July 1, 2013). "Nina Turner announces bid for Ohio secretary of state; Democrat hopes to unseat Jon Husted". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved October 13, 2013.
- ^ Sanner, Ann (September 18, 2014). "Bill Clinton backs Nina Turner for Secretary of State". The News-Herald. Associated Press. Retrieved September 19, 2014.
- ^ Jeremy, Pelzer (November 5, 2014). "Jon Husted wins Ohio Secretary of State race". Cleveland Plain Dealer. Associated Press. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved November 13, 2015.
- ^ "Nina Turner Resume" (PDF). Sanders Institute. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 7, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2020.
- ^ Kosich, John (February 1, 2016). "Former State Senator Nina Turner's growing role as campaign surrogate for Bernie Sanders". WEWS-TV. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved February 18, 2016.
- ^ Collins, Eliza (November 12, 2015). "Ohio's Nina Turner jumps from Clinton to Sanders". Politico. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved March 12, 2016.
- ^ Denvir, Daniel (September 8, 2016). "Nina Turner: Reflections on the political revolution's past and future". Salon. Archived from the original on March 27, 2017. Retrieved June 15, 2017.
- ^ "Nina Turner: I'm endorsing Dems, not an individual". The Alliance Review. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ "DNC Unity Reform Commission, Day 2, Part 1". c-span.org. December 9, 2017.
- ^ a b "Bernie's army in disarray". Politico. Archived from the original on December 18, 2019.
- ^ Perticone, Joe (February 21, 2019). "Bernie Sanders announces new national co-chairs: Our Revolution President and former Ohio State Sen. Nina Turner, Rep. Ro Khanna, San Juan Puerto Rico Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz and Ben & Jerry's co-founder Ben Cohen". @JoePerticone. Retrieved February 21, 2019.
- ^ "Nina Turner: Bernie Sanders 'running for the people'". MSNBC.com.
- ^ "Full Turner: Voters should pick Senator Sanders because he is 'consistent'". MSNBC.com.
- ^ "Nina Turner: Racism in DNA of United States - CNN Video" – via www.cnn.com.
- ^ "Nina Turner on Bernie Sanders' support among African Americans". MSNBC.com.
- ^ The original "bowl of shit" remark can be found at "How Trump Could Win Reelection". The Atlantic. July 27, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
Following coverage, in chronological order:
- Evans, Zachary (July 27, 2020). "Sanders Campaign Co-Chair Compares Endorsing Biden to Eating a 'Bowl of Sh*t'". Yahoo News. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- Dicker, Ron (July 28, 2020). "Bernie Sanders' Campaign Co-Chair Nina Turner Compares Voting For Biden To Eating 'S**t'". Huffington Post. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- Connally, C. Ellen (July 29, 2020). "COMMENTARY: Nina Turner and Fecal Matter – A Bridge Too Far". Cool Cleveland. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- Tracy, Abigail (December 18, 2020). ""THE BLACK CAUCUS UNIFIED WITH THE PROGRESSIVE CAUCUS? WATCH OUT, BABY": NINA TURNER, PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLE, COULD MAKE WAVES IN BIDEN'S CONGRESS". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- Terrell, Ashley (December 19, 2020). "Tiffany Cross challenges Nina Turner for 'bowl of sh–' remark". Yahoo News. Retrieved March 23, 2021.
- ^ Walsh, Joan (June 28, 2021). "Nina Turner Is Running to Join the Squad". The Nation. Retrieved July 2, 2021.
- ^ Meyer, Theodoric. "Airlines mount a last stand". POLITICO. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- ^ Miller, Zeke; Wiseman, Paul (December 9, 2020). "AP sources: Biden to pick Katherine Tai as top trade envoy". Associated Press. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ Folley, Aris (December 9, 2020). "Nina Turner files paperwork for Ohio congressional run". The Hill. Retrieved December 9, 2020.
- ^ Easley, Jonathan (December 15, 2020). "Nina Turner announces bid for House seat". The Hill.
- ^ Richardson, Seth A. (April 27, 2021). "Nina Turner becomes first to go up on TV with $500,000 ad buy in 11th Congressional District". cleveland. Retrieved August 8, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Ohio Special Primary Election Results". The New York Times. August 3, 2021. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
- ^ *Richardson, Seth (June 17, 2021). "With nearly all the 11th Congressional District candidates in one room Wednesday, Nina Turner showed why she's the front-runner: analysis". The Plain Dealer.
The fact of the matter is, based on interviews, public appearances, fundraising, endorsements and most other metrics, former state Sen. Nina Turner looks like she’s running away in the race.
- Johnson, Jake (June 16, 2021). "Nina Turner Kicks Off '$27 Dollar Donation Challenge' After Hillary Clinton Endorses Establishment Candidate in Ohio". Common Dreams.
According to recent polling data and fundraising figures, Turner is the clear frontrunner to win the seat left open by President Joe Biden's selection of former Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
- Sam, Allard (June 1, 2021). "Poll Shows Nina Turner with Commanding Lead in OH-11 Congressional Race". Cleveland Scene.
The poll clarifies Turner's frontrunner status two months before the Aug. 3 special election for the seat formerly occupied by Marcia Fudge.
- Richardson, Seth (June 1, 2021). "Nina Turner Q & A: where the major 11th Congressional District candidates stand". The Plain Dealer.
With a heavy fundraising advantage and a slate of both national and local endorsements, many political observers consider Turner the front-runner in the race.
- Darcy, Jeff (May 28, 2021). "Biden in Cle, Nina Turner race SmackDown: Darcy cartoons". The Plain Dealer.
The fact that Brown’s first and, so far, only TV spot is an attack on Turner, is an immediate concession that Turner is the frontrunner to beat.
- Larkin, Brent (May 9, 2021). "Turning Nina Turner's own words against her is just a tactic, but one she needs to address". The Plain Dealer.
Turner is the unquestioned front-runner in the campaign for Fudge’s seat. But she’s no sure thing.
- Johnson, Jake (June 16, 2021). "Nina Turner Kicks Off '$27 Dollar Donation Challenge' After Hillary Clinton Endorses Establishment Candidate in Ohio". Common Dreams.
- ^ Hooks, Janet (August 3, 2021). "In Ohio House special elections, progressives take a loss, Trump scores a win". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 4, 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Nina Turner is right — she didn't really lose in Ohio | Nylah Burton". The Independent. August 4, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ Marans, Daniel (August 14, 2021). "How Nina Turner Lost Her Election". HuffPost. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
- ^ Richardson, Seth A. (September 27, 2021). "Nina Turner files FEC paperwork hinting at 2022 congressional rematch with Shontel Brown". The Plain Dealer. MSN. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ "Premiere of the Nina Turner Show with Bernie Sanders". The Real News. June 12, 2017. Retrieved June 12, 2017.
- ^ Drum, Nicole (January 17, 2018). "'Black Lightning' Series Premiere Featured Real-Life Activists". comicbook.com.
- ^ @TheYoungTurks (September 14, 2021). "Did you hear the news? @ninaturner and @DavidShuster are joining TYT's lineup of hosts!" (Tweet). Retrieved December 12, 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Eaton, Sabrina (July 5, 2019). "Cleveland's Nina Turner 'people raises' for Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders". The Cleveland Plain Dealer.
- ^ O'Connor, Kevin (July 2, 2018). "Nina Turner Fuels the Bern in Vermont Visit". Bennington Banner. Retrieved January 31, 2020.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- Profile at the Ohio Statehouse Museum
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- 1967 births
- 21st-century American women politicians
- African-American Christians
- African-American city council members in Ohio
- African-American state legislators in Ohio
- African-American women in politics
- Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign
- Candidates in the 2021 United States elections
- Cleveland City Council members
- Cleveland State University alumni
- Cuyahoga Community College alumni
- Living people
- Ohio Democrats
- Ohio state senators
- Women city councillors in Ohio
- Women state legislators in Ohio
- 21st-century American politicians