Pictured is Ohio Senator Nina Turner (D-25), the Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State

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By Judith Pugsley, Cleveland Urban News.Com Contributing Writer

I am a retired registered nurse and a White woman who resides with her husband in Rocky River, Ohio, a city in Cuyahooga County. My name is Judith Pugsley and every now and then I write a few lines about  State Senator Nina Turner, the Democratic candidate for Ohio Secretary of State who has a good chance of winning in November, and who would be the first Black Democrat to win election in a statewide office if she wins.

I write about her primarily because the weather is too warm for me, the election cycle too slow, and she is on my mind because I respect her for her courage and for the credentials she possesses. And I have to admit that when I was her age and a lot younger than I am now, I really didn't have it in me to take a stand against that White male establishment called my government. Why wasn't I more like she is, I often think to myself? (Editor's note: Among other responsibilities, the Ohio Secretary of State sets voting polices and monitors voting in Ohio).

Had I been more like Nina Turner, we might have had more people in their elective offices because of the content of their character rather than the color of their skin. So I write now to remind myself that I did not do my part in promoting diversity among elected officials in Ohio as I could have done.

In my younger years, the seasons came and went, and our governments at all levels remained filled with mostly White, mostly affluent,and mostly male public servants. And for that, I am truly sorry.

State Senator Nina Turner, a Clevelander, was probably in high school when I was in my prime, and it really didn't occur to me that often when she was constructing a future for herself, she ran into roadblocks thrown across her path by those White males and their molls like me.Getting an education was pretty easy for me. My parents paid for most of my education and I had no problem with any of the other rites of passage.

Now I know that many of those advantages likely came my way because I was White, and not because I was so gifted. If you are White and gifted, it is almost a joke. If you are Black and gifted, you are overlooked most of the time.

The state senator is in my book is the most qualified person I have ever met for the position of Ohio's Secretary of State . She put herself through Cleveland State and earned a bachelor's degree in history. She teaches history at Cuyahoga County Community college. She was an educational liaison for former Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White and a Cleveland city council woman before she became a state senator.  She is married to a man who seems to want to see her grow, and is the mother of now grown and responsible young man. She is running for the post of Ohio Secretary of State in part to eliminate corruption, and corrupt laws that are harmful to the community, many designed to take the right to vote from our most vulnerable voters, and under the guise of a claim of voter fraud, a claim that lacks merit.We don't need to guard against voter fraud, there isn't any. It seems to me that ever since Nina Turner's opponent, the arrogant John Husted, moved into the slot of Secretary of State in Ohio,  he has done everything he could possibly do to make it harder for folks to vote, White folks and Black folks,  and the elderly folks and college students. The voters who want more than anything to reclaim their voting rights are finding it harder and harder to do so and many of them are afraid to take a stand on  this issue. Senator Turner is not afraid. She has to be brave because when I was her age, I was afraid.

Nina Turner has enthusiasm, energy, experience and education. She is one of the best people I ever met for the job of Ohio Secretary of State. In my view, she has all of the characteristics she'll ever need to be successful in life. So, I am hoping that those of you who read this, can be afraid no longer. If we are going to inject fairness and equality of opportunity into our government, we have to be willing to go to the polls and vote for honesty.We need to "throw the bums out" and make government work for everyone, and we can.

If you read this editorial and want to help Nina Turner win in November, we need any help you can give us  to register for the coming November election,  or you can help at getting people to the polls on election day, and in other ways such as making phone calls and canvassing. To start the process contact the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party at its offices on St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio by phone at 216-621-9750 .

I honestly believe that Senator Turner is best person for the office of Secretary of State of Ohio, and I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet her. I  had a chance to talk with her, to absorb some of her energy, and to feel the excitement that she brings to the campaign trail. And I am glad to be living in our current time.

Judy Pugsley, White person from Rocky River, Ohio

Judith Pugsley is a contributing writer at Cleveland Urban News.Com. Reach her by email at judithpugsley@clevelandurbannews.com(www.clevelandurbannews.com) / (www.kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com)