Clevelandurbannews.com and Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper in Ohio and in the Midwest, and the most read independent digital news in Ohio. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com
Kathy Wray Coleman, associate publisher, editor
CLEVELAND, OHIO – The National Education Association (NEA), at the recommendation of the Ohio Education Association (OEA), on Friday announced its endorsement of U.S. Congressional Candidate Nina Turner through the NEA's political action committee, the NEA Fund.
The Ohio Education Association, the NEA's state-level arm, represents more than 120,000 teachers, faculty members, and support professionals who work in Ohio's schools, colleges, and universities.
The race to fill the open seat in Ohio's largely Black 11th congressional district that became vacant when former congresswoman Marcia L. Fudge vacated the post in early March to join the cabinet of President Joe Biden as his secretary of Urban and Housing Development is down to the wire with the special Democratic primary, which is Aug, 3, drawing 13 Democratic candidates to the ballot.
The NEA Fund noted in its endorsement letter of Turner that it "supports candidates, regardless of political party affiliation, who have clearly demonstrated their commitment to children and public education."
Turner expressed gratitude for the endorsement.
"I am proud to receive the endorsement of the National Education Association," said Turner, a former Ohio senator and progressive Black Democrat who co-chaired last year's presidential campaign of Sen Bernie Sanders.
Sanders has endorsed Turner and is rallying with her in Cleveland this weekend along with a host of prominent local and national Democrats, including Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush, motivational speaker and scholar Dr. Cornel West, actor Danny Glover, and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison. "When I'm in Congress I will do everything possible to reverse the decades of under-investment and privatization that has weakened our public education system."
A former assistant professor at Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland who taught history, Turner said that "our country must fully invest in the well-being of our students and teachers (from pre-k, elementary, high school, vocational training and college)."
Also a former Cleveland Ward 2 councilwoman, Turner and her campaign team are working to keep her closest opponent, Cuyahoga County Councilwoman and County Democratic Party Chairwoman Shontel Brown, from gaining ground in the multi-million dollar congressional race.
She has raised some $4.6 million, more money than any of her opponents.
The winner of the crowded Democratic primary in Ohio's 11th congressional district will face the Republican primary winner for a Nov. 2 general election.
Ohio's largely Black 11th congressional district includes most of Cleveland and its eastern suburbs of Cuyahoga County and a majority Black pocket of Akron and staggering sections of Akron's Summit County suburbs.
Both Cleveland and Cuyahoga County are Democratic strongholds run primarily by Democrats.
Clevelandurbannews.com and-Kathywraycolemanonlinenewsblog.com, the most read Black digital newspaper in Ohio and in the Midwest, and the most read independent digital news in Ohio. Tel: (216) 659-0473. Email: editor@clevelandurbannews.com. CLEVELAND URBAN NEWS.COM, OHIO'S LEADER IN BLACK DIGITAL NEWS.
By Kathy Wray Coleman. Coleman is a former public school biology teacher and a Black political and investigative reporter who trained for 17 years at the Call and Post Newspaper in Cleveland, Ohio
