A suburban Cleveland mayor took a step closer to finishing the term of the late U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Now her attention turns to succeeding her former mentor.
Marcia Fudge, the mayor of Warrensville Heights, beat out eight other Democrats in a special primary election Tuesday. With turnout estimated at less than 10 percent, unofficial results showed Fudge had 10,753 votes. Her closest challenger had 2,028 votes.
Fudge advances to a Nov. 18 special election, in which she could face independent candidate James Germalic, whose petitions are under review. The winner will serve the two months remaining in the term of Tubbs Jones, who died on Aug. 20 after suffering a brain hemorrhage.
But first, Fudge will face Republican Thomas Pekarek on Nov. 4 for a two-year term as the district's representative in Congress.
"I'm appreciative of the confidence the people of the 11th Districts have shown in me," Fudge said early Wednesday after the special primary vote. "I'm humbled by the support."
Fudge is a former chief of staff to Tubbs Jones, the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress.
The special election to complete Tubbs Jones' term will cost Ohio taxpayers from $4 million to $5.5 million. Gov. Ted Strickland considered not holding the election, but determined it was constitutionally required.
If Fudge wins both the Nov. 4 election and the special election Nov. 18, she'll be sworn in before other first-term House members elected in November, giving her an important edge in seniority.
No significant problem with the precinct-based scanners were reported Tuesday shortly after polls closed. The county has a history of flawed elections, including poorly trained poll workers, lost vote-memory cards and lengthy vote-counting.
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