Delores Gray Ford

Delores Gray Ford is a member of the Ohio State Board of Education, representing District 11. She assumed office on January 1, 2025. Her current term ends on January 1, 2029.

Gray Ford (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Ohio State Senate to represent District 21. She is on the ballot in the Democratic primary on May 5, 2026.^[source]

Biography

Delores Gray Ford was born in Cleveland, Ohio. She earned a high school diploma from East High School, an associate degree from Cuyahoga Community College in 1995, and a bachelor's degree from Cleveland State University in 1999. Her career experience includes working as an educator, community health worker, and social worker. As of 2024, Gray Ford was affiliated with Black Women Political Action Committee, National Congress of Black Women, and C-FRO.^[1]

Elections

2026

General election

The primary will occur on May 5, 2026. The general election will occur on November 3, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 21

Incumbent Kent Smith (D) and Delores Gray Ford (D) are running in the Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 21 on May 5, 2026.

		Candidate
		Kent Smith
		Delores Gray Ford

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined.
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Republican primary

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 21

Mikhail Alterman (R) is running in the Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 21 on May 5, 2026.

		Candidate
		Mikhail Alterman

	There are no incumbents in this race.
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.

2024

General election

General election for Ohio State Board of Education District 11

Delores Gray Ford defeated Jennie Kelley-Crosby in the general election for Ohio State Board of Education District 11 on November 5, 2024.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Delores Gray Ford (Nonpartisan)	52.9	159,586
	Jennie Kelley-Crosby (Nonpartisan)	47.1	142,268

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 301,854
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Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Gray Ford in this election.

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

Delores Gray Ford has not yet completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey. If you are Delores Gray Ford, click here to fill out Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

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2024

Delores Gray Ford completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Gray Ford's responses.

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Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Delores Gray, a mother and grandmother, has taken on the responsibility of raising her two grandsons after the untimely death of her daughter. A former teacher and native of Cleveland, she is now a social worker and community health worker, with a commendable dedication to education, women’s rights, and overall wellness.

As the current President of the Carl Stokes Brigade, an organization with a rich history of social justice and advocacy, Delores has ensured that the group continues to thrive and make a positive impact in communities. She is also the founder of the BrickHouse Wellness Women Empowerment Group, which provides safe spaces for women and promotes mental and physical well-being.

A motivational speaker and collaborative author, Delores inspires others to prioritize self-care and personal growth in mind, body, and spirit. Her 20 years of advocacy reflect her commitment to education and social justice.

Serving on the Executive Board of the Black Women’s Political Action Committee, as well as being a member and serving as Chaplin of the National Congress of Black Women Greater Cleveland Chapter, her work exemplifies her dedication to community service and leadership. Among other honors, she received the Presidential Bronze Medal from former President Barack Obama in 2016 for her advocacy work in the community.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I am passionate about education and social justice. I firmly believe that all children deserve an equal opportunity in life, and education is the key to their success.
I believe in our public school system; teachers are the backbone of our community, and I am a strong proponent of collective bargaining to ensure our educators' success.
Community engagement is essential for our district's prosperity. Working families, students, and all public schools should be actively involved in shaping the success of our district.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Policies ensuring equitable access to education top my list—every child deserves a fair shot. Enhancing support for special education and inclusive learning environments is crucial. I'm very concerned about funding for public school's vs choice and charters schools.
Also, funding for mental health services in schools is vital; students need emotional and psychological support to thrive. Let’s not forget about updating curricula to reflect diverse perspectives and real-world skills. Also Making sure our educators supported.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I look up to Fannie Lou Hamer a civil rights activist, she fought for our voting rights, even when she was treated horribly, she continued her work until women of color could vote therefore creating a legacy in the civil rights world.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I recommend reading, "Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire, this is a powerful book that provides a theory regarding education and how to overcome oppression and become liberated through education.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, it's all about consistency regarding one's values and actions. It means being honest and having strong moral principles even if no one is watching for an elected official, it's about making decisions that are in the best interest of the public, not personal gain and being transparent in all dealing. For an elected official, it’s about making decisions that are in the best interest of the public, not personal gain, and being transparent in all dealings. It’s about standing by your word and owning up to mistakes. Having leaderships qualities is a plus because it helps foster collaboration and innovation creating an environment where educators feel valued and valued. Having empathy helps you to connect and understand diversity with the communities you serve, and lastly commitment is very important, its having dedication to serving your constituents.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Keeping my word is very important, along with having integrity. As a community advocate working with people of all walks of life, keeping a line of communication open and being an active listener.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

I believe the core responsibilities are setting standards and policy, overseeing and ensuring equitable access to quality education. Engaging with community and stakeholders to understand concerns, and needs. Working with educators, supporting them and making sure they meet criteria regarding licensures. Advocating for funding, reviewing budgets and working with the district to improve students' outcomes.

What legacy would you like to leave?

The legacy I would like to leave is that I worked hard to make a change in our community and educational system.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Tragic history in 2001 happened on September 11th, 2001, when the terrorists ran into the Twin Towers in New York city. It was a horrific sight and very traumatizing to say the least. Many have not recovered from that tragedy. I was in my early thirties.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was working as a tutor, I worked for three years while in highschooler, upon graduation I worked s program assistance helping student with navigating computer skills .

What is your favorite book? Why?

Finding Fish, by Antwone Fisher. love this book because this autobiography shows how he triumphs in the midst of sexual abuse, drugs and poverty. Mr. Fisher was born and raised right here in Cleveland Ohio and his story was also made into a movie, right here in Cleveland

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

I would be Wonder Woman! I love superheroes!

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Make it Happen, by Mariah Carey, such an inspirational song.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Dealing with grief is very complex, my daughter passed away 2019 from health disparities. My struggle is has become a gift, I see myself in many mothers that have lost a child due to health issues or gun violence and its very important to reach out to parents going through trauma and grief to assist them with your story and provide resources for the entire family.

What is the primary job of a school board member in your view?

I feel the primary job of a state board of education member is to oversee and ensure our educators have proper training and licensures. Our teachers are a vital part for our schools to thrive working to help them succeed is very important. A board member should serve as a liaison for the community and the district, advocating for the educational needs for students and their families.

Who are your constituents?

My constituents are the community which includes students, their families, our teachers and all stakeholders. They are the ones whose lives within the community and district are impacted by decisions that are made. Engaging listening to ideas, understanding needs and concerns are important to help improve educational outcomes for all.

How would you support the diverse needs of your district’s students, faculty, staff, and community?

First, I would support diverse needs by active listening and regularly engaging with our teachers, students, staff, other faculty and community leader and stakeholders. Promote wrap around services such as professional development workshops, addressing diversity framework and learning styles. Understanding varied cultural perspectives and being able to incorporate that within the district for students, teacher, families. and community. Building trust and having open communication is the key to diversity for the district.

How will you build relationships with members of the broader community? Which groups, organizations, stakeholders will you specifically target?

As a community advocate and activist, I make sure to do my research and outreaching to other communities to have a broader reach for district 11th. I believe in town hall meetings, especially community forums, introducing key groups, organizations, and stakeholders. The goal is to connect community leaders and elected officials that are serve district 11th, teacher unions; Ohio Educational Association, educational organizations such as MyCom, parent -teacher associations PTA. Even healthcare provider such as Ohio Medicaid school program

What constitutes good teaching? How will you measure this? How will you support advanced teaching approaches?

Good teaching should incorporate critical thinking, creativity, engaging the students, having active listening skills and clear communication. Teachers should also participate with workshops and other learning tools to continue their growth as an educator.

In what areas would you like to expand curriculum? For example, do you see a need for advanced technical training or apprenticeships? What sort of innovative programming would you advance if given the opportunity?

The areas I would like to expand would be in foreign languages like Mandarin Russian, French, other countries are fluent in these and other languages, along with financial literacy life skills. I think students should have choices, other than college and military, with trades they have many choices in careers such as electrician, plumbing, healthcare and yes, I see a need with advance technical training this help student to compete in the real world when they graduate, it is preparing them for success.

What strategies or plans would you advance to ensure the schools are properly funded?

Advocacy work, meeting with community leaders and elected officials to create partnerships. Also, efficient budgeting to ensure that current funding is meeting the needs of the schools in district 11.

What principles drive your policies for safety in schools?

Safety for our students' teacher's faculty is so important. Having a plan in place is vital and can save lives. My principles are simple; Protection is key having a protocol in place in case of imminent danger, making sure everyone is properly trained. Prevention providing ongoing training on violence in the schools such as anti-bullying, and gun violence, and mental health services. Being proactive helps to address any potential problems before it happens. Supporting students making sure they are heard and respected, making sure resources are readily available for students, teachers and faculty in need of assistance.

How might you support the mental health needs of students/faculty/staff?

We can support mental health needs of students/faculty and staff by having open door for communications and providing services that works with gun violence, suicide preventions other social, special needs issues and mental health. Including wrap around services that provide a social worker on site.

Tell us your favorite joke.

I love knock knock jokes. Why do cows wear bells, because their horns don't work. lol lol I know it corny, lol.

What existing district policies would you like to change, or what new policies would you like to implement?

I would like to add committees that bring in parents, even more information on how funding is implemented.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Black Women Political Action Committee, State Democratic Party, Ohio Education Association, United Auto Workers (State and local ), Sen. Sherrod Brown's Canary Candidate Endorsement, and Eastside News.

Describe your ideal learning environment for students.

An ideal learning environment for students would be having a smaller classroom size, Inclusiveness, and engaging. All students should feel valued and understood. Instruction should include different learning styles, creative styles, critical thinking should be encouraged, preparing students for real life situation. Again, making sure that mental health services are available and having active listening skill and just being open to communication.

How do you feel like your school district handled the coronavirus pandemic? What, if anything, would you do differently in the future?

Dealing with a pandemic that caused many deaths and other economics problems, I feel the district handled the pandemic as well as they could. The key was to make sure students, teachers and faculty were safe. For the future, more training on technology should be addressed to be more effective for the home-schooling environment.

What will you do to build a relationship with parents in the district?

As a parent and grandparent, I'm engaged with schools, my plans are to create a newsletter and social media (if they don't have one currently) to provide even more information that concerns parents and their family needs. Transparency, open communication and building trust is vital. Creating a partnership with our families will help to foster in open communication.

What are your preferred strategies for faculty, staff, and administration recruitment?

Having a multifaceted approach would aid in generating recruitment strategies attracting top talent and promote diversity. Building a distinct plan that includes outreach, job fairs offering incentives that includes competitive salaries and professional development. Promoting an inclusive work environment that values diversity, collaboration, and innovative ideas, which includes mentoring programs.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Accountability & financial transparency first and foremost for government elected official are a must. Board member serving should be held accountable and responsible for decisions, fairness and integrity. Having transparency when budgeting makes it easier to understand where funds are allocated and how funding is benefiting our district schools, students and educators.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Campaign website

Gray Ford's campaign Facebook stated the following:

“	"I am passionate about our youth and their communities, and what affect their quality of life. As an educator, I dedicate my time to bring holistic wellness to my community through education, civic engagement and social justice".^[2]	”
—Delores Gray Ford’s campaign Facebook (2024)^[3]

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

Delores Gray Ford campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024	Ohio State Board of Education District 11	Won general	$2,605	$2,605
Grand total			$2,605	$2,605
Sources: OpenSecrets, Federal Election Commission *This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).

External links

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Officeholder

Ohio State Board of Education District 11

Website

Personal

Facebook

Footnotes

↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on November 1, 2024
↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
↑ Elect Delores Gray Ford for State School Board, “Home,” accessed October 21, 2024

Political offices
Preceded by Meryl Johnson	Ohio State Board of Education District 11 2025-Present	Succeeded by -

[show]

Current members of the Ohio State Senate

Leadership

Senate President:Robert McColley

Minority Leader:Nickie Antonio

Senators

District 1

Robert McColley (R)

District 2

Theresa Gavarone (R)

District 3

Michele Reynolds (R)

District 4

George Lang (R)

District 5

Stephen Huffman (R)

District 6

Willis Blackshear (D)

District 7

Steve Wilson (R)

District 8

Louis Blessing (R)

District 9

Catherine Ingram (D)

District 10

Kyle Koehler (R)

District 11

Paula Hicks-Hudson (D)

District 12

Susan Manchester (R)

District 13

Nathan Manning (R)

District 14

Terry Johnson (R)

District 15

Hearcel Craig (D)

District 16

Beth Liston (D)

District 17

Shane Wilkin (R)

District 18

Jerry Cirino (R)

District 19

Andrew Brenner (R)

District 20

Tim Schaffer (R)

District 21

Kent Smith (D)

District 22

Mark Romanchuk (R)

District 23

Nickie Antonio (D)

District 24

Thomas Patton (R)

District 25

William DeMora (D)

District 26

Bill Reineke (R)

District 27

Kristina Roegner (R)

District 28

Casey Weinstein (D)

District 29

Jane Timken (R)

District 30

Brian Chavez (R)

District 31

Al Landis (R)

District 32

Sandra O'Brien (R)

District 33

Alessandro Cutrona (R)

Republican Party (24)

Democratic Party (9)

[1] Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on November 1, 2024

[quotedisclaimer-2] Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[3] Elect Delores Gray Ford for State School Board, “Home,” accessed October 21, 2024

[1]

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Delores Gray Ford

Contents

Biography

Elections

2026

General election

Democratic primary

Democratic primary for Ohio State Senate District 21

Republican primary

Republican primary for Ohio State Senate District 21

Endorsements

2024

General election

General election for Ohio State Board of Education District 11

Endorsements

Campaign themes

2026

Ballotpedia survey responses

2024

Campaign website

Campaign finance summary

See also

External links

Footnotes

Information about voting

2026 Elections

2025 Elections

Election analysis

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Public Policy

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