Nina Turner (Ohio)

This page was current at the end of the official's last term in office covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Nina Turner

Democratic Party

Prior offices

Cleveland City Council

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Ohio State Senate District 25

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Report an officeholder change

Elections and appointments

Last election

August 3, 2021

Education

Associate

Cuyahoga Community College

Bachelor's

Cleveland State University

Graduate

Cleveland State University

Personal

Profession

Assistant professor

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Personal Facebook

Personal LinkedIn

Nina Turner (Democratic Party) was a member of the Ohio State Senate, representing District 25. She assumed office in 2008. She left office on January 5, 2015.

Turner (Democratic Party) ran in a special election to the U.S. House to represent Ohio's 11th Congressional District. She lost in the special Democratic primary on August 3, 2021.

Turner did not run for re-election to the Senate in 2014.

Turner served on the Cleveland City Council from 2006 to 2008.

2021 battleground election

See also: Ohio's 11th Congressional District special election, 2021 (August 3 Democratic primary)

Shontel Brown won the special Democratic primary for Ohio's 11th Congressional District on August 3, 2021, advancing to the special general election on November 2, 2021. Thirteen candidates ran in the primary. The special election was called after former incumbent Marcia Fudge (D) was confirmed as secretary of housing and urban development in President Joe Biden's (D) administration.

The Hill's Julia Manchester wrote in July that the race "has become a proxy battle for the Democratic Party establishment and national progressives," referring to endorsements for Brown and Nina Turner. Brown served on the Cuyahoga County Council as of the election. Turner, a former state senator, was a 2016 national surrogate and 2020 co-chair for Bernie Sanders' Democratic presidential primary campaigns.

Brown was endorsed by former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and the Congressional Black Caucus PAC. Sanders and the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC endorsed Turner. Seth Richardson of cleveland.com wrote that local endorsements did not break down along the same dividing lines as national endorsements. Click here for more on national and local politics in the race.

Three policy areas where the candidates differed were healthcare, student loan debt forgiveness, and the cost of higher education. Click here to learn more about their positions.

Brown campaigned on her relationship with Fudge and support for the Biden administration, saying in one ad, "In Congress, I'll bring people together and work with Joe Biden to stop gun violence and provide economic relief for families. That's different than Nina Turner." The ad highlighted Turner's criticisms of Biden.

Turner released an ad in which she said she fought for the Democratic Party throughout her career. A narrator cited The Cleveland Plain Dealer, which criticized Brown for not stepping down as Cuyahoga County Democratic Party chair during her campaign and called her record undistinguished.

As of June 2021, Inside Elections rated the special election Solid Democratic. Fudge was first elected in 2008, and she won re-election with at least 79% of the vote in each election cycle between then and 2021. As of 2019 Census Bureau estimates, Ohio's 11th was the only district in the state where Black residents made up a majority (53%). The district also had the largest Jewish population in the state, according to cleveland.com.

Elections

2021

See also: Ohio's 11th Congressional District special election, 2021

General election

Special general election for U.S. House Ohio District 11

Shontel Brown and Laverne Gore are running in the special general election for U.S. House Ohio District 11 on November 2, 2021.

		Candidate
		Shontel Brown (D)
		Laverne Gore (R)

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There are no incumbents in this race.

Democratic primary election

Special Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 11

The following candidates ran in the special Democratic primary for U.S. House Ohio District 11 on August 3, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Shontel Brown	50.4	35,504
		Nina Turner	44.3	31,202
		Jeffrey Johnson	1.8	1,253
		John E. Barnes Jr.	1.0	723
		Shirley Smith	0.7	518
		Seth Corey	0.7	474
		Will Knight	0.2	172
		Pamela Pinkney	0.2	168
		Tariq Shabazz	0.2	127
		Martin Alexander	0.1	97
		James Jerome Bell	0.1	89
		Lateek Shabazz	0.1	56
		Isaac Powell	0.1	44

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There were no incumbents in this race. Source

Total votes: 70,427

Republican primary election

Special Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 11

Laverne Gore defeated Felicia Ross in the special Republican primary for U.S. House Ohio District 11 on August 3, 2021.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Laverne Gore	74.2	3,894
		Felicia Ross	25.8	1,352

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There were no incumbents in this race. Source

Total votes: 5,246

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Daniel Corrigan (D)
• Bryan Flannery (D)

Candidate profile

Nina Turner

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

• Ohio State Senate (2008-2015)
• Cleveland City Council (2006-2008) 
  

Biography: 

Turner received an A.A. from Cuyahoga Community College and bachelor's and master's degrees from Cleveland State University. Turner was an assistant professor of history at Cuyahoga Community College and chair of party engagement for the Ohio Democratic Party. In 2014, Turner was the Democratic nominee for Ohio secretary of state. Turner was a national surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders' (I-Vt.) 2016 Democratic presidential campaign. She was president of Our Revolution before co-chairing Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. 

Key messages

• Turner said her record included securing housing for seniors and leading a bipartisan effort to create a task force on community and police relations. She said she worked for Sanders' presidential campaign "to make the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share and fight for Medicare for All."
  

• Turner emphasized her upbringing, saying she grew up in a working-class family as one of seven children, and connected her support for Medicare for All to her mother's death at age 42.

• Turner said, "You need to have somebody that will lead this community who does have a vision, that understands being a partner does not mean being a puppet, that working with does not mean acquiescing to."

Sources: Nina Turner's 2021 campaign website, "Home," accessed May 10, 2021; YouTube, "Nina Turner--Voice," April 26, 2021; YouTube, "Democratic candidates square off in City Club of Cleveland's 11th Congressional District primary deb," June 22, 2021; Nina Turner's 2021 campaign website, "Meet Nina Turner," accessed May 10, 2021

Campaign finance

The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Nina Turner	Democratic Party	$3,867,839	$3,704,491	$647,125	As of July 14, 2021
Shontel Brown	Democratic Party	$2,066,834	$1,748,992	$357,471	As of July 14, 2021
Bryan Flannery		$124,091	$141,773	$0	As of June 30, 2021
Seth Corey	Democratic Party	$64,007	$35,724	$28,283	As of July 14, 2021
Shirley Smith	Democratic Party	$23,621	$20,790	$2,333	As of July 14, 2021
John E. Barnes Jr.	Democratic Party	$18,778	$14,587	$4,192	As of July 14, 2021
Jeffrey Johnson	Democratic Party	$14,322	$4,795	$14,878	As of July 14, 2021
Laverne Gore		$11,433	$9,977	$1,673	As of July 14, 2021
Tariq Shabazz	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available
Daniel Corrigan		$0	$0	$0	Data not available
Felicia Ross		$0	$0	$0	Data not available
Will Knight	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available
James Jerome Bell	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available
Pamela Pinkney	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available
Isaac Powell	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available
Lateek Shabazz	Democratic Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," . * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

Satellite spending

Satellite spending, commonly referred to as outside spending, describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

This section lists satellite spending in this race reported by news outlets in alphabetical order. If you are aware of spending that should be included, please email us.

• The Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC spent $104,000 on digital ads supporting Turner as of July 20.

• The Democratic Action PAC had spent $611,000 on radio, broadcast, and mail supporting Turner and opposing Brown as of July 28.

• The Democratic Majority for Israel had spent $2 million on TV advertising and other media opposing Turner and supporting Brown as of July 29.

• Third Way spent $255,000 on digital advertising opposing Turner as of July 29.

• The Working Families Party Independent Expenditure Committee had spent $153,000 on canvassing and digital ads supporting Turner as of July 27.

Endorsements

Click below for endorsement lists from candidates' campaign websites, where available:

• Shontel Brown
• Nina Turner

This section includes noteworthy endorsements issued in the primary, added as we learn about them. Click here to read how we define noteworthy primary endorsements. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Democratic primary endorsements
Endorsement	Brown	Turner
Newspapers and editorials
cleveland.com/The Plain Dealer editorial board		✔
Elected officials
Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio)	✔
Rep./House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.)	✔
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.)	✔
Rep. Troy Carter (D-La.)	✔
Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.)	✔
Rep. David Trone (D-Md.)	✔
Rep. Marc Veasey (D-Tx.)	✔
Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-Virgin Islands)	✔
Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-Wash.)	✔
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)		✔
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)		✔
Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.)		✔
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.)		✔
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.)		✔
Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.)		✔
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.)		✔
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.)		✔
Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.)		✔
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.)		✔
Rep. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.)		✔
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.)		✔
Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)		✔
Rep. Jesus Garcia (D-Ill.)		✔
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison (D)		✔
Ohio Senate Democratic Leader Kenny Yuko		✔
Individuals
Former Sec. of State/2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (D)	✔
Former Gov. Ted Strickland (D)	✔
2020 presidential candidate/2021 New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang (D)		✔
2020 presidential candidate Marianne Williamson (D)		✔
Organizations
Democratic Majority for Israel	✔
Jewish Democratic Council of America	✔
Cleveland Teachers Union 279 American Federation of Teachers	✔
Congressional Black Caucus PAC	✔
Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC		✔
Justice Democrats		✔
MoveOn		✔
Democracy for America		✔
Our Revolution		✔
Progressive Democrats of America		✔
Working Families Party		✔
Sunrise Movement		✔
Akron DSA		✔
Done Waiting PAC		✔
Women's March Win		✔
The Black Contractors Group, Inc	✔
Bricklayers Local Union No. 5	✔
Cleveland Building & Construction Trades Council	✔
Association of Heat & Frost Insulators & Allied Workers Local 3, Cleveland, OH	✔
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades	✔
Pipe Fitters Local Union No. 120	✔
The Ohio State Association of Plumbers & Pipe Fitters	✔
Laborers Local 310	✔
The Boilermakers Union, Local Lodge 744	✔
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers & Helpers	✔
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 38	✔
Ohio Laborers District Council	✔
Journeyman Plumbers Union Local 55	✔
SMART	✔
Sheet Metal Workers Local 33	✔
United Auto Workers Region 2B	✔
Amalgamated Transit Union		✔
Bakers, Confectionary, and Tobacco Workers Union Local 19		✔
CWA Local 4340		✔
International Association of Black FireFighters		✔
SEIU Local 1199		✔
SEIU Local 1		✔
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union		✔
National Nurses United		✔
IUE-CWA		✔

2014

See also: Ohio secretary of state election, 2014

Turner ran for Ohio Secretary of State in 2014. Turner won the Democratic nomination in the unopposed primary on May 6, 2014. Republican incumbent Jon Husted sought and won re-election. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

Results

General election

Secretary of State of Ohio, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Jon Husted Incumbent	59.8%	1,811,020
	Democratic	Nina Turner	35.5%	1,074,475
	Libertarian	Kevin Knedler	4.7%	141,292
Total Votes				3,026,787
Election results via Ohio Secretary of State

Click below to see notable endorsements
Endorsements In 2014, Turner's endorsers included the following: Ohio AFL-CIO EMILY's List

2012

See also: Ohio's 11th Congressional District elections, 2012

Turner initially declared an intent to run for election to the U.S. House in 2012. However, she dropped her bid before the primary.

2010

See also: Ohio State Senate elections, 2010

Turner ran unopposed for election to the Ohio State Senate. She was also unopposed in the primary election on May 4, 2010. The election took place on November 2, 2010.

Ohio State Senate, District 25
Candidates		Votes	Percent
Nina Turner (D)		77,987	100.00%

Campaign themes

2021

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Nina Turner did not complete Ballotpedia's 2021 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Turner's campaign website stated the following themes.

“	COVID Recovery “I’m running for Congress because I want an America as good as its promise. The people of Ohio-11 deserve a government that prioritizes the dignity of working people at the center of the pandemic response.” Ensure all communities have access to the COVID-19 vaccines Provide recurring federal relief for families and businesses that is fairly distributed to everyone Raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour Create nationwide PPE workplace safety standards Continue the moratorium on evictions Medicare for All “We live in a country where our veterans are living on the streets without treatment for service-related mental health issues; we have people who are too afraid to go out and see a doctor because they can’t afford it; and we have Black women dying in childbirth at disproportionate numbers in the 21st century. This is America and this is unacceptable!” Provide everyone in America comprehensive health care coverage without premiums, deductibles, copays or surprise bills through a Medicare for All system Prevent drug companies and insurers from gouging patients Invest in infrastructure so every community has real access to health care Quantify and eliminate health care disparities Economic Justice “We want our WHOLE DAMN DOLLAR!” A living wage that adjusts for inflation Strengthen and expand unions Equal pay for equal work Expand workplace protections for the LGBTQIA+ community by passing the Equality Act Make credit and banking services available to all communities Make the ultra-wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share Increased protections and employment opportunities for our disabled community Expanded Public Education "The public education system needs to be shored up, and we have to invest our tax dollars to ensure that a child will not be discriminated against or treated differently because of the zip code they live in." Increase federal and state funding for early childhood education and child care, public schools and educators, and community schools and afterschool programs Ensure the right of teachers and their unions to collectively bargain for better wages, benefits and working conditions Free public college and cancel student debt Housing as a Human Right “We are on the edge of a housing crisis like no other. Federal, state and local governments must recognize that housing is a human right. We can start by extending the ban on evictions during a deadly pandemic and quickly act to make sweeping investments in affordable housing.” Include substantial investments in new affordable housing construction Effectively address homelessness Minimize gentrification and protect communities Allow all communities the opportunity to build intergenerational wealth through homeownership Reimagining Public Safety "The criminal justice system is inherently unjust to Black and Brown people. We need to completely reimagine how we do policing in this country and while we are at it, let’s fix the entire system from the judiciary to the streets." Implement alternatives to incarceration where appropriate End mandatory minimum sentencing and the death penalty Legalize marijuana Create national policing and use of force standards Ensure law enforcement accountability End for-profit prisons and immigration detention centers Bail Reform Environmental Justice "One thing that we do have in common as human beings, and not just in our country, but all across the world, is that we need a stable environment. We need Mother Nature – we need Mother Earth – to be well, and we are making her sick." Clean water, clean food and clean air for all Create millions of good paying jobs by re-inventing our energy and transportation systems through a Green New Deal Strengthen national parks and natural lands	”
—Nina Turner’s campaign website (2021)

Campaign ads

"Self Serving" - Turner campaign ad, released July 20, 2021

"Surprised" - Turner campaign ad, released July 14, 2021

"Truth" - Turner campaign ad, released July 8, 2021

"Soccer" - Turner campaign ad, released July 1, 2021

"Worry" - Turner campaign ad, released July 1, 2021

"Bones" - Turner campaign ad, released July 1, 2021

"All of US" - Turner campaign ad, released May 18, 2021

"Grandson" - Turner campaign ad, released May 17, 2021

"Voice" - Turner campaign ad, released April 27, 2021

Committee assignments

2013-2014

At the beginning of the 2013 legislative session, Turner served on the following committees:

Campaign donors

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The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent 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, and 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.

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Nina Turner (Ohio) campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2014	Ohio Secretary of State		$1,679,496
2010	Ohio State Senate		$69,122
Grand total raised			$1,748,618
Source: [ Follow the Money]

2014

Ballotpedia collects information on campaign donors for each year in which a candidate or incumbent is running for election. See the table below for more information about the campaign donors who supported Nina Turner. Click [show] for more information.

Nina Turner Campaign Contributions
	2014 Ohio Secretary of State
Total raised	$1,679,496
Total raised by opponents	$4,545,015 (Rep)
Top 5 contributors	Ohio Democratic Party	$194,455
	SEIU District 1199 WKO	$36,465
	Amalgamated Transit Union/ATU	$24,311
	Steelworkers District 1	$24,311
	Ohio Communications Workers	$24,310
Individuals	$857,163
Institutions	$821,257 ($1,076 other)
In-state donations	$1,143,881
Out-of-state donations	$533,931 ($1,684 unknown)

2010

In 2010, Turner raised $69,122.

Listed below are primary contributors.

Donor	Amount
SEIU HEALTH CARE DISTRICT 1199	$5,000
OHIO ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES	$5,000
PERKINS, MARK	$4,500
BROWN, SHONTEL M	$2,500
OZANNE CONSTRUCTION	$1,765

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Ohio

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Ohio scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.

2014

In 2014, the 130th Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 7 through December 31.

• Innovation Ohio: 130th General Assembly - Women's issues scorecard

Legislators are scored based on their votes on women’s issues.

• The American Conservative Union: 2014 legislative scorecard

Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2013

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2013, click [show].
In 2013, the 130th Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 7 to December 31. Innovation Ohio: 130th General Assembly - Women's issues scorecard Legislators are scored based on their votes on women’s issues. The American Conservative Union: 2013 legislative scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2012

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2012, click [show].

In 2012, the 129th Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 3 through December 31. Innovation Ohio: 129th General Assembly - Middle class scorecard Legislators are scored based on their votes on middle class issues. Innovation Ohio: 129th General Assembly - Votes on legislation supported by Gov. Kasich Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills introduced at Gov. Kasich’s urging or which had his support. Innovation Ohio: 129th General Assembly - Women's issues scorecard Legislators are scored based on their votes on women’s issues. Ohio Federation of Teachers: State House 129th General Assembly scorecard Representatives are scored based on how they voted on issues of priority to members of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. Ohio Federation of Teachers: State Senate 129th General Assembly scorecard Senators are scored based on how they voted on issues of priority to members of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. The American Conservative Union: 2012 legislative scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2011

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2011, click [show].

In 2011, the 129th Ohio General Assembly was in session from January 3 through December 31. Innovation Ohio: 129th General Assembly - Middle class scorecard Legislators are scored based on their votes on middle class issues. Innovation Ohio: 129th General Assembly - Votes on legislation supported by Gov. Kasich Legislators are scored based on their votes on bills introduced at Gov. Kasich’s urging or which had his support. Innovation Ohio: 129th General Assembly - Women's issues scorecard Legislators are scored based on their votes on women’s issues. Ohio Federation of Teachers: State House 129th General Assembly scorecard Representatives are scored based on how they voted on issues of priority to members of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. Ohio Federation of Teachers: State Senate 129th General Assembly scorecard Senators are scored based on how they voted on issues of priority to members of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. The American Conservative Union: 2011 legislative scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

Notable endorsements

The following table shows a list of notable endorsements made by this individual or organization. The list includes presidential, congressional, gubernatorial, state legislative, and other notable candidates. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Notable endorsements by Nina Turner
Endorsee	Party	Race
Bernie Sanders source	Democratic Party	President of the United States (2016)
Bernie Sanders source	Democratic Party	President of the United States (2020)

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Turner and her husband, Jeffrey, have one child. They currently reside in Cleveland, Ohio.

See also

2021 Elections

Who is on my ballot? U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislature State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

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External links

• Profile from Open States
• Legislative profile from Project Vote Smart
• Biography from Project Vote Smart
• Campaign Contributions: 2010
• Nina Turner on Facebook

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Candidate

U.S. House Ohio District 11

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by '	Ohio State Senate District 25 2008–January 5, 2015	Succeeded by Kenny Yuko (D)