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Ohio's 11th Congressional District special election, 2021

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Shontel Brown (D) defeated Laverne Gore (R) in a special election to fill the seat representing Ohio's 11th Congressional District in the U.S. House on November 2, 2021. Brown received 81.7 percent of the vote and Gore received 18.3 percent of the vote. Primaries were scheduled for August 3, 2021. The general election was held November 2, 2021. The filing deadline was May 5, 2021.[3]

The special election was called after Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) was confirmed as secretary of housing and urban development in President Joe Biden's (D) administration. The Senate voted 66-34 to confirm Fudge on March 10, 2021.[4]

Fudge's district, Ohio's 11th Congressional District, was rated Solid Democratic during the 2020 general election.

Ohio voter? Dates you need to know.
Candidate Filing DeadlineMay 5[5]
Registration DeadlineJul. 6 (primary) & Oct. 4 (general)[1]
Absentee Voting DeadlineNov. 1 (postmarked) & Nov. 12 (received)[1]
Primary ElectionsAugust 3
General ElectionNovember 2
Voting information
Polling place hours6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.


As of September 9, 2025, 17 special elections have been called during the 117th Congress. From the 113th Congress to the 116th Congress, 50 special elections were held. For more data on historical congressional special elections, click here.

This page focuses on Ohio's 11th Congressional District special election. For more in-depth information on the district's special primaries, see the following pages:

Democratic Party Ohio's 11th Congressional District special election, 2021 (August 3 Democratic primary)
Republican Party Ohio's 11th Congressional District special election, 2021 (August 3 Republican primary)

Candidates and election results

General election

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

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

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Shontel Brown
Shontel Brown (D)
 
78.9
 
82,913
Image of Laverne Gore
Laverne Gore (R)
 
21.1
 
22,198

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 105,111
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

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
✔
Image of Shontel Brown
Shontel Brown
 
50.1
 
38,505
Image of Nina Turner
Nina Turner
 
44.6
 
34,239
Image of Jeffrey Johnson
Jeffrey Johnson
 
1.8
 
1,388
Image of John E. Barnes Jr.
John E. Barnes Jr.
 
1.0
 
801
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Shirley Smith
 
0.8
 
599
Image of Seth Corey
Seth Corey Candidate Connection
 
0.6
 
493
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Pamela Pinkney
 
0.2
 
184
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Will Knight
 
0.2
 
182
Image of Tariq Shabazz
Tariq Shabazz
 
0.2
 
134
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Martin Alexander
 
0.1
 
105
Image of James Jerome Bell
James Jerome Bell Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
101
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Lateek Shabazz
 
0.1
 
61
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Isaac Powell
 
0.1
 
52

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 76,844
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

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
✔
Image of Laverne Gore
Laverne Gore
 
74.0
 
4,009
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Felicia Ross
 
26.0
 
1,405

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 5,414
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

August 3 Democratic Primary

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

Ballotpedia identified the August 3, 2021, Democratic primary as a battleground primary. For more on the Democratic primary, click here. For more on the Republican primary, click here.

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.[6] 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.[7]

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.[8] 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.[9] 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.[10] 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.[9]

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[11]

James Jerome Bell

James Jerome Bell

Image of James Jerome Bell

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "First and foremost I would like to give all praise to the most high God is Sovereign of the universe Jehovah God I am from the mean tough streets of Cleveland Ohio having excelled with a lot of my people have failed I believe that I can be at Illuminator to the not only the 11th District, my community ,America, but the world as a whole I believe that with my experiences in life Community, employment entrepreneurship, education and the resolve to make life better for mankind. That I have the wherewithal and also The Human Experience to truly I say to you today make my mark in American society with the opportunity to serve my fellow man through honesty integrity and Truth.The world will be much better for my leadership and my commitment to Excellence. As I Forge a new America that will be a utopian society and what's peace and Harmony is to dwell."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Utopian peace and Harmony!!!

Saving our planet and natural resources!!!

Common sense Gun control!!!

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Ohio District 11 in 2021.

Shontel Brown

Shontel Brown

Image of Shontel Brown

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

  • Cuyahoga County Council (Assumed office: 2015)
  • Warrensville Heights City Council (2012-2014)

Biography:  Brown received an associate degree in business management from Cuyahoga Community College. Brown founded Diversified Digital Solutions, a printing and promotions company, in 2009. Brown was elected chairwoman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party in 2017. As of her 2021 campaign, Brown chaired the Human Resources, Appointments & Equity Committee on the county council and volunteered at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church as a youth ministry leader.


Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

Brown said her record included passing legislation to declare racism a public health crisis, delivering wifi hotspots, bringing good jobs to Northeast Ohio, helping small businesses, and expanding pre-K. 

Brown said, "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." Her first campaign ad featured a clip of a news anchor saying Turner had been "highly critical of President-elect Joe Biden."

Brown said she was a leader with the relationships needed to achieve results, emphasizing her relationship with former incumbent Marcia Fudge (D).

Show sources

Sources: Shontel Brown's 2021 campaign website, "Home," accessed May 10, 2021; YouTube, "Together," May 6, 2021; YouTube, "Democratic candidates square off in City Club of Cleveland's 11th Congressional District primary deb," June 22, 2021; Shontel Brown's 2021 campaign website, "Meet Shontel," accessed May 10, 2021; Cuyahoga County Council, "District 9 - Shontel Brown," accessed May 10, 2021; LinkedIn, "Shontel M. Brown," accessed May 10, 2021

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Ohio District 11 in 2021.

Seth Corey

Seth Corey

Image of Seth Corey

WebsiteFacebook

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I am not a politician. I am a pediatrician who has dedicated his life to helping our most vulnerable. I understand the issues that are important to everyday people, and have the real life experience to fix them. An honors graduate of Yale, I received my MD and MPH from Tulane and did a residency and fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital. I have been an NIH-funded physician-scientist in hematology/oncology. ​ Too often, we have people making decisions for us that don’t understand the issues themselves. That has resulted in reactionary responses that offer a bandaid on a gushing wound, and consequences that hurt everyday people. ​ I will bring servant leadership to Washington D.C. - putting people before politics. As a doctor, I knows the best way I can help sick children is by listening, communicating, and advocating for them. I ams no stranger to pressure; as a pediatric oncologist, I have to make life or death decisions and unlike those in Washington -- I am accountable for them. I will use his problem solving skills, compassion, and experience as a public health professional and scientist to create solutions instead of making excuses."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Problem-solving, small business friendly, and socially progressive

Speak Up for Our Kids!

Better health for all! End disparities, clean air, clean water, lower drug prices, better preparation for next pandemic,

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Ohio District 11 in 2021.

Nina Turner

Nina Turner

Image of Nina Turner

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

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

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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."

Show sources

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

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Ohio District 11 in 2021.

Election updates

See more

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

Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Nine of 88 Ohio counties—10.2 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Ashtabula County, Ohio 18.80% 12.78% 13.54%
Erie County, Ohio 9.48% 12.29% 13.86%
Montgomery County, Ohio 0.73% 4.62% 6.22%
Ottawa County, Ohio 19.51% 4.30% 6.24%
Portage County, Ohio 9.87% 5.52% 8.99%
Sandusky County, Ohio 22.58% 2.71% 4.64%
Stark County, Ohio 17.17% 0.47% 5.46%
Trumbull County, Ohio 6.22% 23.00% 22.43%
Wood County, Ohio 7.99% 4.84% 7.13%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Ohio with 51.7 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 43.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, Ohio cast votes for the winning presidential candidate 93.3 percent of the time (28 out of 30 elections), more than any other state in the country. In that same time frame, Ohio supported Republican candidates for president more often than Democratic candidates, 60 to 40 percent. Between 2000 and 2016, Ohio voted for the winning presidential candidate in every election.

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Ohio. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[12][13]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 39 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 35.7 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 33 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 34 points. Clinton won seven districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 60 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 17.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 66 out of 99 state House districts in Ohio with an average margin of victory of 28.3 points. Trump won seven districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Ohio Secretary of State, "2021 Ohio Elections Calendar," accessed March 19, 2021
  2. ↑ Ohio Secretary of State, "Early Voting," accessed March 19, 2021
  3. ↑ News 5 Cleveland, "Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announces date for special election to fill Marcia Fudge's 11th Congressional seat," March 18, 2021
  4. ↑ CNN, "Senate confirms Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge as HUD secretary," March 10, 2021
  5. ↑ 19 News, "Special election dates set to fill Ohio state representative vacated by Marcia Fudge," March 18, 2021
  6. ↑ News 5 Cleveland, "Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announces date for special election to fill Marcia Fudge's 11th Congressional seat," March 18, 2021
  7. ↑ CNN, "Senate confirms Ohio Rep. Marcia Fudge as HUD secretary," March 10, 2021
  8. ↑ The Hill, "Shontel Brown gaining ground against Nina Turner in Ohio: poll," July 23, 2021
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 cleveland.com, "Bernie vs. Biden? Liberal vs. establishment? The 11th Congressional District race is much more complex than the national narrative of late: Analysis," July 24, 2021
  10. ↑ Inside Elections, "House Ratings," June 18, 2021
  11. ↑ In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
  12. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  13. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017


Ohio's current delegation to the United States Congress
Senators
Jon Husted (R)
Bernie Moreno (R)
Representatives
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
Bob Latta (R)
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11
District 12
District 13
District 14
District 15
Republican Party (12)
Democratic Party (5)

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