Democrats' Appetite for Progressive Politics Gets Fresh Test in Ohio

[question everything]

Cross posting from GD https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215235687

CLEVELAND—A crowded Democratic congressional primary in Ohio this year could provide an early test of whether voters want to embrace or challenge the party establishment as the Biden administration gets under way. Nina Turner, who is leading in fundraising and drawing national attention, says she feels the pressure.

Progressives nationwide “have come to see me certainly as one of the leaders of this movement,” said Ms. Turner, a former Ohio state senator who served as a top adviser and surrogate to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) during his presidential runs. “People will read in more to this particular race than they probably ordinarily would if I was not in it.” Her leading competitor, Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Shontel Brown, has taken a more establishment approach, promising to be a partner to President Biden and seek compromise with her colleagues. “The all-or-nothing kind of attitude usually ends up with nothing,” Ms. Brown said.

https://shontelbrown.com/

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The seat representing Ohio’s 11th congressional district came open after Marcia Fudge was confirmed as Mr. Biden’s secretary of Housing and Urban Development last Wednesday. The special-election dates haven’t yet been announced, but whoever wins the Democratic primary is expected to win the deep blue district which includes Cleveland, its eastern suburbs and part of Akron. The district is racially and economically diverse. It is majority African-American but also includes the state’s largest population of Jewish Americans. Income levels vary widely: In East Cleveland almost 38% of the population was in poverty in 2019 and the average annual income was just under $21,000, meanwhile in nearby Beachwood, 4% of residents were in poverty and the average income was more than $89,000, according to the U.S. Census.

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Ms. Turner says she will push Democratic leaders to the left on healthcare, climate and the economy if elected. She didn’t rule out joining with a handful of liberal members to threaten to vote against legislation if it doesn’t include progressive priorities. Her critics have pointed to a comment she made to the Atlantic last year that voting for Mr. Biden was “like saying to somebody, ‘You have a bowl of s— in front of you, and all you’ve got to do is eat half of it instead of the whole thing.’ ” Her supporters say a victory would bolster the party’s progressive wing.

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Meanwhile, Ms. Brown’s supporters say she has a record of getting things done locally and she will do the same in the House. Ms. Brown, who is also the chair of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, is close to Ms. Fudge and has promised to govern in her mold by working with Democratic leadership. Ms. Fudge backed Ms. Brown for party chair in 2017, but said she can’t endorse this time citing her new role in the Biden administration.

More..

https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-appetite-for-progressive-politics-gets-fresh-test-in-ohio-11615809603 (subscription)

[OAITW r.2.0]

1. You bring the Radical Right, you get the Radical Left.

Deal with it.