Shontel Brown
Shontel Monique Brown (born June 24, 1975) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for Ohio's 11th congressional district. A member of the Democratic Party, she won her seat in a special election on November 2, 2021. She was a member of the Cuyahoga County Council, representing the 9th district, and chairs the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party. Early life and education. Brown earned an Associate of Science degree in business management from Cuyahoga Community College. She is working toward a Bachelor of Science degree in organizational management from Wilberforce University, with an anticipated graduation in  2022. Career. Brown founded Diversified Digital Solutions, a marketing support company. She was elected to the Warrensville Heights City Council in 2011, where she held office for three years. In 2014, she was elected to the 9th District on the Cuyahoga County Council, succeeding Councilwoman C. Ellen Connally. Her district includes much of eastern Cuyahoga County, including Warrensville Heights, Bedford, Shaker Heights, Orange, and part of eastern Cleveland. In 2017, she was elected chair of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party, defeating State Senator Sandra Williams and Newburgh Heights Mayor Trevor Elkins. Upon taking office, Brown became the first woman and  the first African-American to serve as Cuyahoga County Democratic party chair. As a US Representative, Brown voted for the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and supported the Build Back Better bill. U.S. House of Representatives. 2021 special congressional election. In December 2020, President Joe Biden nominated U.S. Representative Marcia Fudge for secretary of housing and urban development. Brown subsequently announced her intention to run in the special election for Fudge's seat, and filed paperwork with the FEC on December 9. She was one of seven major candidates to run in the district. Several notable Democrats endorsed Brown’s  candidacy, including former U.S. secretary of state and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn, and U.S. Representative Joyce Beatty. In February 2021, "The Plain Dealer" editorial board called on Brown to resign as Cuyahoga County Democratic Party chair during her run, claiming her position gave her an unfair advantage. During the campaign, DMFI PAC, the political action committee for Democratic Majority for Israel, spent more than $1.2 million on television ads in support of Brown. Her main opponent in the Democratic party Nina Turner was supported by the Congressional Progressive Caucus. During the first  few months of her campaign Turner raised more than $1 million plus a number of high-profile endorsements. Turner was also supported by the Justice for All of Us Action Fund, Bernie Sanders and the Squad. NPR reported that the Turner team's fundraising was approximately $5.7 million, while Brown's campaign was about $2.6 million. Turner blamed "evil money" for her loss. Brown won the August 3 primary with 50.2% of the vote and the November 2 general election, defeating Republican nominee Laverne Gore.