In 2012, Turner considered mounting an attempt to unseat former Rep. Marcia “Avon Barksdale” Fudge, who wore “the crown,” but decided that it wasn’t time…Yet.
Who is Shontel Brown?
Shontel Brown is Stringer Bell.
Also a native Clevelander, Shontel served on the Warrensville Heights City Council before winning a seat on the Cuyahoga County Council. Brown was the first Black woman elected as chairwoman of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party and was considered the logical successor Fudge.
Equal Pay Day Shows Huge Divide In Pay Gap For Black Women When Compared To White Men
But now that Fudge has been sentenced to at least a four-year bid in the Biden administration, Turner wants her corners back.
What is “the crown?”
The crown is the congressional seat for Ohio’s 11th District, a majority Black, reliably Democratic district that includes Cleveland and Akron.
If they’re all Democrats, what’s the problem??
Because this race is symbolic of the two factions of the Democratic Party.
Brown has the support of the Congressional Black Caucus, a voting bloc made up of African-American elected officials who wear the crown in their individual districts. Even though CBC members have different political philosophies, it operates as a co-op, which helps them get the package wholesale from the Democratic Party.
On the other side is Turner, who is supported by left-leaning allies, including politicos like Rep. Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.), Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Although they are reliably Democratic, they often push for progressive policies that aren’t supported by the majority of the co-op.
Source: Nina Turner vs. Shontel Brown, Explained by The Wire
