Democrat Shontel Brown won the Cleveland-area U.S. House seat formerly held by Biden Housing Secretary Marcia Fudge in Tuesday’s special election.
Brown is a Cuyahoga County Council member who also chairs the county Democratic Party. She defeated Republican Laverne Gore, a business owner and activist, in the 11th Congressional District. The district is a heavily Democratic area that stretches from Cleveland to Akron.
Brown will fill the remainder of Fudge’s term, which runs until January 2023, facing reelection again next year to hold the seat.
Her election marks a win for establishment Democrats, who sought to defend the district against a takeover by progressives. Her backers included Hillary Clinton, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn and several labor unions.
But victory may be short-lived. Already, Brown’s defeated primary opponent, progressive Nina Turner, has begun campaigning for the full congressional term up for grabs in 2022.
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MORE ON ELECTION 2021:
— The Virginia governor’s race is a test of how voters feel about Joe Biden’s presidency
— What to watch on Election Day, with gubernatorial races and a vote on disbanding a police department among issues across the country
— The economy ranks as the top issue facing Virginia voters, with the pandemic and education trailing
— School board races become the new front in a culture war as resentments over coronavirus restrictions and anti-racism curriculum reach a boiling point
— Elections are being held for three open congressional seats in Ohio and Florida
— Voters in Minneapolis weigh the fate of the city police department after the death of George Floyd
— Mayoral races could be huge milestones for Asian Americans
— Election officials appear on track to deliver a relatively smooth Election Day after a year of dealing with false claims and death threats
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HERE’S WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING:
Republican Glenn Youngkin did his best to keep former President Donald Trump at arm’s length in his competitive race for Virginia governor against Democrat Terry McAuliffe. The strategy appears to have had the intended effect.
A majority of Virginia voters say they have an unfavorable view of the former president, but Youngkin fares better, according to AP VoteCast, a survey of voters. About half have a favorable opinion of the former private equity executive.
The economy ranked as the top issue facing the commonwealth, with the coronavirus pandemic and education trailing, and voters were split in their opinion of President Joe Biden’s performance.
Tuesday’s election is the most closely watched contest since Biden defeated Trump last year. It is widely seen as a gauge of how voters are feeling ahead of next year’s midterm elections, and for both parties it could provide a blueprint for campaigning in competitive states.
Biden won Virginia by 10 percentage points last year. Now, 48% of Virginia’s voters approve of Biden’s job performance, while 52% disapprove.
Voters who ranked the economy and education as the top issues were more likely to back Youngkin over McAuliffe. Voters who identified COVID-19 as the top issue supported McAuliffe over Youngkin. McAuliffe also earned the majority backing of the roughly 2 in 10 who ranked health care, climate change or racism as the top issue.
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Voters casting ballots in the tight race for Virginia governor rank the economy as the top issue facing the commonwealth, with the coronavirus pandemic and education trailing.
In the contest between Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin, 34% of Virginia voters say the economy and jobs was the most important issue facing the state. Seventeen percent name COVID-19 and 14% choose education. That’s according to AP VoteCast, a survey of voters.
Health care (7%), climate change (7%), racism (5%), immigration (5%), abortion (5%) and law enforcement (4%) were all lower-tier issues.
The race is the most closely watched and competitive contest since Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump last year, and is seen as a gauge of voters’ feelings ahead of next year’s midterms.
Youngkin, a former private equity executive, often asserted Virginia’s economy was “in the ditch,” but a majority of voters disagreed. Fifty-six percent said the state’s economy is in good shape, compared with 44% saying economic conditions are poor.
Schools became a focus of the race in its final weeks. A quarter of Virginia voters say the debate over teaching critical race theory in schools was the single most important factor in their vote for governor, but a similar percentage identified the debate over handling COVID-19 in schools as most important.
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