Collin Anderson at Washington Free Beacon reports on the House seat left
vacant by Marcia Fudge:
President Joe Biden's decision to
appoint former Ohio congresswoman Marcia Fudge to his cabinet has Democrats
poised to send another self-described socialist to Congress.
Liberal firebrand Nina Turner holds
a sizable polling and fundraising lead in the crowded primary race to succeed
Fudge. The former state senator is backed by a who's who of congressional
progressives, including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) and Reps. Alexandria
Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D., Minn.), and Rashida Tlaib (D.,
Mich.).
Should Turner maintain her
advantage and win the August primary, she would fit right in with the so-called
Squad members. The former national co-chair of Sanders's presidential campaign,
Turner has pledged to pass the Green New Deal, eliminate private health
insurance through a government-run Medicare for All system, cancel student
debt, and "completely reimagine" law enforcement—in part by defunding
police.
Turner's frontrunner status
reflects the growing influence of the Democratic Party's progressive wing. Just
months ago, Ocasio-Cortez and company welcomed two
new Squad members after Reps. Cori Bush (D., Mo.) and Jamaal Bowman (D., N.Y.)
ousted longstanding Democratic incumbents in 2020. Bush and Bowman's freshman
class also includes fellow liberal representatives Mondaire Jones (D., N.Y.),
Ritchie Torres (D., N.Y.), and Marie Newman (D., Ill.), all of whom replaced
veteran party members in January.
Turner's campaign on Tuesday used a
Tulchin Research poll to declare the progressive "the favorite to serve as
OH-11's next Congressperson." According to the poll, Turner enjoys a
35-point lead over her closest competitor, with 21 percent undecided. Ohio
State University political scientist Paul Beck said that while the poll's
accuracy is difficult to assess, Turner is the "most visible
candidate" and has "emerged as the frontrunner in the campaign."
"My bet would be right now
that [Turner is] the person who is going to get the nomination—and win the
contest in November," he said.
. . .
Read the full report here.
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