Ohio race framed as national barometer for Democrats
Tuesday's rematch between Rep. Shontel Brown and former state senator Nina Turner for Ohio's 11th Congressional District offers a real-time reflection of the divisions between the Democratic Party's progressive and establishment wings -- and a barometer for Democrats running across the country at the top of the midterm season.
Brown was first elected to Congress in a special election last year following former Rep. Marcia Fudge's appointment to serve as secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. While President Joe Biden endorsed Brown last Friday, calling her "an ardent advocate for the people of Ohio and a true partner in Congress,” leading progressive voices like Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., are backing Turner.
Turner and Brown approached the campaign trail from different ends of the Democratic political spectrum. Turner, a former co-chairwoman of Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign, has previously criticized the Democratic Party and Biden.