Ohio 11th District Congressional Candidates Debate Healthcare, Voting

Democrats running to succeed U.S. Rep. Marcia Fudge debated on Tuesday whether their party should compromise with Republicans or push for sweeping voting rights and healthcare legislation while Democrats maintain control of both houses of Congress.

The City Club of Cleveland hosted the virtual debate, featuring eight of the candidates competing in the Democratic primary in this majority-Black, largely Democratic district that links Cleveland and Akron. 

Speaking at the forum were former State Sen. Nina Turner, Cuyahoga County Councilwoman Shontel Brown, former Cleveland City Councilman Jeff Johnson, former State Sen. Shirley Smith, former State Rep. John Barnes, Navy veteran Tariq Shabazz, pediatrician Seth Corey and Will Knight.

Early in the debate, moderated by retired WKSU editor and freelance reporter M.L. Schultze, the candidates sought to draw contrasts on healthcare.

Brown said she backed a public health insurance option, adding that she would support single-payer Medicare For All if it came up for a vote in the House.

That drew criticism from Turner.

“The ideal is to make sure that everybody in this country has healthcare. I mean, it is really asinine that in the wealthiest country on the face of the earth, we’re debating about whether or not people deserve [healthcare],” Turner said. “And saying that somebody would vote for it if it came to the floor, versus leading on it, is two different things.”

Brown replied that Congressional Democrats should approach issues like health insurance pragmatically, given the party’s slim majority in the House.

“Leading on legislation is very important,” Brown said, “and I think the public option is the way that we can get to universal healthcare faster, more effectively, more immediately. So yes, I also agree we all deserve to be able to have access to high-quality healthcare.”

Turner and Brown differed again when the debate turned to voting legislation that the Senate was considering at the same time as the candidate forum.

Democrats’ For the People Act passed the House in March but initially faced opposition in the Senate from West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin, who proposed a set of compromise measures. Manchin later voted to move forward with debate on the For the People Act.

“Democrats should be standing and holding strong for voting rights,” Turner said. “It is the reason why we right now control the presidency and both chambers of the Congress, because people came out to vote en masse for Democrats. And what did they vote for? I’m glad you asked. They asked for changes in their material conditions.”

Brown said she supported Manchin’s proposal.

“We’re in a slim majority now, but what happens when we aren’t? What happens when the Republicans are in the majority? Do we just reverse course on everything and every progress and every step that we’ve made? No. So we have to be able to work collaboratively and figure out how to get things done, so that we can have legislation and policy that’s built to last.”

A short time later, the For the People Act failed in the face of a filibuster from Senate Republicans.

Turner and Brown are widely viewed as the front-runners in the race. As of March, they led the primary field in fundraising, and both have secured endorsements form national political figures.

The other six candidates used their debate time to try to distinguish themselves in the crowded field.

Johnson emphasized his legal background and decades of experience in state and local office. A former Cleveland mayoral candidate, he recalled his support of an unsuccessful effort to raise the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour.

“I’m ready to start from Day One to go to Capitol Hill,” he said. “Please don’t send someone there who has to spend years in order for them to become effective.”

Shabazz endorsed adding a 28th amendment to the Constitution to counteract the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling on campaign finance. Barnes pointed to his legislative background and promised high-quality constituent services.

Corey said he was running in part because he saw how children struggled with pandemic school closures. Knight called for an overhaul of the country’s healthcare system, saying more people should have equal access to good-quality medical care.

Smith began her closing statement with a dig at Brown, who had compared herself to previous holders of the Congressional seat – U.S. Reps. Louis Stokes, Stephanie Tubbs Jones and Fudge.

“I will repeat something that I heard a politician say long ago. Councilwoman Brown, you are no Stephanie Tubbs Jones,” Smith said. “I worked hard, I came from the bottom, the very, very, low bottom and climbed my way to the top.”

Brown, who had already delivered her closing remarks, jumped in when Smith finished.

“Let’s be clear,” Brown replied. “I have earned every thing that I’ve gotten. Been elected and reelected to every office that I’ve ever held.”

As Brown tried to continue, the moderators cut in. The debate had reached its 90-minute limit and was over.

The Democratic and Republican primaries will be held Aug. 3, with the winners competing on the Nov. 2 general election ballot.