MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

Is Shontel Brown married? Joe Biden-backed Ohio candidate sports a ring in her left hand

The seat was vacated by former Democratic Rep Marcia Fudge in March, after she stepped down to become the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development

Shontel Brown scored a major victory on Tuesday, August 3, over the party's progressive wing represented by former state Senator Nina Turner in the Democratic primary for the special election in Ohio's 11th Congressional District.

The seat was vacated by former Democratic Rep Marcia Fudge in March, after she stepped down to become the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Joe Biden. According to Business Insider, the 11th district is racially diverse, reliably Democratic, with a mix of working-to-upper-middle-class suburbs. The district reportedly backed Biden over former President Donald Trump by a margin of 60 percentage points in the 2020 election.

RELATED ARTICLES

Hervis Rogers, hailed for waiting hours to vote in Texas primaries, arrested for 'illegal voting'

Is Maya Wiley's campaign broke? NYC mayor hopeful owes 28 individuals and firms

That said, Brown is now the overwhelming favorite to win the November 2 general election. "I am eternally grateful," she told her supporters. "I am completely overwhelmed by all of you that have showed up and showed out on my behalf. This was a collaborative partnership of the community." She added, "This isn't an all-or-nothing thing. This is about making progress. Sometimes, it takes compromise." 

Brown chairs the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party and is a council member of the county. During her campaign, she highlighted her loyalty to Biden, promising to not shift the agenda of the Democratic Party too far to the left. According to Business Insider, Brown's moderate stances attracted the support of the old guard of the Party including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, the highest-ranking Black lawmaker in Congress.

Is Shontel Brown married?

Brown is said to be happily married but has not revealed the identity of her husband. She has never posted any photos with him on social media. The talented politician and businesswoman wears a ring on her left hand — indicating she is engaged. It's possible that she has chosen not to divulge details about her better half for security purposes.

Brown promoted herself as a strong Biden ally and drew a contrast with Turner, who co-chaired Bernie Sanders' 2020 presidential campaign. “The other candidate already made a commitment to be a part of the squad. I’m running to be a member of Congress," she told The Guardian. “That’s what people care about. Who’s going to deliver for them? I’m not looking to make headlines and not looking to get a lot of attention, I want to be effective. I want to help people. People are struggling here and so being able to deliver relief and recovery and resources will be my highest priority."

Meanwhile, Turner entered the race as an ally of the progressive "squad", a group of far-left Democrats who are hoping to grow their rank and influence over the party's policy direction in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections.

As she conceded to her opponent, Turner told her supporters to look into the future and remain focused. Meanwhile, she blasted the influx of so-called "evil money" in the race.

"It is ok to be sad tonight, but tomorrow, we must roll up our sleeves and continue to fight. I want you to leave this celebration more resolute because we still have work to do," Turner said. "I am going to work hard to ensure that something like this doesn't happen to another progressive candidate again. We didn't lose this race, evil money manipulated and maligned this election," she alleged.

According to an NPR report on Tuesday, however, a Turner spokesperson said the campaign had raised roughly $5.7 million, while the Brown campaign had raised less than half — about $2.6 million.